Legendary former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter did anything but hold back when he recently decided to weigh in on some of the recent controversy surrounding Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders expected to be one of the first names called. But that didn’t happen, and he ended up having to wait all the way until the fifth round when the Browns saved him from further embarrassment by drafting him with the 144th overall pick.
While some have been hesitant to say why they think Sanders wound up waiting longer than expected before he was eventually drafted, Carter pulled zero punches with his thoughts on all of it during a recent episode of his “Fully Loaded” podcast.
“Let me tell you what [Sanders] understands today. He ain’t runnin’ s**t. [The NFL] taught him a great lesson. You don’t have this figured out. Your dad don’t have this figured out.
…He threw away at least $30 to $50 million.”
Former Minnesota Vikings WR Cris Carter knows Shedeur Sanders falling to the Cleveland Browns wasn’t just about his play on the field
If getting drafted into the NFL was strictly based on just talent alone, then Sanders probably would’ve been selected earlier than the fifth round this past weekend. But talent is just one of a number of other factors that teams consider before drafting a player, especially for those who play the quarterback position.
Carter was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles for off-the-field issues early in his NFL career. So, if there is anyone who knows all about how each team in the league places a ton of value on how their players act outside of their locker room, it’s the former Vikings receiver.
In the same episode of the “Fully Loaded” podcast, Carter spoke about how playing football is only part of the job of being in the NFL.
“You don’t play football all the time. You’re a human being the rest of the time, and how you’re going to be in the locker room, how he already came up with this line of merchandise, Legendary, like he’s already calling himself legendary. All of those things are problems.”
Carter did add that he believes what Sanders put on tape in his college career at Colorado was good enough to get him drafted in the first round and he even shared a prediction that either Sanders or Kenny Pickett will open up the 2025 NFL season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
So, it’s not like Carter doesn’t think Sanders is a good player; he just knows that off-the-field behavior is typically just as important as on-the-field performance when it comes to playing in the NFL.