With the 144th pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Sanders, making him the sixth quarterback taken off of the board. It was a major slide for Sanders, who came into the draft ranked as a top-three quarterback behind Cam Ward, and in competition with Jaxson Dart for the second spot.

After winning 11 games and reaching the playoffs in 2023, the Browns collapsed in 2024, going 3-14 with Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe all starting games at quarterback.

The situation occurred on Friday during the second day of the draft. Sanders answered the phone and assumed he was being drafted by the Saints when the caller identified themselves as Loomis, only for the person to say he would "have to wait a little bit longer" before hanging up.