

The 2025 NFL Draft delivered its fair share of surprises, but few moments sparked as much controversy as Shedeur Sanders‘ unexpected drop to the fifth round.
Once projected as a potential first-round pick, the former Colorado quarterback instead landed with the Cleveland Browns at No. 144 overall. As speculation swirled, many pointed fingers not at Shedeur‘s play, but at the influence of his father, Deion Sanders.
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While NFL executives cited underwhelming interviews and concerns about fit, others believe a deeper motive was at play. Among the loudest voices was activist and cultural commentator Dr. Umar, who claimed Shedeur was targeted not for who he is, but for who his father has become in the public eye.
“They never got a chance to punish Deion as a player. He said how he felt and did what he wanted to do. He survived the plantation,” Dr. Umar said, arguing that the NFL harbored resentment toward Coach Prime‘s success at Colorado and used Shedeur‘s draft stock as a means of retaliation.
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Debate rages over Deion’s impact on Shedeur’s NFL prospects
The fallout from Shedeur‘s fall hasn’t just come from outside voices. Prominent media figures like Stephen A. Smith have also questioned whether Deion Sanders‘ high profile and uncompromising approach made teams wary of investing in his son.
“They don’t want to have a quarterback coming in and they gotta worry about his dad making noise about what they are doing, how they are doing it… All of those things come into play and then you’re an executive who’s chosen a coach but the audience is clamoring for dad to come coach his son…” said Smith on the Big Boys TV podcast.
The situation was made more complex by Deion‘s own public comments, including his refusal to let Shedeur play for certain NFL teams, which fueled narratives that the father-son dynamic came with too much baggage. While that alone may not have caused Shedeur‘s dramatic draft tumble, it certainly didn’t help.
Still, despite the disappointment, the Sanders family now turns toward the future. As they begin this next chapter in Cleveland, they carry a chip on their shoulder-and the words of Tom Brady, who urged Shedeur to use the snub as fuel, not failure.
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