Back in December, Shedeur Sanders went on his podcast and said it loud enough for the league to hear: “I’m not wearing another number, bro. It’s two and that’s it.” That wasn’t some flippant soundbite. It was a branding statement. Born in February, the second son of Deion and Pilar, and the centerpiece of a media machine named 2Legendary. Shedeur wore it at Jackson State. He wore it in Colorado. And he swore he’d wear it in the NFL.
Then reality happened. When Shedeur finally came off the board—after 143 names were called ahead of him—the Browns turned in the card. And suddenly, the “No. 2 or nothing” quarterback had to reconsider. Turns out, No. 2 was already on someone else’s back in Cleveland. DeAndre Carter, a journeyman return man signed this offseason, claimed it before Shedeur ever walked in the building. The Browns didn’t budge. And Kevin Stefanski didn’t step in to force a change. Instead, when rookie minicamp opens, Shedeur Sanders will take the field wearing No. 12.
If you’re doing the math at home, yes—12 is 21 backwards. A subtle nod to dad? Maybe. Or maybe a deeper flex. Because while Sanders won’t wear the same number his father or his college self made iconic, he now inherits a number that lives at the center of NFL mythology. Tom Brady wore 12. Shedeur has worked out with him, leaned on him for guidance. He’s not Brady, but he knows the significance. And if No. 2 was the ego, No. 12 might be the growth arc. Well, it sure was for TB12 after getting picked as the 199th overall.
Still, Cleveland isn’t exactly the ideal backdrop for a quarterback trying to flip the script on public perception. This is a market with a long and ugly history, with the number Sanders once swore he’d never give up. Tim Couch. Johnny Manziel. Both wore No. 2 in Cleveland. Both were busts. Alas, both became cautionary tales. Stefanski knows this. The Browns know this. And whether anyone wants to admit it or not, keeping Sanders in No. 12 might be less about locker room logistics and more about optics.
Of course, rookie jersey numbers aren’t permanent. Come final roster cuts in August, Carter could be on the outside looking in. That opens the door for a quiet switch back to No. 2. But Stefanski’s early decision is a line worth watching. The Browns aren’t rolling out a red carpet.
Can Shedeur Sanders be the no. 1 DAWG in the Dawg Pound?
Shedeur Sanders is not walking into Berea as the savior. He’s walking in as QB5. Behind Deshaun Watson (if he recovers from Achilles). Behind Kenny Pickett. Obviously, behind Joe Flacco. And yes, behind Dillon Gabriel. So the obvious question is: Can Shedeur climb that ladder?
But before all that, we must not forget that Shedeur nearly went undrafted. Had it been the case, he would have gone back to Colorado. Or at least, that’s what we expected. However, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, there were real legal convos about Shedeur heading back to Colorado. No joke. Jeffrey Kessler, the big-name antitrust lawyer who’s currently taking swings at NASCAR, was reportedly interested in challenging NCAA rules that would’ve blocked Sanders’ return.
Still, a return to Boulder would’ve been wild. Coach Prime had already reset the table as he invested nearly $2 million into a new QB duo in five-star Julian Lewis and Liberty’s Kaidon Salter. If Shedeur had rolled back in, it would’ve nuked CU’s entire recruiting credibility. As one source put it: “That would’ve sent shockwaves, not just through the program, but across college football.” So, there was no turning back.
Now, Shedeur’s eyes are locked on May 9-11—rookie minicamp. And per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he’s actually in the QB1 conversation. “Despite Sanders being a fifth-round pick, Stefanski said he will get an opportunity to compete to be QB1 for a franchise that used four different passers last season,” Fowler reported. That’s no throwaway line. The Browns have started a league-high 40 quarterbacks since their 1999 reboot. If there’s a team that screams QB chaos, it’s Cleveland.
Browns GM Andrew Berry doubled down. “We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft,” Berry said. “It’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.” Well, Shedeur really shouldn’t care about all the talk at this point because even if it is how Stephen A. Smith said, that it was the NFL’s scheme to push him down, he has an opportunity to prove and stand on that #legendary brand. Like a Lonewolf. More like a lone Dawg barking from atop.
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