Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was projected to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for months, but it didn’t happen as he fell all the way to Cleveland in the fifth round for reasons that still aren’t fully clear.
For a long time leading up to draft day, Shedeur’s father, Colorado head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, made plenty of not-so-subtle suggestions that there were certain teams that were out of the question when it came to drafting his son, which certainly could have scared every team into passing on him multiple times.
However, during a recent conversation with recently retired quarterback Derek Carr, Deion said he wanted Shedeur to land with the New Orleans Saints because of Carr.
“I wanted my son to be on the same team that you were on, because I know what you would pour into him,” said Sanders.
🔥 The Draft. Coach Prime Wanted Shedeur With QB Derrick Carr
"I wanted my son to be on the same team that you were on, because I know you report into him and you can guide and lead him. Your text message, you have no idea what it meant to me. God has his way" https://t.co/W4PoaTBfxS pic.twitter.com/ibsWAEDbrR
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) October 9, 2025
The Saints were seen as one of the likelier destinations for Sanders, at least until they decided to use a second-round pick on Tyler Shough.
Carr retired just weeks after the draft, so he never would have been able to team up with Sanders either way, but it is heartwarming to hear about the connection that he and the Sanders family formed prior to the draft.
This is the first we have heard of the Saints being a preferred destination at the time, but that is all in the past.
All that matters is where Sanders is now, and that’s serving as the backup quarterback with the Cleveland Browns.
NEXT: Browns Worked Out 9 Players On Friday
