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Shedeur Sanders has been serving as the backup to Deshaun Watson for the Cleveland Browns after falling short in the team's quarterback competition. Despite the limited role, rap legend Lil Wayne believes that Sanders' patience will eventually be rewarded in Cleveland.
During an appearance on the "Gridiron" podcast with Skip Bayless on Friday, Lil Wayne stated that he does not want to see Sanders playing anywhere else, even as trade rumors begin to circulate around the Browns' backup quarterback. This perspective carries extra weight because Wayne co-founded Young Money APAA Sports, the agency that Sanders recently joined, hiring Adie von Gontard as his first NFL agent.
While Wayne did not directly address the agency connection or Sanders' decision to hire von Gontard, he made his stance clear: he wants Deion Sanders' son to stay put in Cleveland. "Oh, no. I just want to see Shedeur be Shedeur because wherever he is, you know, he has that," Wayne said when asked if he wanted Sanders to leave the Browns. "Also, I need him to get his opportunity, and I think where he is, he's going to get that opportunity." Bayless responded with a succinct, "I hope he's right."
Interestingly, Bayless had previously advocated for the opposite. In August, after Sanders lost the starting job to Watson, Bayless called for the Browns to trade the former Colorado quarterback.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick in 2025, originally signed his rookie contract without an agent. Some observers interpreted his decision to hire an agent as a reaction to his lack of playing time and a potential strategy to facilitate a trade out of Cleveland, especially with Watson performing relatively well. Outkick recently reported that "multiple NFL sources are telling OutKick they believe Sanders has hired representation because he's getting ready to press for a trade from the Cleveland Browns." Notably, von Gontard also represents Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter, who was Sanders' teammate at Colorado.
So far this season, the opportunity Wayne mentioned has not materialized. Sanders has attempted just one pass, completing it for zero yards. In his rookie campaign in 2025, Sanders started seven games and completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards, with 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Watson has led the Browns to a 3-2 record, good for second place in the AFC North. In last Sunday's 17-12 loss to the New York Jets, he completed 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown while being sacked eight times. Currently, Watson ranks 23rd in PFN's QB Impact metric with a 70.0 grade. By comparison, Sanders posted a 63.0 grade and ranked 37th out of 38 eligible quarterbacks last season.
With the trade deadline set for Nov. 10 at 4 p.m., the key question remains whether Sanders will push for a move or ultimately receive the opportunity in Cleveland that Wayne foresees.
Originally reported by yahoo.