Shedeur Sanders' fall to Round 5 was the biggest storyline of the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Colorado starter and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was expected by many to be a first-round pick. He instead slid to Day 3 of the draft and eventually landed with theCleveland Browns, who took him with the No. 144 overall pick. In the aftermath of that fall, he does have one strong supporter: future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl championtexted Sanders after the draftand Sanderstold media today about the exchange with Brady. "That was it, that my story's going to be similar," Sanders said. "I was a late-round draft pick, but we're here now, so none of that stuff matters. That just mattered on the day, and I'm just excited to be here, ready to work." Early impact:Browns QB Shedeur Sanders works out with local high school players in Cleveland Brady spoke on an episode of theIMPAULSIVE podcastabout texting Sanders. "I was [drafted] No. 199 overall," he said. "So who can speak on it better than me? Like what that really means. Use it as motivation, you're going to get your chances and go take advantage of it." Sanders' slide fallout:Fan seeking $100 million in damages from Shedeur Sanders' fall in 2025 NFL draft New No. 12:Cleveland Browns announce jersey number for rookie QB Shedeur Sanders Brady also brought up numerous examples from his playing career of high-performing players who were late-round picks like Sanders. "I was around some of the best players who were undrafted free agents," Brady said. "They was Rodney Harrison. Rodney Harrison wasn't a high pick. Julian Edelman wasn't a high pick. Wes Welker wasn't a high pick. Danny Amendola. All those guys were phenomenal players." Sanders will be wearing No. 12 in the NFL as a rookie with theBrowns, just like Brady with theNew England PatriotsandTampa Bay Buccaneers. SomeNFL team executives told USA TODAY Sportsthat off-field factors played a role in Sanders' fall. "I think his dad's involvement hurt him," another one stated. "Some of the things his dad said, I think that weighed on people's minds." "We liked Shedeur," one executive from a quarterback-needy team said. "But you can't separate the other stuff from the physical abilities." Sanders is one of multiple quarterbacks competing for the starting job in Cleveland this season. Here's a look at the full depth chart: Kenny Pickett Joe Flacco Dillon Gabriel Shedeur Sanders Deshaun Watson Pickett is currentlythe favorite to start Week 1 for Clevelandwith Flacco and Sanders close behind. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Shedeur Sanders shares message from Tom Brady
