Shedeur Sanders was reportedly named the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback for the team's 2025 preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers "almost by default." Nonetheless, it's the polarizing rookie's inaugural chance to put his dramatic draft slide and off-the-field character in the rearview mirror. Good or bad, all eyes are on him, including legendary cornerback/Colorado head coach Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, who he otherwise knows as dad.
Naturally and rightfully, Deion is eager to see his son carry on the family name in what will mark Shedeur's first taste of pro action. However, the former may have set a high bar heading into the latter's NFL debut in Carolina. Already the most talked about fifth-round pick in league history, the father in Coach Prime couldn't resist somehow dialing the pressure up a notch.
Deion Sanders conducting the Shedeur Sanders hype train puts more pressure on Browns rookie QB
Deion admittedly said watching the second-youngest of five Sanders children suit up for the Browns will be odd. Yet, once those parental emotions subsided, the Hall of Famer declared Cleveland's clash with the Panthers the beginning of something special for Shedeur. It almost sounded like a warning shot.
"I just can't wait to see [Shedeur] get down tonight, but it's gonna be a little weird and a little strange," Deion stated (h/t Tyler King of the Denver Gazette). "I gotta admit that. I'm praying for him, and God has set him up in a perfect position that he needs to be in. It's gonna be a problem after tonight, I promise you that."
That's a bold strategy, Cotton, let's see if it pays off, and positively. Not this year's No. 144 overall selection being an issue for the Browns, but for opposing squads. Deion practically called it open season on anyone who stands in Shedeur's way. This can go one of two ways, especially in their line of work: backfire tremendously or be an "I told you so" moment.
As mentioned, the nod versus Carolina essentially fell in Shedeur's lap. Cleveland's other newcomers competing for their top signal-caller spot, Kenny Pickett and incoming third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, are out due to hamstring injuries. 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco is being preserved as the Browns approach the upcoming campaign. Nevertheless, narratives and reasoning aside, Deion believes his namesake isn't taking anything for granted and blocking the outside noise.
"[Shedeur] thankful and appreciative of the opportunity," Deion voiced. "He don't get caught up in all the rhetoric in the media; he's far beyond that. He was coached through that when he was a kid. Some of the stuff is just ignorant, some it is really adolescent."