"It's not how you start it's how you finish": Former Heisman winner asks Shedeur Sanders to avenge his NFL disrespect
The Cleveland Browns took Shedeur Sanders with the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Although it wasn't surprising that the Browns drafted Sanders, many were stunned that the Colorado quarterback was picked in the fifth round, after reports suggested that he could be a top-10 pick.
While Sanders might not have had an ideal start to life as a pro footballer, former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George has urged the QB to avenge some of the disrespect around his draft slide.
"I thought everything was a bit of a shock," George said on Outkick on Monday. "I thought that the NFL spoke, the draft spoke and said, 'Hey, we don't have a first-round grade on this kid.' And that's ok. I know a lot of people thought that he was a top-3 pick and so forth, he's a phenomenal talent.
"But when you do your due diligence and you vet these kids out, and you have the Combine, have the personal interviews, some things come out that are consistent."
George shared that there must have been something during the pre-draft process that made the teams feel like he wasn't ready to be a starting quarterback. Instead of letting this bring him down, the former football player's advice was to use it.
"I think this will be Shedeur's finest hour," George said. "He has the opportunity now to go and compete for the job and show people, 'Hey, you missed out on a big opportunity.' You know, I tell kids all the time, it's not how you start in the NFL, it's how you finish."
In his final collegiate season, Sanders recorded 4,137 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns for Colorado. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and led the Buffs to a 9-4 record.
During CU's spring football game this year, Colorado retired Sanders' No. 2 jersey.
Shedeur Sanders will have a big challenge to earn the Browns' QB1 spot
Shedeur Sanders joins a Browns team that has some top quarterbacks. This means that he will find it difficult to get the starting role for the franchise.
Cleveland is likely to start Deshaun Watson heading into the 2025 season, with veteran Joe Flacco as his backup. The Browns' draft picks, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders, might have to compete for the QB3 role.
However, if Shedeur Sanders has a strong offseason, he could push up to serve as Watson's backup. It will be interesting to see how Browns coach Kevin Stefanski uses his QBs in the upcoming season.