Cris Carter lashes out at Shedeur Sanders for throwing away $30 to $50 million in NFL Draft: “They taught him a lesson”

Shedeur Sanders faces uncertain starting prospects in Cleveland Brown’s crowded quarterback room after a surprising NFL Draft slide.

Cris Carter lashes out at Shedeur Sanders for throwing away $30 to $50 million in NFL Draft: “They taught him a lesson”

Cris Carter pointed out the reasons why he think Shedeur Sanders dropped to the fifth round (Images via ESPN/X)

After three tense days, Shedeur Sanders was finally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Once viewed as a possible first-round pick, Sanders joined a quarterback room with Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow draft class pick Dillon Gabriel.

The late selection and the heavy drop into the final rounds of the NFL Draft raised several eyebrows as the highlight of the meeting. In the following days since the draft, Sanders is still the center stage of many serious conversations among analysts and former players.

NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter addressed the issue on the Fully Loaded podcast, delivering a candid assessment. Carter stated that Sanders’ fall in the 2025 NFL Draft was not a result of bad luck or collusion. Instead, he argued that the quarterback’s handling of the pre-draft process had directly influenced his slide.

Carter pointed to Sanders’ decision to skip the NFL Combine, limit interviews, and maintain an overconfident public image.

There wasn’t a collusion message from NFL owners. But there also wasn’t a single team going out of their way to claim him.

Cris Carter said

Feedback from team executives reportedly included concerns about Sanders’ attitude and interview performance.

They overplayed their hand…You don’t play football all the time. You’re a human being the rest of the time—and how you are in the locker room matters… They taught him a lesson. You didn’t have this figured out, your dad didn’t have tissues figured out… He threw away at least thirty to fifty million dollars.

Cris Carter added

Despite his criticism, Carter acknowledged Sanders had shown first-round talent on the field. However, he argued that intangibles had hurt his draft stock more than ability.

The Browns, according to reports, were divided over selecting Sanders, with speculation that owner Jimmy Haslam had influenced the decision. Head coach Kevin Stefanski and a room of veteran quarterbacks may now be tasked with reshaping Sanders’ development.

Shedeur Sanders has a long way to go before becoming a starter

The Cleveland Browns drafted two quarterbacks—Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Gabriel had been taken in the third round, while Sanders slid to the fifth.

Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders (Image via Imago)

Despite his college success and first-round projections, Sanders entered a depth chart already packed with experienced veterans. The decision raised immediate questions about how, or even if, Sanders would fit into the team’s plans.

Entering offseason workouts, the Browns now have five quarterbacks under contract, four of them healthy. Veteran Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett both carry NFL starting experience. Gabriel, picked over a 50-pick span before Sanders, appeared to hold more immediate organizational confidence. The team emphasized open competition, but past patterns suggested limited opportunities for late-round rookies to emerge quickly.

Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, had been evaluated thoroughly during Cleveland’s pre-draft process. Yet the Browns had passed on him multiple times before trading to make his selection. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson remains out indefinitely with another Achilles injury, but his large contract still hungs over future roster decisions. The Browns’ cap space and recent spending patterns left little margin for keeping five quarterbacks.

We expect every player to compete. Nothing’s been promised. Nothing will be given.

GM Andrew Berry said post-draft

Meanwhile, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski noted that they are confident to divide a plan that will fit all five quarterbacks. However, as for Sanders, he’ll need to prove that he deserves a chance pretty quickly.

Sanders acknowledged the uphill battle ahead but stayed composed when addressing the media. Still, in a quarterback room full of question marks and contracts expiring in 2025, the rookie had entered under no illusions. If he failed to shine in the limited reps available, he might not get another chance in Cleveland.

Also Read: Donald Trump faces heat on social media for trying to take credit for the Browns drafting Shedeur Sanders – “People are (rightfully) dunking on the lack of ball knowledge”