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During the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders went through one of the worst slides that any player has had in recent history. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 overall pick after being projected to be a first or second round selection.
His father, Deion Sanders, has been blamed by many. Deion was very vocal about his son leading up to the draft. That loud voice may have turned some teams off to the idea of taking his son.
Another popular analyst has weighed in with his take on the issue. Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on from the sidelines during the first half of a game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Pasadena, California. Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on from the sidelines during the first half of a game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Pasadena, California.
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Colin Cowherd took aim at Sanders during a segment on his show "The Herd." He places a big part of the blame for Shedeur's draft slide on Deion. Read more: Browns' Shedeur Sanders Slams Viral $500,000 Car Purchase Story "Quarterback dad has become pageant mom," Cowherd said.
"Quarterback dad has become pageant mom. "@ColinCowherd blames Shedeur Sanders' NFL Draft slide on Deion Sanders. pic.twitter.com/4ym7WcddaY — Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 27, 2025 If teams feel like a player or parent is trying to force their hands, it's not shocking that they would push back against it.
That isn't to say that Deion's role is guaranteed to be the main reason, but it certainly didn't help his son's case. Sanders' landing with the Browns was a great consolation prize. Cleveland was one of the teams rumored to be a potential fit for the young quarterback, with many projecting him to go there with the No.
2 overall pick in the draft throughout the process. Now, the former Jackson State and Colorado standout will be competing with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson for playing time to begin his NFL career. Read more: NFL Legend Makes 'Confident' Prediction for Browns QB Shedeur Sanders From a pure talent perspective, Sanders deserved to be higher than a fifth-round pick.
Throughout his four-year college career, Sanders threw for 14,347 yards, 134 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions, while completing 70.1 percent of his pass attempts. Despite falling so far in the draft, Sanders has a chance to write his own story. Should he come out and prove teams wrong for passing on him, he will quiet all of the hate and criticism that he has been receiving.
Hopefully, he's able to do just that. For the Browns, it would be a steal and finally provide the long-term franchise quarterback they have been needing for years. Cowherd's words are strong, but Deion likely deserves to shoulder some of the blame.
Now, it's Shedeur's turn to prove his ability and become the starter in Cleveland at some point in 2025. For more Cleveland Browns and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
