Reports Suggest “Nightmare” Meeting Between Giants and Shedeur Sanders

One of the biggest stories of the draft was the shocking fall of QB Shedeur Sanders, who slid all the way to the fifth round. Sanders was widely viewed as the consensus second-best quarterback in the draft, behind only Cam Ward, who went first overall. Sanders ultimately became the sixth quarterback selected, as the Cleveland Browns took a chance on him with the 144th overall pick. With a few days having passed since the draft and the initial hype settling down, new rumors have surfaced that shed light on his surprising drop.

Recently, it’s been rumored that Sanders had a very problematic pre-draft interview with the New York Giants, a team heavily regarded as being in the quarterback market. Reports suggest that head coach Brian Daboll had a playbook install prepared for Sanders to review upon arrival, and when Sanders didn’t exactly pass with flying colors, tensions reportedly escalated. Sanders is said to have taken issue with the idea of being tested during the interview and made his frustration known—a reaction that reportedly didn’t sit well with the Giants' head coach.

It’s also been reported that the Giants included intentional errors in the playbook install to see whether Sanders could identify and correct them—a common evaluation tactic to gauge a rookie quarterback’s readiness. While it’s a smart strategy from a coaching perspective, it’s understandable that Sanders may have felt blindsided by what he viewed as trickery during what’s typically considered a high-stakes meeting.

In the end, both sides have reasons to be upset. Sanders was caught off guard by the unorthodox approach, but he’s certainly not the first prospect to be put through that kind of test—and he won’t be the last. Ultimately, the Giants got their guy, and so did Cleveland, albeit at very different points in the draft than either team likely anticipated.

For Sanders, the focus now shifts to Cleveland. He’ll have the opportunity to grow within the Browns’ system and begin the journey toward competing for the starting quarterback job.