Sheduer Sanders is looking way ahead into the future to cement his stock as a future QB1 for the Cleveland Browns. But the road to QB1 from QB5 will be a tough climb indeed. He enters the Browns QB room behind Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. But he’s not worried. But as we look forward to the kind of fire Shedeur will bring to the Browns, there are discussions going on about why his draft stock fell. And according to people close to Sanders, he might have already seen it coming.

On The Really Big Show, Boogie Knight shed some light on this while discussing Shedeur Sanders. Knight is a close family friend to the Sanders family. He’s also the Head of operations at Young Money APAA Sports, the agency rooting for Shedeur Sanders. He has watched Shedeur grow since the latter was in 6th grade. And according to him, the “Legendary” QB’s family were already prepared to see the fall. On the show, when Knight was asked if they knew the slide was coming, he agreed.

Knight said, “Yeah, before the draft. I have a text in my phone saying hey man forget how this turns out tonight. You’re built for whatever.” Let’s face it, the writing was there on the wall long before the drafts began. And according to Knight, they were “prepared for whatever.”

No matter what happened, Shedeur is already getting major shoutouts from veterans like Travis and Jason Kelce, as well as Tom Brady, his former mentor. The GOAT has even advised him to take all the hate and turn it into power. “Use it as motivation. You’re going to get your chances. Go take advantage of it.” 

With high praises coming from one of the greatest QBs in the NFL, how can anyone be disheartened? Shedeur now has the chance to learn from the greats like Joe Flacco, and Deshaun Watson (if his injury heals). He also gets to see Kenny Pickett in action and compete with Gabriel, the QB who got drafted earlier than himself.

On the other hand, analysts have critiqued Shedeur Sanders’ falling stocks and given multitudes of reasons after the drafts were over. NFL HOFer Cris Carter even listed 5 detailed reasons for the matter. While the Shedeur Sanders comeback saga has only just begun, there are already some movements in the Browns locker rooms. 

Kevin Stefanski’s decision on Shedeur’s number

Sometime back in December, the ‘2Legendary’ wouldn’t have taken anything less than his old number going into the NFL. Shedeur had said, “I’m not wearing another number, bro. It’s two, and that’s it.” Jersey Numbers aren’t plain old numbers in the NFL. They are brands, visions and statements for the future. The No. 2 was a nod to Coach Prime’s legacy.

Shedeur carried the No. 2 torch in his college career and made a big name for himself. But now, with HC Stefanski’s decision, Shedeur Sanders joins the Browns’ ranks, donning the no. 12 on his back. No. 12? Hmm. That’s a number that has an eerily rich history if you know your veterans.

The No. 12 has layers to it that could easily project greatness for Shedeur Sanders. Just look at some of the QB greats who have donned this number proudly in the past. Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Terry Bradshaw, and of course, Shedeur’s mentor, the GOAT Tom Brady. The No. 12 flipped (21) was also a number Deion Sanders wore. Maybe his message is that he’s going to flip the script on haters and carve his own rise to greatness.

The announcement from the Browns also has a twist. “Jersey numbers are subject to change during the offseason before the beginning of the 2025 season.” So, for Shedeur, the No. 2 might not be out of the equation just yet.

And Shedeur isn’t looking back. He has his locker, cleats, Browns cap and jerseys. He also has a Browns Notebook. And according to him, “That’s it. I got everything I need to be successful.” As fans look forward to the training camps, and eventually the new season, we’re excited to see what Shedeur Sanders will bring to the table. While it’s a long climb, the NFL QB history is in his favor. And he has the mentality to move forward and make it big like his former mentor Brady.