New Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has had the No. 2 since high school. However, he is getting the fifth-rounder treatment and has been forced to change his number in the NFL.
There was no bigger story in the 2025 NFL Draft than Colorado star Shedeur Sanders enduring one of the most shocking falls in recent memory. Instead of being a first-round pick, as had been projected for months, he wasn’t taken until the Cleveland Browns selected him 144th overall in the fifth round. It was a humbling experience for the cocky NFL newbie.
Well, it seems he was humbled once again this week. On Tuesday, the Browns revealed the numbers for their 2025 rookies. And when it comes to Sanders, he was not listed as No. 2. Instead, he will be wearing No. 12 for his first season in Cleveland.
What makes it surprising is that the number isn’t held by a top star on the team. Instead, it is currently being used by offseason addition DeAndre Carter. The seven-year NFL veteran will be on his eighth team this season. Most times, a player with the fame of a Shedeur Sanders would be able to get whatever number they want. However, most are not taken in the fifth round like he was.
It seems he is getting treated like a player who is not a lock to make the team, and there is no better proof of that than not being able to get the number he’s used since high school from a journeyman player who may not even be starting in 2025.
However, the number he will be using is a popular one among quarterbacks. And it just so happens to be the one used by, arguably, the greatest QB in NFL history: Tom Brady. If Sanders can play at even a fraction of the level the multi-time Super Bowl winner did, Cleveland fans would be happy. The New England Patriots icon was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
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