Shedeur Sanders wasn’t the first player in NFL draft history to be taken later than expected and he won’t be the last. At the very least, he won’t be alone.

In some ways, Sanders joined some good company after sliding down the board.

Sanders was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rumors swirled that the Colorado quarterback could’ve been taken 142 picks earlier by the same team, but landing in the fifth round was clearly a shock.

Tom Brady knows a thing or two about being drafted late in the process after he was famously selected with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. The future Hall of Fame quarterback turned NFL on Fox broadcaster and part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders had some words for the prospect.

During an appearance on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Brady shared that he spoke with Sanders via text.

‘I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well,’ Brady said. ‘And I said, ‘Dude, whatever happens, wherever you go, that’s your first day. Day 2 matters more than the draft.’ I was 199. So who can speak on it better than me? Like what that really means. Use it as motivation, you’re going to get your chances and go take advantage of it.’

Brady added that it’s about Sanders’ performance at this point, highlighting some of his teammates that also weren’t picked early in the draft.

‘I was around some of the best players who were undrafted free agents. They were Rodney Harrison. Rodney Harrison wasn’t a high pick. Julian Edelman wasn’t a high pick. Wes Welker wasn’t a high pick. Danny Amendola. All those guys were phenomenal players. So what’s it matter than some overhyped day where a lot of people are selling stories and saying, ‘Alright this is the big day and this is the draft and it’s an important day and it’s fun and I love you know watching it and seeing it?”

The seven-time Super Bowl champion pointed out that he’s been there on Day 2 when those players are tasked with learning a playbook and becoming part of the locker room.

Sanders will have a long road ahead of him in order to compete for the Browns’ starting gig. Heading into training camp, he’s likely the fifth quarterback on the depth chart. He’ll likely slide up to fourth as long as Deshaun Watson remains sidelined.

Still, Sanders will have to leap over Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow 2025 draft pick Dillon Gabriel to land a roster spot.

The odds for a fifth-round pick to do that are certainly stacked against him. Of course, Sanders isn’t a normal fifth-round pick.

He also has the greatest quarterback of all time in his corner. It remains to be seen if that will count for something in Cleveland.

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Jacob Slavin’s goal 3:06 into overtime gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 victory Tuesday over the host Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoff second-round matchup.

The defenseman’s first overtime playoff goal came on the Hurricanes’ 94th shot attempt of the game (their 33rd on net). Logan Stankoven scored his third goal of the postseason and Jesperi Kotkaniemi set it up. Jordan Martinook and Dmitry Orlov assisted on the game-winner.

Frederik Andersen made 13 saves in his first action since leaving in the second period of Game 4 of Carolina’s first-round series with the New Jersey Devils on April 27.

Aliaksei Protas scored his first career playoff goal for the Capitals, with Brandon Duhaime and John Carlson earning assists. Thompson, meanwhile, stopped 31 shots while under pressure all night.

Carolina set the tone in the first period, outshooting the Capitals 12-5. None went past Thompson, though, as just three of those came from near the net. Washington also blocked 15 shot attempts in the period and had 32 for the game.

Despite that control, it was the Capitals who struck first 3:52 into the second. Carlson cleared the puck from the Carolina attack zone and Duhaime was able to spring Protas, who skated along the boards and beat the drawn-out netminder on a wrist shot from the right circle.

Protas scored in just his second game back after recovering from a deep cut he suffered to his left foot in an April 4 game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The goal did not change the style of play as the Hurricanes continued to pepper shot attempts. They had 70 through the first two periods. However, it took a turnover near the Capitals’ net midway through the third period that allowed the Hurricanes to even the score.

Kotkaniemi got the puck after Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev lost it in the left faceoff circle. The Finnish forward found Stankoven in the slot, and the 22-year-old, acquired in the Mikko Rantanen trade two months ago, capitalized on the Capitals’ mistake with 10:18 left in regulation.

Carolina won despite losing center Mark Jankowski, who sustained an undisclosed injury.

Jankowski, appearing in his third game of this year’s playoffs, was last on the ice with 4:42 remaining in the second period.

Edmonton Oilers rally past Vegas Golden Knights

Zach Hyman scored the go-ahead goal with 3:02 remaining and Connor Brown sealed the win 76 seconds later as the Edmonton Oilers rallied to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-2, in Game 1 of the Western Conference second round on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Hyman buried a wrist shot from the slot past goalie Adin Hill’s glove side for the game-winner — his third tally of the playoffs.

Brown added his fourth goal when he deked defenseman Shea Theodore at the blue line, broke down the slot and fired a wrist shot past Hill’s glove side. That completed the Oilers’ fifth straight comeback victory in the playoffs.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard each had two assists and Corey Perry also scored for Edmonton, which had a four-game playoff winning streak snapped. Calvin Pickard finished with 15 saves.

