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Deion Sanders Facing Backlash After Complaining About Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Fall

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 3:45 PM ET

Considered by many as a potential first-round talent, with some even pegging him as a top-five pick, Shedeur Sanders, son of Pro Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, plummeted to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, ultimately going 144th overall to the Cleveland Browns.

This slide became one of the draft’s biggest talking points, as fans and experts alike speculated over the reasons behind such a significant fall.

After the draft, Deion appeared on an episode of Asante Samuel’s "Say What Needs to Be Said” podcast and acknowledged watching Shedeur (and his other son, Shilo) fall so far.

"It hurt. But the Bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise." Sanders said.

On Monday, following Deion Sanders' renewed public remarks, analyst Jason McIntyre criticized Deion's comments on an episode of Fox Sports' The Herd with Colin Cowherd, suggesting NFL front offices might have steered clear of drafting Shedeur Sanders precisely because of the circus surrounding his father’s commentary.

"This, my friends, is why Shadeur Sanders fell in the draft. I thought it was probably 50% Deion, 50% Shedeur. I'm now thinking NFL teams, front offices, were just like, 'No thank you' on Shedeur Sanders precisely because of this," McIntyre said.

"Folks, it’s the beginning of June and Deion is already complaining about his son and what went down at the draft."

.@jasonrmcintyre reacts to Deion Sanders continuing to speak out about his son Shedeur falling in the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/Y2SVbuZ44P
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 2, 2025

After a disappointing 3-14 record in 2024, their worst mark since going 0-16 in 2017, the Browns held the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, anticipating a generational addition to their roster.

Despite these high expectations, the most surprising storyline of Cleveland’s offseason has been the selection of Shedeur Sanders.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, both Deion and Shedeur generated significant media buzz.

At one point, Deion publicly stated he would not want his son playing for a cold-weather franchise and ruled out certain teams, like the Chicago Bears.

At the NFL Combine, Shedeur opted not to participate in on-field drills, instead declaring himself a "franchise-changing talent" to interested teams.

Anonymous NFL executives later questioned his interview demeanor and game-day readiness, with one calling his formal interview "the worst" they had experienced.

These pre-draft narratives set the stage for what became a highly scrutinized slide.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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