Shedeur Sanders Added to Argonauts' Negotiating List if QB Chooses CFL Contract

The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League added Shedeur Sanders to their negotiation list on Monday following the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback’s fall to the fifth round of the NFL Draft, per TSN's Dave Naylor.

The former projected first-round pick slipped to the Cleveland Browns at No. 144 overall. While he is likely to sign his contract and begin his career in the NFL during the upcoming season, this move gives Toronto a chance to sign him if he ever decides to play in the CFL.

The Browns selected six players before they went with Sanders in the fifth round with their final pick of the 2025 draft, including taking former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel ahead of him.

The two-year player at Colorado under his dad Deion Sanders at head coach finished his senior season throwing 4,134 yards on a 74 percent completion rating with 37 touchdowns.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones broke down the reasons he believes Sanders slid in the draft.

"In talking to folks around the league, they do not have first-round grades on Shedeur Sanders or really any of the quarterbacks outside of Cam Ward," Jones said. "Then you go another step and it's like okay, well who's your QB2? You talk with some teams and it's Tyler Shough. I know there are some reports out there that some teams have Jaxson Dart as QB2. I haven't talked to those teams. Some folks that I've spoken to do have Shedeur Sanders as QB2. They just don't have the first-round grade on him."

If Sanders were to take the CFL route, he would not be the first Browns draft pick to make the move. He would follow in the footsteps of former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, who was selected with the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Manziel's tenure in the CFL was an unsuccessful one, after he was released by the Montreal Alouettes who noted he "contravened the agreement which made him eligible to play," per ESPN.

Currently, the Browns' locker room is full, with Sanders notably left off ESPN’s depth chart, that currently includes Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel.