The NFL is looking into how Shedeur Sanders‘ private phone number was leaked and used for a prank call during Day 2 of the draft, a league official told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.
As Sanders continued to go undrafted through Friday’s Day 2, a video surfaced on social media of the quarterback receiving a call from someone impersonating New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
The person hung up the phone, and a confused Sanders told the crowd gathered for his draft party, “What does that mean?”
In a conference call with Cleveland-area reporters after he was drafted by the Browns in the fifth round Saturday, Sanders said he wasn’t bothered by the prank call.
“It didn’t really have an impact on me,” Sanders said, “because it was just like, I mean, OK, like I don’t feed into negativity or I don’t feed into that stuff. You’ve seen on Deion [Sanders] Jr.’s YouTube video. My reaction to it, I don’t — it is what it is. I think of course it is childish. Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.”
New Colts tight end Tyler Warren received a prank call before he was selected in the first round by Indianapolis, a league source told ESPN’s Stephen Holder. The source indicated other players received prank calls as well but did not provide any names.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord also referenced receiving prank calls before he was drafted in the sixth round Saturday. McCord said he had been getting prank calls from Philadelphia-area numbers during the final day of the draft.
Following the Sanders prank call, the video showed his draft party watching as the Saints selected former Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the 40th pick.
In another video, Sanders said he was given a private phone from Boost Mobile for the draft and that the number was given only to NFL personnel.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski criticized the prank callers Saturday, saying “people are morons” and calling the situation “sad.”
Sanders’ slide ended when the Browns traded up to select him with the 144th pick. He was the sixth quarterback selected in the draft and the second that Cleveland took; the Browns selected former Oregon standout Dillon Gabriel with the 94th pick Friday night.