Mark Stone scored both goals and Hill made 24 saves for Vegas, which had a streak of five Game 1 playoff wins snapped. Stone moved into a tie with Jonathan Marchessault for the franchise record with 36 postseason goals.

Vegas took a 1-0 lead at the 2:13 mark of the first period on a power-play goal by Stone. Vegas took advantage of an early double-minor penalty on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for high-sticking Tomas Hertl along the end boards.

The score came on a double deflection of Theodore’s point shot, which changed direction off the stick of William Karlsson and then deflected off Stone’s stick, clanged off the left post and went into the net.

Stone made it 2-0 midway through the period with a wrist shot from the low slot five-hole. It came off Jack Eichel’s pass.

The Oilers cut the deficit to 2-1 near the end of the period when Perry took a pass from McDavid by the left side of the crease and then wrapped a wrist shot around Hill’s left pad. It was his third goal of the playoffs.

Edmonton dominated a scoreless second period, outshooting the Golden Knights 12-1, but couldn’t take advantage of two power plays. Adam Henrique had the best chance to tie it, but his wrist shot from the high slot caromed off the crossbar.

The Oilers tied it 2-2 just 57 seconds into the third period when Draisaitl, behind the goal line, backhanded a rebound of Bouchard’s shot that banked in off the back of Hill’s right leg. It was his fourth goal of the playoffs.

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Two weeks ago, Shedeur Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The consensus No. 2 quarterback in the class led college football in completion percentage in 2024 and helped the Colorado Buffaloes to their first nine-win season since 2014.

But Sanders slid from Round 1 to Round 5 as the Cleveland Browns traded up to secure a potential starting quarterback for the 2025 season.

His slide was the biggest storyline of draft weekend. Now, a Colorado Buffaloes fan is seeking $100 million in damages in a lawsuit filed against the NFL for Sanders’ drop to the fifth round, according to a filing obtained by USA TODAY.

The plaintiff – referred to as John Doe in the filing – alleges in the complaint that ‘the NFL’s actions and the dissemination of slanderous statements have caused severe emotional distress and trauma.’

Per the filing, Doe is a Georgia resident and a ‘dedicated fan of Colorado football’ who attended the Colorado vs. TCU football game in 2023. The Buffaloes won 45-42 as Sanders completed 38 of 47 passes for 510 yards and four touchdowns.

Doe alleges that the reports of Sanders’ performance in interviews ‘contributed to a narrative that has unjustly harmed his reputation as and potential as a player.’

The filing alleges the NFL violated:

• The Sherman Antitrust Act because teams colluded to influence Sanders’ fall to the fifth round;
• The Civil Rights Act because that fall ‘may have been influenced by racial discrimination’
• Consumer protection laws because the league misrepresented the ‘nature of the drafting process and qualifications of players.’

The plaintiff is seeking $100 million in punitive damages.

The lawsuit was filed in a U.S. District Court in Atlanta. At the time of publishing, the NFL has not put out a statement in response to the lawsuit.

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Golden State All-Star guard Steph Curry is day-to-day and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Curry exited Tuesday night’s Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and went to the locker room with what appeared to be left hamstring discomfort at 8:19 of the second quarter. The Warriors later announced Curry would not return. The Warriors stole the opener, 99-88.

“I talked to him at halftime,” Kerr said after the game. “He’s obviously crushed, but the guys picked him up and played a great game. Obviously we’re all concerned about Steph, but it’s part of the game. Guys get hurt, you move on.

‘Our guys did a great job of moving on and getting a great win 48 hours after a Game 7 road win. It’s an amazing group of guys. These guys — they compete, they’re together. We’ve been the best defense in the league since the Jimmy trade, and that’s what’s keeping us afloat right now.”

Game 2 is Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT) in Minneapolis.

Curry was grabbing at his left hamstring area multiple times in the second quarter, and after Draymond Green made a 3-pointer and Minnesota called timeout, Curry left the game with the Warriors leading 30-20. The Warriors’ victory gave road teams a 5-0 start to the second round, an NBA record.

Curry had 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-6 on 3-pointers. After his last made shot, he motioned for Kerr to sub him out, and Brandin Podziemski checked in as Curry headed to the locker room.

The 11-time All-Star had another outstanding season (24.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds per game and 39.7% 3-point shooting) and his ability to perform like that at 37 years old is a major reason why the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from Miami in a trade deadline deal in February. Since acquiring Butler, the Warriors have been one of the best teams in the league.

The seventh-seeded Warriors defeated the second-seeded Houston Rockets in seven games in the first round, and Curry averaged 24.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals and shot 47.1% from the field and 39.2% on 3s against Houston.

(This story has been updated with new information).