NFL

When Shedeur Sanders was still on the board in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns decided to aggressively pursue him.

According to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, Browns general manager Andrew Berry "worked hard" to find a trade that would bring Sanders to Cleveland as his fall continued early on Day 3.

The Browns' calls to other teams about moving up started late in the fourth round, according to Oyefusi. They eventually found a partner in the Seattle Seahawks for the 144th pick.

Cleveland moved up 22 spots by sending the Seahawks picks No. 166 and 192 to ensure the front office could select Sanders. It's probably not a coincidence that's the spot in the draft where the Browns made the trade.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted the Philadelphia Eagles, who were picking at 145, had interest in Sanders when the Browns moved up.

It's unclear if the Eagles would have used that pick on Sanders if he had still been on the board. General manager Howie Roseman declined to answer a question about their level of interest during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of The Rich Eisen Show (h/t Chris Franklin of NJ.com).

"I wouldn’t do that with anyone," Roseman said when asked if Sanders was on their draft board. "I certainly don’t want to deal with one single player. That could open the door to many questions, Rich."

The Browns' selection of Sanders, once regarded as a potential first-round pick, was widely praised as a steal.

There were some questions about Cleveland's decision to spend multiple picks on quarterbacks, having already taken Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Berry addressed that subject during his post-draft press conference on Saturday:

"We talk oftentimes about quarterback being the most important position in the sport. It wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but as we talk about, we do believe in best player available, we do believe position value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round. It got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft."

If Sanders develops into a quality starting quarterback in the NFL, no one will care that the Browns used a second pick on the position. Considering all of the issues over the years they've had finding a long-term answer at quarterback, using multiple draft picks to address the position is hardly the worst idea in the world.

There is reportedly some belief within the NFL that quarterback Tyler Shough will start for the New Orleans Saints as a rookie.

Speaking to Mike Sando of The Athletic, an anonymous NFL executive said the following about Shough: "I'd be surprised if the quarterback is not starting for them. He has the arm talent. He is really smart. He comes across as a veteran already. With him, it's about staying healthy."

New Orleans was the third team to select a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft, nabbing Shough with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round.

The Saints were viewed as a team likely to go quarterback early for numerous reasons, including the arrival of a new head coach in former NFL quarterback and longtime NFL offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Also, a couple of weeks before the draft, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook) reported that veteran starting quarterback Derek Carr was dealing with a shoulder injury that "threatens his availability for the upcoming season."

If Carr is unable to play, it leaves Shough, 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener as the Saints' quarterback options.

Rattler went 0-6 as a starter last season, throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions, while Haener lost his only start.

After spending seven seasons in college at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville, Shough is already 25 years old, so he is more mature than most rookies entering the league.

Because of injuries, he never appeared in more than seven games in any of his first six seasons, but he finally stayed healthy last season and showed what he could do over the course of a full campaign.

Shough went 8-4 as Louisville's starter last season, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.

It raised some eyebrows when the Saints took Shough in the second round since he will turn 26 during the first month of his rookie season, but if the plan was to start him right away, that pick makes a lot more sense.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers expressed his belief Thursday that quarterback Shedeur Sanders should not have fallen to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

During an appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony (h/t Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper), Nabers said there is "no way in hell" Sanders should have lasted as long as he did:

Nabers went on to suggest that teams should not have discounted Sanders' on-field performance because of perceived attitude concerns, saying:

"You don't do that to somebody like that. You can't knock his talent. ... Some things you just can't knock. Come on, bro. We gotta stop making feelings with how people play that linger. Yeah, he might have some things he might say on camera, off the field, that don’t have to do with how he plays football. We're here for one thing and that's to play football. Everybody's got different personalities."

For much of the predraft process, Sanders was considered a surefire first-round pick and the likely No. 2 quarterback in the draft behind only Miami's Cam Ward.

However, five quarterbacks ended up coming off the board before him. He had to wait until the fifth round when the Cleveland Browns finally took him with the No. 144 overall pick.

Leading up to the draft, some reports emerged that suggested teams had concerns about Sanders' personality, which could explain why he slid as far as he did.

NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that an NFL quarterbacks coach thought Sanders was "brash" and "arrogant" during predraft interviews. Meanwhile, NFL draft insider Todd McShay reported that some teams believed Sanders did not take a "professional approach" to the interviews.

McShay (h/t Dan Benton of USA Today) also reported that Sanders "didn't have a great interview" with Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Sanders was reportedly unprepared, Sanders didn't like getting called out on it, and Daboll "didn't appreciate him not liking it."

The Giants were considered a strong candidate to draft Sanders, but they instead took Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick and then traded back into the first round at No. 25 to take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who may be Nabers' quarterback of the future.

Sanders still landed in what could be an ideal spot for him. The Browns' starting quarterback job is up for grabs with Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders all competing for it.

After striking a deal with tight end George Kittle, the San Francisco 49ers could be nearing an agreement with quarterback Brock Purdy on a long-term contract.

On the latest episode of the Scoop City podcast (starts at 8:45 mark), The Athletic's Dianna Russini said Purdy and the 49ers are "closer" to a deal than is being reported elsewhere.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said on Thursday's episode of The Rich Eisen Show that the two sides were "not close" and no deal was imminent (starts at 19:55 mark).

There was some thought that Purdy showing up to Phase 1 of organized team activities last week might be an indication that an agreement could be coming soon.

General manager John Lynch didn't tip his hand one way or another about what Purdy's presence might suggest.

"That's Brock," Lynch told reporters on April 22. "He's a pro. Brock's very clear-minded and not going to let other people influence what he should be doing. And that's one thing everybody I think respects about Brock. He's done a lot for this organization and we're grateful for him and looking forward to having him as our quarterback for a long time."

Russini previously reported that Purdy and the 49ers were "inching closer" to a deal that would make him one of the 10 highest-paid players in the NFL.

All of the 49ers' key decision-makers have said in no uncertain terms that they want to keep Purdy as their quarterback for many years to come.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters at the end of last season that he plans "on being with Brock here the whole time I'm here." Owner Jed York said in February he's "looking forward to a long-term partnership" with the 25-year-old.

Purdy, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, has far exceeded any expectations after the Niners selected him with the final pick in the 2022 draft. The Iowa State alum has thrown for 9,518 yards, 64 touchdowns and a 67.5 completion percentage in 40 games over the past three seasons.