You don’t expect a fifth-round rookie to walk into Browns OTAs and start rewriting history books. But then again, Shedeur Sanders isn’t a typical rookie. In a jaw-dropping turn of events at the training camp, Sanders went 13-for-13 in Browns OTA drills. Only one other rookie QB has done that in the last 25 years. According to ESPN Cleveland, Sanders tossed three touchdowns, zero picks, and stole the show.
According to a viral post by Browns insider @coryskuza, “This is only the second time in TWENTY FIVE years that a rookie quarterback has completed every pass,” adding, “The other rookie? Tom Brady.” Compared to the rest of the Browns QB room, Sanders looked like the ultimate pickup against Dillon Gabriel (drafted 50 positions ahead), Joe Flacco (the veteran), and Kenny Pickett (the favorite for QB1).
Flash back to July 2000. A sixth-rounder from Michigan showed up to Patriots camp as a backup’s backup’s backup. And, it was Tom Brady. His rookie diary had this line: “Actually, I know I’m ready for it.” That summer, Brady was QB4, sitting behind Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz, and Michael Bishop.
Official: Shedeur Sanders was a perfect 13/13 today at Browns OTAs..
This is only the second time in TWENTY FIVE years that a rookie quarterback has completed every pass
The other rookie? Tom Brady#DawgPound pic.twitter.com/9kxYOPQdh7
— Cory (@coryskuza) May 28, 2025
When the preseason came, Brady flashed against the Lions, setting up a game-winner. Belichick noticed, as he remarked, “We felt Tom showed enough to belong on the roster.” He continued, “If you don’t want to take a chance on him clearing waivers, you don’t put him out there.” Fast forward to 2025, and we have Sanders walking a similar path. He is a low draft pick who is showing an early fire and a big buzz. And, OTAs are where reputations start to form.
OTAs are part of Phase 3 of the offseason—non-contact, no-pads practices that allow for 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills. Sanders was taken in the 5th round, pick 144, a draft slide that baffled some analysts. Today, he’s outperforming veterans and higher picks. “Yes, it’s just one practice,” said Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Phillips. “But this is how you build a case.”
Amidst this, Joe Flacco, now in his 40s, offered a warm and humorous take on sharing the field with Deion Sanders’ son. “I probably wasn’t too far away from playing against his dad and now I’m playing with him,” Flacco joked. However, he has seemingly pushed back on the idea of being a mentor to the crowded QB room.
Browns veteran Joe Flacco denies the mentor label
Joe Flacco isn’t here to babysit the Browns’ rookie QBs. He’s here to win. The 40-year-old veteran is heading into his 18th NFL season, and despite Deshaun Watson possibly being sidelined for all of 2025 after tearing his Achilles again, the Browns’ quarterback room is packed.
It is a crowded field indeed. But Flacco has reason to stake a claim for the position of the guy in charge after he led Cleveland to a 4–1 record as a starter in 2023. Even if not, Flacco doesn’t want to fall into the veteran mentor role. When asked about helping the younger guys, he remarked, “It’s a good question to bait somebody into answering, and no matter how they answer it, it kind of makes the guy that’s answering it look bad,” Flacco said. “If I say, ‘I don’t want to be a mentor,’ I look bad. If I say, ‘I do want to be a mentor,’ then I look like an idiot who doesn’t care about being good and playing football.”
So, it is loud and clear. He is not a mentor, but will lead by example. “I’ve said, ‘I’m not a mentor. I play football.’ The best way to be a mentor, honestly, is to show people how you go to work.” He knows that it is not his job to ascertain that the QBs will listen to him. While some have earmarked Kenny Pickett, flashing that Super Bowl LIX ring, as the favorite for the starter slot, Flacco remains the man to beat on others’ depth chart, even at 40 years old.
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