"Until Shedeur Sanders washes out of NFL" - Mike Florio delivers reality check on Browns rookie QB's hype train about joining CFL

Shedeur Sanders has been the talk of the town since the Cleveland Browns selected him at No. 144 in April. The quarterback has been linked with the starting role after a strong minicamp, while competing against Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Sanders was listed as one of the 45 players on the Canadian Football League team Toronto Argonauts' negotiation list on Wednesday. Two days later, football analyst Mike Florio shared a reality check for Sanders amid rumors that he could join the CFL.

"None of it matters unless and until Sanders washes out of the NFL and decides to roll the dice north of the border," Florio wrote, via NBC Sports. "Chad Kelly has done it. Doug Flutie did it. Warren Moon and Joe Thesimann used CFL success as a springboard to NFL stardom.

"If Sanders is ever playing for the Argonauts, it will mean that things will have gone very poorly for him in Cleveland, and possibly elsewhere. Regardless, the news currently making the rounds isn’t new. The Argonauts still have Shedeur’s negotiating rights. And Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."

Sanders had a surprising slide at the draft. Many felt that he would be taken in the first round, but eventually landed to Cleveland in the fifth.

Although Sanders has stiff competition in the Browns' quarterback room, he seems to have impressed the coaching staff during minicamp. It remains to be seen how the remainder of the preseason unfolds and whether Sanders can get the Browns' QB1 role in his rookie season.

If Sanders fails to make any inroads in the NFL, Florio suggested that he could join the CFL.

A look at Shedeur Sanders' rookie contract with the Browns

NFL: Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders - Source: Imagn

Shedeur Sanders signed a four-year $4.6 million contract with the Browns. His deal also included a $447,380 signing bonus.

Sanders played two years of college football at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado in 2023. He spent two years with the Buffs and was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in his final season with the team.

According to On3, Sanders had NIL deals worth $6.5 million.