Deion Sanders: Shedeur Sanders 'went through hell' amid drop in draft, rookie season with Browns

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft became one of the most discussed sports stories of that year, and it is now unclear if he has any real future with the Cleveland Browns team that took a flier on him last spring. 

During the latest edition of "The Barbershop," Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders shared that he feels his son "went through hell" from the predraft process through his final snap of last season. 

Shedeur Sanders has "scars" after falling in draft, rookie season with Browns

"When he takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back that he's been through hell, but he's made it through hell," Deion said about Shedeur, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "He kept going, and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually."

Deion added that Shedeur learned, "You can't force this. If it ain't your time, it ain't your time."

It was thought in early 2025 that Shedeur could be a top-five pick in the draft. However, his alleged handling of the predraft process and questions about his ability to be a long-term franchise QB1 resulted in every team passing on him until Cleveland selected him with overall pick No. 144. 

"It was some ignorant things came out about him predraft and all that, and that was a lie," Deion said about Shedeur. "Like, he would never go into a meeting with headphones on. He would never go into a meeting unprepared. Like, that's just not who he is. There's no way he could accomplish the things he accomplished without being prepared. ... A lot of things that was said ... it bothered me, but it didn't bother him. He just wanted the opportunity to get on the grass and do his thing."

Deion Sanders discusses what Browns head coach Todd Monken could mean for Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders had to wait for that opportunity, as then-Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski buried the signal-caller on the depth chart until Sanders received his first regular-season start in November. While Sanders went 3-4 as a starter, he also produced rather lackluster stats. 

The Browns fired Stefanski this past January and ultimately replaced him with advertised offensive guru Todd Monken, who had most recently served as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator. 

"I love it, man, because [Monken is] a straight shooter," Deion said. "He keeps it a buck."

Recent reports have indicated that veteran Deshaun Watson has a significant lead over Shedeur Sanders in the competition to win the Browns' starting quarterback job. Some have even suggested that the Browns could move on from Shedeur if he doesn't leapfrog Watson on the depth chart by the end of the preseason. 

"I want to meet him because I think it's vital that as a coach, not the dad, I can tell him a few things about [Shedeur], how to get him going," Deion said about wanting to travel to Cleveland to meet Monken and discuss how to possibly get the most out of Shedeur's abilities. "...So, I anticipate, and I can't wait to have that conversation with Coach Monken."

Deion was Shedeur's head coach through high school and college, and some wondered after the Browns showed Stefanski the door if the club would reach out to the Hall of Famer about their opening. It now seems as if there is at least a chance that Shedeur may be with a different team when Week 1 of the 2026 season arrives.