The Baltimore Ravens were planning to draft Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round with the No. 141 pick, league sources told ESPN.

But before the Ravens could turn in the card, the former Colorado star let it be known to Baltimore that he didn’t want to be on a roster with Lamar Jackson, where he wouldn’t have a chance to play anytime soon, according to league sources.

Sanders knew that Jackson, a two-time MVP and one of the top players in the league, was not going to be losing his job as Baltimore’s starting quarterback anytime soon.

So the message was conveyed to the Ravens that Sanders did not want to be drafted by Baltimore and preferred to end up in a place where he might have a better chance to play sooner. The Ravens instead drafted offensive lineman Carson Vinson with the 141st pick.

Three picks later, with the football world watching, the Cleveland Browns traded up to select Sanders at Pick 144. Sanders and the Browns are in Baltimore on Sunday to play the Ravens in a matchup of 0-1 teams.

Sanders is listed third on the depth chart — behind Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel — with the Browns, who had a more crowded quarterback room throughout training camp and the preseason. But Kenny Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and Tyler Huntley was released last month, clearing a path for Sanders to make Cleveland’s 53-man roster.

After an outstanding debut in Cleveland’s preseason opener, Sanders missed the Browns’ second preseason game because of an oblique injury. He struggled in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, who sacked Sanders five times.

Sanders, Gabriel and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe all have been running Cleveland’s scout team in practice, quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave confirmed Friday.

“It’s exciting because those guys do take pride in getting the defense ready,” Musgrave said. “They want to do a good job of replicating the opponent’s offense and at the same time, they want to try to relate any play that they get to our game plan for that week too, so they can feel like they can get a little double duty.”

Cowboys offered Micah Parsons to Jets, Jerry Jones says

Fans chant toward Micah Parsons ahead of his postgame interview after the Packers’ win over the Commanders on Thursday night. (0:14

Before trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered the star pass rusher to the New York Jets, he said Saturday in a radio interview.

Jones, a guest on ESPN New York radio, told host Gary Myers that he had called the Jets. Asked by Myers if the Cowboys were interested in star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, Jones confirmed that Williams was the Jets player he was looking to acquire, along with picks in his proposed trade.

The conversation apparently didn’t last long. Jones said the Jets told him they “didn’t have the resources to entertain conversations.”

Jones wound up dealing Parsons to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Simultaneously, Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension.

The Cowboys owner reiterated his stance that he always wanted a “dominant” interior defensive lineman, which explains his interest in Williams.

“A prerequisite to the entire trade was that we had to have right now a really, frankly significant dominant inside defensive player,” Jones said. “That was a prerequisite. You didn’t get in the mentality of my trading if you didn’t have that coming through the door.”

Williams, a 2022 first-team All-Pro, is arguably the Jets’ top defensive player. He is under contract through 2027.