Shane Gillis rips Shedeur Sanders' Jersey Retirement in ESPY Award's Open

Shane Gillis didn’t hold back during his opening monologue at the 2025 ESPY Award on Wednesday night. The comedian took a jab at Shedeur Sanders’ recent jersey retirement at Colorado.

“Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year. People are saying it’s because of nepotism because of his father, and it’s not,” Gillis joked. “It’s because he went 13-12 over his career and he almost won the Alamo Bowl.”

The former Saturday Night Live cast member delivered the punchline to a mix of laughter and gasps, poking fun at what some fans have already criticized as a premature honor. Gillis quickly moved on with a joke about Caitlin Clark "nailing threes," but the Sanders line had social media buzzing.

The University of Colorado announced in April that both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter would have their jersey numbers retired during the spring game. "No. 2 & No. 12 — Officially Untouchable," the school posted on X.

Sanders had a stellar college career, winning the 2024 Johnny Unitas Award and breaking several CU records. He completed 74 percent of his passes last season for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. He’s one of only two FBS quarterbacks to throw for over 14,000 career yards while completing over 70 percent of his passes.

However, some Buffs fans were uneasy with the decision to retire Sanders’ number before CU legend Kordell Stewart. Especially after the timing of the honor coincided with his father, Deion Sanders, coaching the team. It only added to the speculation of favoritism for the event.

As Sanders heads into training camp with the Cleveland Browns, his college legacy remains a debated topic and now comedy.