Shedeur Sanders has hired an NFL agent for the first time, and while that typically sounds like something a player wanting a new contract would do, that isn't the main reason the Cleveland Browns quarterback is making this move.
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quarterback → hire → move
Sanders, in only his second season since being drafted in 2025, has hired Adie von Gontard of Young Money APAA Sports, as his first NFL representation.
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Sanders → draft → representation
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
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that → create → newsroom
This is a logical choice because Gontard already represents Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter.
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Gontard → represent → Hunter
Hunter and Sanders were teammates and friends at the University of Colorado and came out in the same 2025 draft.
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Hunter → come → draft
But the fact that Sanders is hiring an agent now, after going through the draft process, enduring a disappointing first day in which he hoped to be selected in the first round but fell to the fifth and signing his rookie deal without representation, is curious.
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he → hire → representation
The timing suggests stuff.
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timing → suggest → stuff
Young Money APAA Sports did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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Sports → reply → comment
But multiple NFL sources are telling OutKick they believe Sanders has hired representation because he's getting ready to press for a trade from the Cleveland Browns.
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he → tell → Browns
It should be noted the NFL is rife with rumors and none of the sources speaking about Sanders are directly tied to his family.
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none → note → family
But this is very much how the NFL operates, so it makes sense.
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it → operate → sense
Only two weeks ago, Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hired an agent for the first time and over the weekend the Houston Texans confirmed they had traded for him.
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they → hire → him
Minkah Fitzpatrick (2019), Za'Darius Smith (2023) and Haason Reddick (2024) all hired new agents because they were trying to get traded.
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they → hire → agents
Sanders currently finds himself as the backup quarterback in Cleveland after losing a competition for the starting job to veteran Deshaun Watson.
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Sanders → find → Watson
Coach Todd Monken's decision to start Watson was not unexpected, but nonetheless disappointing to Sanders.
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decision → start → Sanders
Sanders has mostly stepped back into the shadows as most backup quarterbacks do.
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quarterbacks → step → shadows
But it is no secret around the league that he wants to play and believes he can help a team.
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he → want → team
That opportunity, however, doesn’t appear to be on the horizon in Cleveland.
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opportunity → appear → Cleveland
Watson, 31, hasn't been great in leading the Browns to a 3-2 record.
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Watson → lead → record
His seven touchdown passes match the totals of Josh Allen and Sam Darnold.
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passes → match → Allen
And he has fewer interceptions (2) than either player.
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he → have → player
The point is the picture of the Browns' offense is not one that suggests Watson is on the verge of getting benched and Sanders promoted.
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Sanders → suggest → verge
So what does a player who believes he should be playing somewhere else do?
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he → believe → what
He can grit his teeth, stay quiet and do nothing.
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He → grit → nothing
Or he can grit his teeth, stay quiet and hire an agent to do something on his behalf.
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he → grit → behalf
The new agent would then deal with the team on the player's behalf in requesting a trade — which is rarely a pleasant conversation.
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which → deal → trade
It makes sense if Sanders wants an opportunity elsewhere, he hire someone to make that case on his behalf instead of fighting the battle himself.
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he → make → battle
So, yes, the timing of the agent hiring raises eyebrows.
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timing → raise → eyebrows
It adds smoke to rumors that were already smoldering.
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that → add → rumors
The Aporia
