Shedeur Sanders’ Browns future impacted by Jaguars loss as dad Deion reveals hidden trauma

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss is the Cleveland Browns’ gain.

After the Jaguars’ gut-wrenching 27-24 defeat at home to the Buffalo Bills in the 2025 NFL Wild Card game, the Browns now know where their second first-round draft pick will fall.

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Cleveland had already cemented the No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 draft after their dismal 5-12 season, which resulted in the organization firing head coach Kevin Stefanski.

But, after trading down in last year’s draft as the Jags climbed up to the second overall pick to select dual-threat wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, they knew they had additional first round draft capital available.

The exact position was undetermined until Sunday as the race for Super Bowl LX, which fans can watch here, thinned out.

Following the Jaguars’ home loss at EverBank Stadium, which is due to undergo renovations, the Browns now know that they will hold both the No. 6 and No. 24 picks in April’s draft thanks to NFL tie-breaking procedures.

Holding these two selections could be franchise-altering for Cleveland, who have reached the playoffs on just three occasions since the team’s revival in 1999.

General manager Andrew Berry now has a decision to make.

He can either elect to draft a premier talent with the picks in hand, or package them in a trade for an established veteran or a blue-chip prospect.

There is also the option to stockpile additional assets that can be used further down the line.

Whatever direction the franchise opts to go in could have significant implications for quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as the QB draft class is expected to be strong.

Deion Sanders reveals all on son Shedeur

Sanders dominated the headlines in the 2025 NFL draft, where he was touted to be a top first-round pick, before suffering an all-time slide to the fifth round and the 144th overall pick held by the Browns.

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The 23-year-old was not immediately in favor in Cleveland – quite the opposite – coming into training camp ranked fourth on the depth chart behind veterans Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

As weeks of the regular season passed – and frustrations grew as the losses continued to mount up – Flacco was benched before being traded, Pickett never made the 53-man roster, and Gabriel suffered a concussion mid-game.

That meant only one thing – it was Sanders time.

Despite a rocky debut, though in all fairness it was the former Colorado Buffaloes star’s first reps with the first team offense, Sanders held on to the starting job for the remainder of the season.

He finished his rookie campaign with three of the five Browns’ wins on the season to his name, as he completed 56.6 percent of his passing for 1,400 passing yards and seven touchdowns.

After the season, his father NFL icon and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion took to his podcast to share just how proud he was of Shedeur as he moved away from home for the first time in his life.

“I’m proud of him because a lot of things happened behind the curtain that people are not privy to,” Deion revealed on Thee Pregame Show.

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“I’m proud of his endurance and understanding and where God allowed him to be and where he is spiritually. He’s come so far spiritually, you have no idea.

“He can’t control a lot of the things that transpired. But he learned a lot as a young man.

“You’ve got to understand that that was his first time cutting the umbilical cord that we had together and he was out there on his own and he had to do what he had to do and he made it through the storms.

“I’d get on his nerve with text messages before and after the game about the direction and everything because I am trying to protect him in certain ways because I know him, I know him like a book.

“But he’s been doing a phenomenal job, but not only with his after the game pressers [press conferences] about the game, but just giving hope to people that have been ostracized. He is a role model for that.”

With the Browns on the hunt for a new head coach, possession of two first-round draft picks, and $230 million Deshaun Watson likely to return in 2026, it is unclear yet what this means for Sanders’ future, not just with the Browns, but also in the NFL.

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