After three days and five rounds, Shedeur Sanders can finally celebrate his professional career starting with the Cleveland Browns, but fans are still fighting about who really fumbled in this year’s NFL draft.
Source: Dustin Bradford
Shedeur Sanders was a favorite to follow in the footsteps of his iconic father, Deion Sanders, but ended his 2025 NFL draft party in shock. All eyes were on the second-generation star as he watched more than 100 other players already start to live his NFL dreams. Despite critics claiming Shedeur tanked his prospects with “cockiness,” he humbly kept his head and hopes up until the Browns eventually came calling.
When the wait never ended on Thursday at his lavish draft party, which featured an iced-out display of jewelry anticipating good news, he looked at the bright side. The anticipation and disappointment became more motivation.
“All this is of course fuel to the fire and under no circumstance we all know this shouldn’t have happened, but we understand we on to bigger and better things,” he said about the first round.
Going into the third day of the draft, Shedeur gave thanks on X, formerly Twitter, that he still had his name in the game.
“Another day another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love. Thank you GOD #LEGENDARY,” he wrote on Saturday morning.
A few agonizing hours later, the phone finally rang. To which, Shadeur responded, “Thank you GOD.”
All that waiting didn’t stop the new rookie and his family from celebrating when the big moment finally came.
As the Sanders family continues celebrating, football fans are still debating.
Check out how Shedeur Sanders’ NFL draft left social media in shambles after the flip!
Shedeur Sanders, As 144th Overall Pick, Sparks NFL Debate About Racism, Nepotism, And Fumbling The Bag
Coach Prime unsurprisingly predicted 1st overall pick for his “Legendary” son, who broke records as the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback. He correctly called his son’s Heisman trophy-winning teammate, Travis Hunter, as the No. 2 pick. Although Deion might have been biased, many fans expected a team to scoop up Shedeur in the first or second rounds. After the third, chat about the stats gave way to debate about whether he was “snubbed.”
Some fans dismissed the process as similar to a slavery auction block, with powerful Black men going to the highest bidder. Even those who aren’t supporters blamed “racism” for teams trying to humble Shedeur.
Some critics called it a double standard that confidence or cockiness doesn’t stop great white players from thriving, like Johnny Manziel.
However, many comments pointed out that the first overall pick, Cam Ward, is also Black. The same is true for most of the first-round selections and a majority of the 143 picked before Shedeur.
Quite a few social media users seemed to gloat about the moment that humbled the new Browns rookie. Still, in a league where allegations of domestic abuse and sexual assault aren’t uncommon, cockiness can’t seriously be the biggest character flaw.
If the player’s draft slide isn’t due to racism or performing worse than 143 other players, what explains this surprising story?
Several theories cite his Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders, who coached him to success, but is he the only coach his son has ever had? And how hands-on will he be after seemingly shaping Shedeur’s career every step of the way? Some claim that could pose more of a liability than an asset for any team.
Coach Prime already had a lot to say about his son’s disinterest in certain teams and refusal to play in cold climates. With comparisons to over-the-top LaVar Ball, social media users claim he could have overplayed his son’s hand. Yet, that wasn’t the case when Hall of Famer Archie Manning’s sons Eli and Peyton Manning went into the league. The Mannings were also vocally picky about teams, but handled the draft process differently.
Shedeur can’t help his nepo baby status or larger-than-life dad, but many comments pointed out his own actions. No matter how well he performed for Colorado, he didn’t show up for every part of the draft process. He reportedly was M.I.A. for the combine and Senior Bowl. According to USA Today, Shedeur also refused to meet with some teams, like the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin. And then there’s the question of how well the team interviews went.
Fortunately, Shedeur has a chance to prove himself to fans and critics alike while creating his own NFL legacy. With a 74% completion percentage and helping turn around a team from a 1-11 to 9-4, the new era of Prime Time looks promising.
What do you think about the 2025 NFL draft and Shedeur Sanders’ slide to 144th?
