Tom Brady insisted he played no part in the Las Vegas Raiders’ evaluation of Shedeur Sanders after the Colorado quarterback slid to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sanders was widely expected to be the second quarterback off the board in Green Bay after Cam Ward went first overall to the Tennessee Titans.
But instead of going in the first round as many anticipated, Sanders instead had to wait until well into day three of the draft to hear his name called by the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland traded up to the 144th pick to take Sanders, despite earlier selecting quarterback Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon in the third round.
Sanders’ slide was attributed in part to poor performance in pre-draft interviews, while the factor of Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders having a significant platform as Colorado head coach was viewed as another potential reason why teams were unwilling to take him on day two.
The Raiders went into the offseason with a need at quarterback, but that was addressed with a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith.
Smith is entering his age-35 season, but the Raiders clearly did not view their first season under new head coach Pete Carroll as the time to pick an heir apparent. Las Vegas picked quarterbacks in the sixth round, using the 213th pick on Montana State’s Tommy Mellott and the 215th pick on Cam Mellor of North Dakota State.
Brady, who owns a five percent stake in the Raiders, was asked why Sanders plummeted to pick 144 on the ‘Impaulsive’ podcast.
“It’s a good question,” Brady said. “I wasn’t a part of any evaluation process.
“I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well, and I said, ‘Dude, like, whatever happens, wherever you go, like, that’s your first day. Day two matters more than the draft.
“I was [Pick] 199. So, who could speak on it better than me, like, what that really means? Use it as motivation. You’re gonna get your chances. Go take advantage of it.
“Use it as motivation. Wherever you end up going, it’s about your performance. What do you do when you get there?”
Tom Brady explains WHY Shedeur Sanders PLUMMETED in the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/VLlFQMs99G
— IMPAULSIVE (@impaulsive) May 6, 2025
“What does it matter other than some overhyped day, where people are selling stories, and saying ‘Alright, this is the big day, and this is the draft?’
“And it’s an important day, and it’s fun, and I love watching it and seeing it. But I’ve actually been there on day two when they have to show up and actually learn a playbook, learn to be a part of a locker room. There is a lot of growth that needs to happen.”
On what Sanders needs to do now in Cleveland, Brady added: “He’s gotta show up every day…. As a quarterback you have to be a leader.
“To be a leader is: Do I care about my teammates, and do I care about what we’re trying to accomplish? Rules one and two. And I would say that to every quarterback that I come across.… That’s what’s endearing to your teammates.
“You’re not just appealing to your 22-year-old rookie. You’re appealing to the 32-year-old veteran who is trying to get the last couple years out of his career. You’re appealing to the coach who doesn’t want to get fired. You’re appealing to the owner who has made an investment in you. You’re appealing to the staff, whose lives are riding on the fact that you need to perform well.
“The only thing that mattered over time were my teammates. Did they feel like I gave them the best chance to win?”
