Louis Riddick had some words for Jimmy Haslam
Louis Riddick Makes His Stance Clear on Jimmy Haslam’s Surprise Shedeur Sanders Admission originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After passing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in his senior season with the Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders was expected to be drafted during the first round of April’s NFL draft.
However, Sanders didn’t receive a phone call until Day 3 of the draft, when the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round. With the preseason starting Thursday, the Browns' owner, Jimmy Haslam, shed some light on his team’s decision to select the quarterback out of Colorado.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry Made the Decision
Haslam, 71, spoke to the media during training camp this week and said he wasn’t sold on drafting Sanders at first and wasn’t the one who made the decision. He noted that general manager Andrew Berry made the final call.
“So we picked him on Saturday, and if you told me Friday night to pick Shedeur, I would say that’s not happening,” Haslam said. “But we had a conversation earlier that morning and later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation.
“At the end of the day, that is Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur.”
'This Young Man Is Ice Skating Uphill'
The owner's statement received some pushback from ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who thinks Haslam and other members of the Browns' front office didn’t want Sanders on their team.
“I don’t really care what he said, but this tells me this young man is ice skating uphill,” he said during Wednesday’s episode of “First Take.” “They are not in lockstep as far as how they view [Sanders] within that organization.”
“What that means is there are enough names at the top of the totem pole who are like 'Nah, he’s not for us.'"
"[Shedeur Sanders] is ice skating uphill."
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 30, 2025
—@LRiddickESPN on Browns' owner Jimmy Haslem saying they didn't plan on drafting Shedeur on Day 3 😳 pic.twitter.com/E1BiQYbRyN
Riddick, a former NFL safety who played for the Cleveland Browns, thinks Sanders should reconsider if he is with the right team because the Browns didn’t consider drafting him until the third day.
“Do I have people rooting for me here that want to make this competition fair and equitable?” he added. “They want to make it an organic competition, or there are some people that say, 'I don’t want this guy.'"
Despite what Riddick and Haslam have to say, Sanders played well throughout offseason workouts and might receive playing time during the preseason.
Related: Shedeur Sanders’ Pass at Browns Training Camp Leaves Fans in Disbelief
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
