Report: Shedeur Sanders turned down Ravens because of Lamar Jackson

Former CU Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders is stuck as the No. 3 option for the Cleveland Browns.

He’s behind veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart, and it’s unlikely he’ll see the football field in meaningful action this season.

And while Sanders probably isn’t thrilled to be riding the bench, a new report on Sunday morning from ESPN’s Adam Schefter says he declined to land in a much better situation.

According to Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens were poised to take the ex-Colorado star in the fifth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he didn’t want to back up former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

Ravens planned to take Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, but before Baltimore could turn in the card, the former Colorado star let it be known that he didn’t want to be on a roster with Lamar Jackson, where he would be a backup. https://t.co/v1om447zHN

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2025

“The message was conveyed to the Ravens that Sanders did not want to be drafted by Baltimore and preferred to end up in a place where he might have a better chance to play sooner,” Schefter writes.

The Ravens planned to take Shedeur Sanders with the No. 141 pick, instead he ended up with the Browns at No. 144, following a historic draft slide. Many thought the son of Deion Sanders would be a Round 1 selection, perhaps even in the top-10. Things clearly went awry in the pre-draft process.

If Shedeur Sanders was given a do-over, you have to think he’d gladly be in Baltimore. It’s a much more stable organization than Cleveland and one that’s a title contender seemingly every year.

Now, not only is he buried on the Browns depth chart, but this report sheds even more negative light on the decision making of Shedeur Sanders. He had a tough summer both on and off the field.

To read the full report from Schefter, which is dominating local and national headlines as the NFL enters Week 2, click here.

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