Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson has claimed that the National Football League influenced the draft status of quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft. Speaking on AM 570 LA Sports’ Roggin and Rodney Show, Dickerson stated he was told by an unnamed source within the league that teams were advised not to select Sanders.
“I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL (is) that the NFL told (teams), ‘Don’t draft him, do not draft him. We’re gonna make an example out of him,'” Dickerson said. “And this came from a very good source, a very good source.” He added, “He said that – I won’t say who – somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said, ‘Don’t do that, draft him,’ (…) Because they weren’t going to draft him either… They were forced into drafting him because somebody made a call to them.” According to Dickerson, “the NFL sought to suppress Sanders’ draft position in an effort to dissuade future prospects from handling the pre-draft process the way Sanders and his family did.”
Sanders was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th pick in the fifth round. The Browns had already picked another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel from Oregon, earlier in the third round at No. 94 overall.
The slide of Sanders in the draft became a significant story after many analysts had projected him as a first-round pick. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. discussed Sanders’ abilities during television coverage of the event: “To have a quarterback with the kind of ability he showed under duress, accurate, decision-maker, tough (…) He is going to be a hell of a quarterback in this league.”
For now, Joe Flacco will start Week 1 for Cleveland according to team announcements. Both Gabriel and Sanders are contending for backup duties as they recover from minor preseason injuries. Other quarterbacks on Cleveland’s roster include Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson; Watson is on the Physically Unable to Perform list due to injury rehabilitation expected to last most of this season.
The situation continues to prompt conversation around how pre-draft processes can influence player outcomes.
