Shedeur Sanders jersey number: New Browns QB moving on from No. 2 at Colorado for digits with Tom Brady ties

Daniel Mader

Shedeur Sanders jersey number: New Browns QB moving on from No. 2 at Colorado for digits with Tom Brady ties image

As Shedeur Sanders enters a new era of his football career, he'll be getting a new number to go along with it.

The quarterback, who wore No. 2 at Colorado under his father, is expected to be in a wide-open quarterback battle in Cleveland this summer, with veterans in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, plus another rookie in Dillon Gabriel, all competing for the Browns' starting job.

With rookie camp beginning soon, Sanders was assigned a new number, not long after he slid to the fifth round of the NFL Draft and landed in Cleveland.

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Here's what to know about Sanders' new number.

What number will Shedeur Sanders wear for Browns?

Sanders has been assigned No. 12 for the Browns' rookie camp. The team noted that the numbers assigned are "subject to change before the season," so there's always a chance that Sanders begins the 2025 campaign with a different number.

The Browns' other rookie passer, Gabriel, was given No. 5. He wore No. 8 in college.

As ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi noted, Tom Brady has been a mentor to Sanders in the past, one potential reason he chose No. 12. 

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Why isn't Shedeur Sanders wearing No. 2?

At least for now, Sanders won't have the chance to wear No. 2, which he wore during his time at Colorado. It's also the number Deion Sanders wore when he was at Florida State.

There's no official reason why Sanders didn't get No. 2, but a different Browns player was awarded the number: wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who was a free agency addition.

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Who is DeAndre Carter?

Carter joined the Browns on a one-year deal this offseason as a veteran receiver that's previously spent time with nine other teams. 

Carter, who attended Sacramento State before going undrafted in 2015, is now 32 years old. He has 1,331 receiving yards in his NFL career, with his best season coming in 2022 as a member of the Chargers, totaling 46 receptions, 538 yards and three touchdowns.

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.