The biggest surprise in the 2025 NFL Draft came courtesy of Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders. It’s like sitting atop Mount Everest—he was in direct competition with Cam Ward at the NFL Combine, with many pegging him as a potential top-10 pick. But by the end of draft weekend, Sanders found himself plummeting to the Mariana Trench, eventually getting selected by the Browns in the 5th round (144th overall).

Since then, one question has flooded fan forums and social media threads alike: Can Shedeur Sanders refuse to play for Cleveland and leave for another league like the CFL? Let’s dive into the actual rules and history to find out.

Shedeur Sanders’ options: What NFL rules actually say

First, under the NFL Draft rules, once a player is selected by a team, his rights belong exclusively to that team for one full year. That means Shedeur cannot immediately jump to another NFL team unless the Browns either trade his rights or release him.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting:

• Option 1: Shedeur Sanders could refuse to sign with the Browns. If he chooses this path, the Browns would retain his rights through the upcoming season.
• Option 2: After sitting out an entire NFL season, Sanders would re-enter the 2026 NFL Draft pool—this time at the risk of being picked even lower, or not at all.

This is similar to how Bo Jackson famously refused to play for the Buccaneers in 1986 after being selected No. 1 overall. He also believed that the Buccaneers purposely lied about their NCAA-approved lab (it was not). Jackson thought they wanted him to play football and leave baseball. He got out, played for the Kansas City Royals, and entered the draft the following year, joining the Raiders.

Shedeur Sanders can also take the path taken by the NFL legend John Elway. He did not want to play for the Colts, a struggling team then. He forced them for a trade and managed to move to the Broncos. However, the league believes that such tactics don’t help the lower-ranked teams, who really need talented players.

Another critical difference today is that players can’t simply jump to another pro football league like the CFL or UFL without complications. According to Pro Football Talk, if a player sits out two full years after being drafted, they can officially avoid the NFL Draft rules and negotiate as free agents. But until then, the Browns legally hold Sanders’ NFL rights.

Could he join another league like the UFL or CFL in the meantime?

Technically, yes. Nothing in NFL rules prevents a drafted player from signing with another non-NFL league (like the UFL or CFL) if he refuses to sign with his NFL team. But if he does that, his NFL rights still remain locked with Cleveland until after the year ends. Meaning: even if Sanders stars for a CFL team in 2025, he would still belong to the Browns in 2026 unless Cleveland releases him or trades his rights.

Moreover, his fans are uniting behind him after the NFL owners blackballed him. Sports Illustrated shared the top-10 jersey sales (he ranked 3rd) jersey sale rankings on April 28. It revealed that Shedeur Sanders is the only player selected outside of first round in the list. His fans pledged to buy his merchandise from his official website instead of the NFL Shop. It will also help him make millions while giving a financial blow to the league.

Finances are not an issue for him, he is targeting legacy. Before the final draft day on Saturday, the 26th of April, he tweeted, “Another day another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love. Thank you GOD #LEGENDARY.” He now has the chance to prove his value. So, while he has the option to move to the CFL, the chances are less. But brace yourselves for any surprises. His draft has already given us a hint.