Tom Brady’s Advice to Shedeur Sanders: Turn NFL Draft Slide Into Motivation

Tom Brady, the NFL legend who turned a sixth-round draft pick into a storied career, recently shared his advice for Shedeur Sanders, the young quarterback who slipped to the fifth round before being nabbed by the Cleveland Browns at No. 144. Brady, no stranger to defying expectations, offered Sanders a dose of perspective drawn from his own journey.

"I texted Shedeur because I know him well," Brady revealed on the Impaulsive podcast. "I said, 'Dude, wherever you go, that’s just Day 1. Day 2 is what counts. I was pick 199, so who better to talk about making it work?'" His message? Use the draft slide as fuel, not a setback. Performance, not draft position, defines a career.

Brady’s connection with Sanders goes beyond mentorship. Sanders, who played under his father Deion Sanders at Colorado, once inked an NIL deal with Brady’s apparel brand while at Jackson State. That bond gave Brady a front-row seat to Sanders’ potential, even as the media hyped and then dissected his draft fall.

Reflecting on the draft’s frenzy, Brady recalled Aaron Rodgers’ 2005 slide to the 21st pick. "People acted like it was a tragedy, but he was still a first-rounder," Brady noted. "The draft is one day—hyped up, sure, but it’s what you do after that matters." He pointed to Patriots greats like Julian Edelman and Wes Welker, undrafted or late picks who became stars through grit.

Now, Sanders faces a tough road in Cleveland, vying for the starting quarterback spot against Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel. Brady’s advice? Show up, lead, and care. "A quarterback has to be the heart of the team," he said. For Sanders, the draft is history—his story starts now.