During the draft process, many believed that Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders couldâve landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At least on paper, Sanders made the most sense in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.Â
He was eventually taken by the Browns in the fifth round, but it’s possible that the Steelers are a bit upset with their decision not to take him.Â
After signing Aaron Rodgers, perhaps that decision is a little easier to swallow. Still, regardless, the Steelers will have to hope that they made the right decision, as Rodgers is likely to retire after this season.Â
Through all of this, some have praised the Steelers for not selecting Sanders for many reasons, including Christopher Kline of FanSided, who recently named them one of three teams that âdodged a major bulletâ by not selecting the Colorado star.Â
âThe Pittsburgh Steelers were the team most consistently linked to Sanders throughout the pre-draft process. Many thought he might go 21st overall to Pittsburgh in the first round. When the Steelers then passed on Sanders in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, folks were genuinely surprised.
âAnd yet, even with such a glaring need for long-term quarterback stability in Pittsburgh, one can’t help but feel like the Steelers made the smart call. Sanders would be backing up Aaron Rodgers right now. That was always going to be the case. That is just too much personality and media fodder in a single QB room, and we know Rodgers can bristle against expectations for his understudy,â he wrote.
How Much Interest Did the Browns and Steelers Have in Sanders?
Reports are important throughout the draft process, but it’s also crucial to remember that not everything on the internet is true.Â
For the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, despite being linked to Sanders multiple times, they clearly didn’t have him as a first-round talent. Some believed that the Browns couldâve taken him with the second overall pick, while others thought that the Steelers could take him later in the first round, and even trade back up into the first round again if they wanted him.
Why Did the Steelers Pass on Sanders?
Eventually, the Cleveland Browns selected him, and the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t have a chance. However, according to a recent report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ray Fittapaldo, there were reasons for the Steelers not selecting Sanders.Â
He added that most of it had to do with them not having a grade on him within the first five rounds, adding that they also mightâve had a different outlook on his father, Deion Sanders.
âI think mostly, it had to do with, they didn’t have a grade on him within the first five rounds,â he said on 93.7 The Fan. “I think the second part of that equation, and this was never really discussed, youâve seen some leaks with other teams across the NFL.
“Now, a lot of people just didnât want to deal with Deion Sanders and what that might be down the road after heâs done at Colorado. So, I donât know if the Steelers felt that same way, but they did not have a top-five grade. A top-five round grade on Shedeur Sanders, and thatâs why they went the route they went.”
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