Shedeur Sanders' jersey number with Browns has a Tom Brady and Deion Sanders connection

Matthew Wadleigh

Shedeur Sanders' jersey number with Browns has a Tom Brady and Deion Sanders connection image

The excitement is here for new Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Despite the former Colorado Buffaloes star sliding in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders has a chance to earn playing time amid a confusing quarterback room. 

On Tuesday, the Browns made a big announcement regarding Sanders as they revealed jersey numbers for the rookies. Sanders, who wore No. 2 in college, is now rocking No. 12 with the Browns. 

The No. 12 was worn at Colorado by Travis Hunter, the Colorado Buffaloes' two-way star who won the Heisman Trophy. However, the No. 12 has a lot of significance for Shedeur Sanders. 

For starters, his dad, Deion Sanders, wore No. 21 during his NFL days. 

Furthermore, Tom Brady famously wore No. 12, and he has been a mentor to Shedeur Sanders. 

MORE: Shedeur Sanders-Tom Brady relationship, explained

DeAndre Carter, who signed with the Browns this offseason, is rocking the No. 2 jersey that Sanders wore during his college days. 

So, while the No. 2 jersey was already taken by Carter, Sanders is instead wearing No. 12, which is his dad's jersey number backwards and that of Brady. 

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Matthew Wadleigh

Matthew Wadleigh is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He was born and raised in Southern California and grew up a San Diego sports fan (yes, it’s tough, except for Aztecs hoops). Matthew went to Fresno State as a journalism major and got to see Davante Adams, Derek Carr, Paul George and Aaron Judge in person. Matthew has written for publications including ClutchPoints, Sportscasting, Fansided, Trojans Wire, UCLA Wire and Buffaloes Wire.