Legendary NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has never been one to shy away from defending his family. Recently, he took to the airwaves to address the pre-draft criticism aimed at his son, Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado quarterback who experienced a surprising slide to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
In a candid podcast appearance on Say What Needs To Be Said with former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel, Deion passionately refuted claims that Shedeur was unprepared or unprofessional during the pre-draft process, calling out the media and NFL insiders for what he described as "lies" and "foolish stuff."That, and Deion said the criticisms of his son "hurt."
"It hurt," Deion said, h/t Sports Illustrated. "But the Bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. There was some foolish stuff that went on, but that gave them something that they needed... That edge that Tom [Brady] had, it gave [Shedeur and Shilo] the edge that you had, it gave them the edge that I have. Folks said we weren't gonna be nothing. But we had to prove that. It gave them the edge that they needed. Both of them."
NFL teams' criticisms of Shedeur Sanders in pre-draft process
Critics pointed to several factors for Shedeur's slide, including concerns about his arm strength, pocket presence, and perceived arrogance during pre-draft interviews. Reports even started to surface that Shedeur may have deliberately underperformed in interviews with teams he didn't want to join, a strategy reminiscent of Eli Manning's draft-day maneuvering in 2004.
Deion, however, dismissed these claims as totally baseless.
"When you sit up there and say something like he went into a meeting unprepared, like, dude," said Deion. "Shedeur Sanders? Who has had six different [offensive] coordinators, who has still functioned and leveled up every time we brought somebody new in, and you're gonna tell me he was unprepared? You're gonna tell me he had on headphones? Anybody who knows my son understands he's a professional."
Shedeur entered the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the most scrutinized prospects, largely due to his impressive collegiate career and his father's high-profile presence. With a 74.2% completion rate in 2024, leading all FBS quarterbacks, and over 13,000 career passing yards with 121 touchdowns, Shedeur was projected by many as a top-five pick, potentially even the second quarterback selected after Miami's Cam Ward. However, his draft stock plummeted, which culminated in his selection by the Browns with the 144th overall pick, which made him the sixth quarterback taken.
The narrative surrounding Shedeur's draft slide was further complicated by his father's brash and outspoken nature. Deion had previously stated on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast that he would steer Shedeur away from certain NFL cities, which drew comparisons to the Manning family's influence.
When you couple this with Shedeur's decision to skip combine workouts and his performance in interviews, multiple NFL teams were rubbed the wrong way.
Shedeur, now with the Browns, has a chance to prove doubters wrong, competing with veterans like Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco for a starting role. The Sanders family's saga shows the intense scrutiny that high-profile prospects face every year. While Deion's fierce defense of Shedeur highlights a father's loyalty to his son, it also raises questions about the balance between confidence and humility in the NFL Draft process.
As Shedeur begins his professional journey, the focus shifts to his performance on the field, where he aims to silence critics and validate his father's unwavering belief in him.