Sports
The Cleveland Browns‘ 2025 NFL Draft left fans buzzing for unexpected reasons, especially after how the team handled their quarterback selections.
It seemed straightforward at first. The Browns used their third-round pick on Dillon Gabriel, adding a promising quarterback to their roster.
But when they traded up later in the fifth round to select Shedeur Sanders – after already addressing the position – questions quickly surfaced about the front office’s true motivations.
General Manager Andrew Berry didn’t help calm the speculation either, offering a revealing comment during his post-draft press conference.
“It wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to draft two QB’s,” Berry said.
That statement unleashed a wave of fan theories suggesting that ownership – perhaps even Jimmy Haslam himself – may have had a direct hand in the Sanders selection.
Fans suspect owner involvement after Berry’s telling remarks
Berry’s words were immediately seized upon by frustrated Browns supporters who felt something behind the scenes influenced the call.
“Their owner pull the it’s my team card on him,” one fan speculated on social media.
Others were even harsher in their criticism of the organization. One quipped, “are you trying to say the Browns actually had a plan?” Another simply called the team a “complete dump fire.”
Some felt Berry‘s comment hinted at internal conflict. “Aka I was forced to draft him from someone over my head,” a user wrote, interpreting the situation as a top-down decision rather than a strategic football move.
The backlash speaks to a longstanding perception that the Browns, even when showing signs of progress, can’t escape internal dysfunction. One particularly brutal take summed it up: “Browns are the browns and will always brown. Terrible franchise. Wasted draft capital.”
Still, beyond the noise, there’s a potential silver lining for Cleveland. While Sanders’ slide into the fifth round surprised many – he was once projected as a top-two quarterback – the Browns may have ended up with real value.
Sanders’ talent and leadership qualities made him a standout at Colorado, and if he can adjust quickly to the NFL, the Browns could benefit greatly from this pick.
It’s also worth noting that if ownership did step in, it wouldn’t be the first time an NFL owner took an active role during draft weekend. Across the league, star power and name recognition can sometimes influence decisions just as much as scouting reports.
Now, it falls to Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski to navigate a quarterback room that suddenly features two rookies and the pressure to make the right call – no matter who was behind the picks.
This news was originally published on this post .
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