Deion Sanders admits Shedeur's NFL Draft slide hit harder than cancer, still not healed

Deion Sanders has faced countless challenges throughout his life, but beating bladder cancer might be his most inspiring victory yet. But through it all, the Colorado Buffaloes Football coach hasn’t skipped a beat.

As he returns to campus, his focus remains on the turnaround in Boulder. However, this season brings a new chapter for Coach Prime without his sons and Travis Hunter for the first time. Sanders turned Colorado into one of the most entertaining and most-watched programs in college football. Their electrifying play and “Prime Time” attitude brought national attention to a once dead program. Now, Sanders must rebuild and prove that Colorado can still compete at a high level.

After the past three month with the emotional rollercoaster Sanders has been on, he admits that one wound hasn’t healed-- Shedeur's shocking slide in the 2025 NFL Draft. The top-tier quarterback was widely expected to be selected in the two rounds, but fell all the way to No. 144 in the fifth round to the Cleveland Browns, who traded up to grab him. Nonetheless, the unexpected fall left Deion stunned.

"That's one thing I'm not healed from yet," Sanders told Asante Samuel on the 'Say What Needs to be Said' podcast. "I'm healed from cancer, but I'm not healed from that yet. That was one of the hardest. I was dealing with cancer and knew I had to go back and have another surgery when the draft was going on… Like it's heavy. Yeah, I'm really heavy right now."

Shedeur’s draft slide was one of the most surprising moments in recent sports history. Few could have predicted that a quarterback with his production and demeanor would fall so far. Donald Trump even took a rare step to comment on the matter from the POTUS social media account before Day 3 of the draft. Despite the disappointment, Shedeur has landed in a favorable situation in Cleveland, where he could compete for playing time early in his career.

For Coach Prime, the challenge ahead is clear to find new leaders and develop his roster. But he's ready for the task at hand with only needing to be a coach and not dad. As for Shedeur, the mission is to improve while trusting the process. He'll try to show the NFL that he was worth far more than a fifth-round pick. The journey for both father and son is far from over, and in many ways, it’s just beginning.