Eric Dickerson claims NFL told teams ‘do not draft’ Shedeur Sanders to ‘make an example out of him’
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Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson made quite the claim this week during a radio hit. According to the former Rams star, the NFL manipulated the 2025 NFL Draft to induce a slide into the fifth round for former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
During Wednesday’s episode of AM 570 LA Sports’ Roggin and Rodney Show, Dickerson cited an anonymous source who claimed that the NFL called teams around the league and instructed them not to draft Sanders.
“I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL (is) that the NFL told (teams), ‘Don’t draft him, do not draft him. We’re gonna make an example out of him,'” Dickerson said. “And this came from a very good source, a very good source.”
Then, on the final day of the draft, someone from the league called the Cleveland Browns’ front office and “forced” the organization to select Sanders.
“He said that – I won’t say who – somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said, ‘Don’t do that, draft him,'” Dickerson continued. “Because they weren’t going to draft him either… They were forced into drafting him because somebody made a call to them.”
According to Dickerson, the NFL sought to suppress Sanders’ draft position in an effort to dissuade future prospects from handling the pre-draft process the way Sanders and his family did.
Sanders was taken with the 144th overall pick in the draft. Cleveland also took former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round with the 94th overall pick.
Mocked by some draft analysts in the first round, the slide into Day 3 became the biggest story of the draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. famously melted down on the set of ESPN’s draft coverage over Sanders slipping.
“To have a quarterback with the kind of ability he showed under duress, accurate, decision-maker, tough,” Kiper said of Sanders, who was one of the top prospects on his draft big board. “He is going to be a hell of a quarterback in this league.”
Regardless of what the long-term outlook might be, Sanders is expected to begin his rookie season in a reserve role.
The Browns named Joe Flacco their Week 1 starter earlier this week. Sanders and Gabriel have gone back and forth during the preseason as they vie for the QB2 job. Gabriel missed the preseason opener with a hamstring injury, while Sanders missed the second preseason game with an oblique injury.
Kenny Pickett has been limited since the end of July. Deshaun Watson is on the PUP list as he rehabs an Achilles injury that is expected to keep him out for most of the season.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
