You can’t blame Shedeur Sanders for not wanting to mark the first anniversary of his inglorious slide in the 2025 NFL Draft by rehashing what, how and why it all happened.
It’s 2026 now and the second-year Cleveland Browns quarterback was in no mood to deeply reflect on the most embarrassing episode of his life as he met with the media following a minicamp practice on Tuesday.
“I’m thankful that everything happened how it happened,” Sanders said.
A quick press conference stat: Sanders mentioned the word “thankful” nine times in one response after someone asked what stood out from his experience of the past year.
Talk about messaging. We get it. And that’s no knock. I’m convinced that Sanders genuinely recognizes gratitude as essential for his soul.
"I don’t look at anything as a negative,” he added. “When you start looking at things as a negative, that’s when you grow spite and hatred, you know, and nothing positive comes out of that.
“I’m blessed. I was in a position to where I can handle everything that comes my way. So, now I feel bulletproof.”
More: Shedeur Sanders declares himself 'bulletproof' a year after draft fall
Of course, as another super-hyped draft looms, so many of the details of Sanders’ controversial experience have been well-documented. Projected as a first-rounder, he was bypassed on Day 1. Then Day 2. There was the silly prank phone call from the 21-year-old son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, with the prankster posing as Saints GM Mickey Loomis with news of an impending selection. Conspiracy theories went viral.
Sanders was finally picked by the Browns in the fifth round – the suspense, by the way, juiced an all-time viewership record for Day 3 of the draft – and he wasn’t even the first quarterback the team drafted. Was everybody on board with that pick? Or did it come from an authority higher than GM Andrew Berry?
In the days that followed, various reasons for the slide emerged, including some raised by a handful of NFL executives who spoke anonymously to USA TODAY Sports, which ranged from questions about his leadership style, talent and influence of his Hall of Fame father, Deion.
And look at him now. One year later, Sanders, 24, is anything but a man defined by the draft drama. With a new coach in Todd Monken calling the shots, Sanders has a legitimate shot at beating out Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel for the starting job.
In fact, given his improvement over the course of his rookie year, when he started the last seven games (3-4) and wound up in the Pro Bowl Games as an injury replacement, now the expectation is that Sanders will head into the coming season as QB1.
The first time the Browns hit the field in a practice under Monken, Sanders took the first quarterback reps with the first-team offense.
“He was first man up,” Monken responded when it was pointed out.
Watson, it should be noted, rotated with Sanders in taking first-team snaps.
Still, it’s a different flow for Sanders, who didn’t take any first-team reps last season until an injury to Gabriel opened the door for him to crack the starting lineup. And while Sanders didn’t want to dwell on last year, he certainly sent a message of gratitude – intended or not – about the difference in the coaching influence. Monken, the former Ravens offensive coordinator, filled the vacancy created with the firing of Kevin Stefanski.
Sanders didn’t mention Stefanski by name, but he didn’t have to.
“Coach Monken is great,” Sanders said. “And all the other coaches on the staff (are) extremely great. You’ve got to understand they embrace you just as a person and then they push you each and every day, in the meeting room and on the field, in the weight room. Like, it’s a new vibe. It’s a new energy.”
Sanders has spent much of the offseason in Cleveland, which has been noticed. During the recent NFL owners meetings, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters that it spoke to the quarterback’s “dedication for wanting to be an NFL quarterback and understanding what it takes.” Haslam added that “his body looked better.”