Tom Brady recently discussed the guidance he offered to Shedeur Sanders after he fell into the fifth round of the NFL Draft, where the Cleveland Browns ultimately selected him at pick 144.
Reflecting on his own experience, Brady was picked No. 199 by the New England Patriots back in 2000. At that time, Drew Bledsoe was the starting quarterback, and in fact, Brady played in fewer games than Michael Bishop during his rookie season.
Brady appeared on the “Impulse” podcast alongside Logan Paul and Mike Majlak, where the topic of Sanders’ draft slip came up. Interestingly, he noted that even the minority owners of the Las Vegas Raiders weren’t part of the evaluation process for Sanders. He criticized how the media portrayed the draft and then offered advice to Sanders: “So no one knows. I know him so well that I actually texted Chedur. And I said, ‘Man, no matter what happens, wherever you go, it’s your first day. Day 2 is more important than the draft. I was 199 years old.’”
At that point, Sanders hadn’t secured a contract with Brady’s brand, having previously played at Jackson State. This connection formed a bond between the two athletes. Following this, Sanders transferred to Colorado after his father, Deion Sanders, took on the head coaching role.
Brady reminisced about the draft buzz around Aaron Rodgers in 2005, when many expected him to be the first overall pick, only to see the 49ers select Alex Smith instead. He recalled telling Rodgers, “Where you go, it’s still about your performance. You get there, so what do you do when you get there?”
Brady emphasized that some of his notable teammates, like Rodney Harrison, Wes Welker, and Julian Edelman, weren’t high draft picks—or in some cases, even drafted at all. He remarked, “Some exaggerated days, a lot of people are selling stories, okay, this is a big day, it’s fun, and I love watching it.”
Now, Sanders aims to secure a starting position with the Browns, competing against Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel.
In concluding his thoughts, Brady reminded that as a quarterback, demonstrating leadership is key. He stated, “And for me, leaders care about their teammates. Do they care about what we’re trying to achieve?”
