1 week Ago By Jarrod Castillo
Denny Hamlin shot down any notion that there was a conspiracy against drafting Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Heading into the draft, Sanders was projected to be a first-round draft pick, like his Colorado teammate Travis Hunter, who was selected No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars .
However, the star quarterback continued to tumble, enduring a 608-minute wait until the Cleveland Browns selected him No. 144 overall. At one point, Sanders was pranked called as he waited to be drafted, showing just how dire the situation had gotten for the star.
Because of how far the 23-year-old fell in the draft, fans began to speculate if there was a hidden conspiracy among NFL owners to keep the star from playing in the league. Christopher Bell shows true colors with Denny Hamlin verdict after Talladega crash NASCAR winners and losers as two disqualified after Talladega drama In the latest episode of the 'Actions Detrimental' podcast, Hamlin spoke about NASCAR's All-Star Race and how every team is willing to do whatever it takes to win. As he spoke about how far teams would go to notch a victory, the star touched on the theories that NFL teams purposefully chose not to draft Sanders.
"When it comes to competition and sport, you're gonna do whatever it takes to win," he began. Of note. Hamlin is uniquely qualified to speak on how teams are constructed to win as he is the co-owner of 23XI Racing, alongside former NBA star Michael Jordan .
Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here. "You see it, kind of the whole Shedeur Sanders thing this week. Like these people think that the teams colluded to not draft him.
Yeah, right. These NFL teams are selfish as ----. Like they're gonna do whatever they can to win because that is the deal for them.
" Now on the Browns, Sanders joins a crowded quarterback room that features Dillon Gabriel, who was selected earlier in the draft, Deshaun Watson and Joe Flacco. That said, it appears that any talk of a potential holdout against Sanders will not go down quietly as Boomer Esiason, a former quarterback in the league, claims teams deliberately avoided the star. Speaking on WFAN Sports Radio , the 64-year-old said: "They took him off and they took him off because the owner said take him off - I don't want that guy.
Shedeur Sanders just torpedoed himself. His attitude off the field, at the combine, his dad didn't help him either. "You know, he was on a podcast talking about, 'This is my son.
If I can get him to where I want to get him to, I'm going to do that.' But when you listen to this kid talk at the combine about if you want a new culture in your locker room, 'I'm the guy to do that. I can turn it around.
' I mean, he's very high on himself." Don't Miss Shedeur Sanders finally selected at 2025 NFL Draft by team who already picked QB Shedeur Sanders receives apology from prank caller who trolled him during NFL Draft Denny Hamlin apologizes after sending leader Christopher Bell ramming into Talladega wall Esiason claimed that Sanders' belief in himself was "off-putting" to teams around the league, thus causing them to look elsewhere."And I'm telling you right now, and I know this after talking to three different personnel people in the NFL this weekend, they didn't even have him on their board," he added.
"They took him off and they took him off because the owner said, 'Take him off. I don't want that guy. I don't want this entitled person on our team' and I don't blame him.
" Despite all the tribulations, Sanders had a more reserved message shortly after he was drafted. "The main thing, I'm just proving — coach [Kevin] Stefanski and [general manager Andrew] Berry — that they are right," Sanders' message began. "That's it.
They're right about picking me. I'm a good decision. I'm a good draft pick for them, to be able to come in there and do what I need to do.
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