Shane Gillis Takes Shot at Shedeur Sanders in ESPY’s Roast

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

The timing of the retirement sparked disagreements since it was announced just months after the team’s season-ending 36-14 defeat to the BYU Cougars.

There were several question marks as to why Sanders received this honor immediately, since several all-time greats like Erik Bieniemy, Kordell Stewart, and Darian Hagan are yet to have their jerseys enter the rafters.

Even though people are split on whether Sanders deserved this recognition, he made his mark on the program.

Before he arrived in Colorado in 2023, the team went 1-11. CU then improved in 2024 with four wins, before a 9-4 finish in 2024. These were the most victories in a season since 2016 and marked just the fourth time since 2000 that the Buffaloes finished with at least nine wins.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback broke several records, including single-season passing yards, completion percentage, and passing touchdowns.

He received the Johnny Unitas Award in 2024, which is given to the best quarterback in the nation. After two strong seasons with the Buffaloes, Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

He will compete for the starting role against Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, and Joe Flacco. The Browns will begin the 2025 season against the Cincinnati Bengals at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7.