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<ul><li>Donovan emphasizes importance of resilience following draft disappointment
</li><li>USMNT icons suggest media scrutiny and family legacy created unrealistic expectations
</li><li>Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns
</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

'He’s paid the price for the exuberance' - USMNT icons Tim Howard and Landon Donovan address Shedeur Sanders' unexpected NFL Draft slide

<p>U.S. national team icons Landon Donovan and Tim Howard addressed Shedeur Sanders' unexpected draft slide during their media appearances following the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. The Colorado quarterback, once projected as a potential first-round selection, ultimately waited until the fifth round before being selected 144th overall by the Cleveland Browns. That was analyzed by Tim Howard, who hit out at Sanders for his ‘exuberance’ and ‘all of the other off-field stuff.'</p><p>“When scouts and GMs select a player, yeah, they get it wrong sometimes,” Howard said on <em>Unfiltered Soccer</em> with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. “But there are very few Tom Bradys, not the success he had, but where he came from to have the success. Most of the time, these coaches and organisations get it right for the most part. This is a story cause everybody passed on him, the team that took him passed on him.</p><p>“They actually took Gabriel, a quarterback from Oregon, ahead of him. So they passed on him multiple times, and they ended up getting him at the bottom of the barrel because it was like ‘Yeah, now he’s probably the best of what’s out there.' My point is, if he dropped out of the top ten and was taken at like 12, he’d be like ‘alright, too bad for these 10 teams, ’ he’s got something to prove.</p><p>“But everybody passed on him, everybody, and it’s the bed that they made as a family, they circled the wagons, they created all of the behind-the-scenes, the television programs, and all of the chaos that goes with surrounding Colorado football, that’s great. People will say that it helped turned things around there, but ultimately, he’s paid the price for the exuberance and all of the other off-field stuff.</p><p>“Because if he was that good, he’d been taken. So not only was the skill set not to be taken higher, but his interviews were apparently horrific. That’s the most simple thing in the world, and he didn’t do it, and I think it’s through arrogance and all the rest of and maybe this humbles him, maybe he goes in and works.”</p>

WHAT HAPPENED

WHAT TIM HOWARD AND LANDON DONOVAN SAID

<p>Sanders' draft slide became one of the most discussed storylines of the entire NFL Draft weekend, with analysts speculating about his interview performances and NFL readiness. After being projected as a potential first-round pick, Sanders had to wait through nearly five full rounds before hearing his name called. Reports <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2025/05/08/shedeur-sanders-nfl-draft-slide-league-executives/83498525007/" target="_self">indicated that poor pre-draft interviews</a> and concerns about his ability contributed to his unexpected fall.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Sanders will report to the Cleveland Browns' rookie minicamp, where he'll begin his NFL journey as part of a quarterback room that includes veterans Deshaun Watson and Joe Flacco. The fifth-round selection offers Sanders an opportunity to develop without immediate pressure to start, potentially allowing him time to address the concerns that led to his draft slide.</p>

WHAT’S NEXT?

'He’s paid the price for the exuberance' - USMNT icons Tim Howard and Landon Donovan address Shedeur Sanders' unexpected NFL Draft slide | Goal.com

The two former USMNT stars shared their perspectives on quarterback Shedeur Sanders&apos; surprising fall to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft

&apos;He’s paid the price for the exuberance&apos; - USMNT icons Tim Howard and Landon Donovan address Shedeur Sanders&apos; unexpected NFL Draft slide