Shedeur Sanders stepped with a strong college résumé and big dreams, but whispers in front offices grew louder: Deion Sanders‘ media-fueled remarks about where Shedeur “shouldn’t” land cast doubt on his independence. NFL execs admitted that the elder Sanders’ public handling—like sidestepping interviews or leaning into his old-school swagger—weighed heavily. “Some of the things his (Shedeur’s) dad said, I think that weighed on people’s minds,” one anonymous high-level exec from an NFL club suggested.
Folks out there wondered: was this a quarterback or the next act in Deion’s show? Even after the Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round, the outside noise didn’t quiet down—it got louder. NFL legends and analysts chimed in, urging Deion to loosen his grip and let Shedeur stumble if he has to. The message was clear: growth comes from mistakes, and if Shedeur’s going to thrive at the next level, he needs the space to learn without his father constantly steering the wheel. But Deion is Deion.
And now that Shedeur is competing for the starting quarterback role, and pretty much getting closer to it, Giants legend Leonard Marshall entered the chat, where he talked about the fall of Shedeur Sanders in the draft. Marshall put it out simply: the NFL execs don’t see Deion Sanders like Shedeur, any NFL legend, or any analyst does. They see him as Shedeur’s coach, not as his father.
“That was a crazy story because you know, I think the kid (Shedeur) was punished because his father’s just such a hands-on guy, you know, he’s a very hands-on guy and he’s done a great job raising two boys up and uplifting them to become the men that they become,” Marshall said. Indeed. Shedeur and Shilo Sanders had just one coach throughout their football journey. Whether in high school, at Jackson State, or in Colorado. Deion was the ultimate head coach.
Great chat with Leonard Marshall! The NY Giants legend opens up on Bill Belichick’s romantic life, where Saquon Barkley rates with the best of his era, if Aaron Rodgers can lead the Steelers to new heights, Shedeur Sanders’ draft freefall, and more:
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) June 19, 2025
But let’s face it, Deion was their father and not so much their coach in the first place. And that’s a major concern for the NFL officials. “I think that for the most part, officials, I’m not gonna use names, but I’m gonna use officials in the National Football League didn’t see it the same way that you or I would see it when it comes to him (Deion) being a father and not so much their coach,” Marshall added. Translation?
The NFL officials were maybe uncomfortable with the idea of Deion still being so present and involved at the pro level, even though he clearly loves and supports his sons. Ahead of the draft, a few teams might have worried that Deion would stay too involved in Shedeur’s career, calling the shots, influencing decisions, or even overshadowing the coaching staff. And of course, that fear might have made teams hesitant to draft Shedeur early. Hence, the former Colorado quarterback slipped to the fifth round.
“I think that’s what kind of hurt him because people were somewhat reluctant because they feared that daddy would be in-step with every phase of his life at the next level, so sometimes that can be a hindrance, or it can be foreseen as a hindrance,” the Giants‘ legend concluded. All in all, while Shedeur Sanders was a top draft prospect, Deion’s public comment and his concerns about his son might have likely hindered the quarterback’s draft position in one way or another. Plain and simple.
Though the Browns still picked him in the fifth round, hoping for an opportunity to finally draft a franchise quarterback. But the real question: is Shedeur the Browns’ franchise QB? Well, many would argue, but the Cleveland reporter isn’t on board with this.
Shedeur Sanders isn’t the Browns’ franchise quarterback?
The Browns’ search for a true franchise quarterback reads more like a curse than a chapter—haunted by promise, undone by time. The Cleveland team returned to the NFL in 1999. Quarterback produced since then? None. But this year felt different when the Browns went on to draft a couple of rookie QBs—Dillon Gabriel from Oregon in the third round, and Shedeur Sanders from Colorado in the fifth round.
That said, both of them are now part of the team’s crowded quarterback room that already had veterans Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and an injured Deshaun Watson. However, while folks out there believe that Sanders will be Cleveland’s franchise quarterback, there are a few who believe that the Browns still have to wait for a year to eventually draft a franchise QB, literally, like ESPN Cleveland analyst Tony Grossi.
“I thought that the drafting of Shedeur complicated the whole thing,” Grossi noted during his appearance on The Sick Podcast with Andy McNamara. “It seemed like they had made a definitive decision not to pick him, and then all of a sudden, they traded up to six round picks and picked him in the fifth round. And with that came the unintended consequence of him being just an overwhelming favorite externally by all his fans and fans of Colorado and whatnot.”
Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 throws during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. Akron , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeffxLangex USATSI_26143988
He went on, “I think they’re (Browns) going to be fine. If they hadn’t drafted Shedeur, I’d say the same thing. They’re going to be fine this year. I tell all my listeners and they don’t like hearing it, but the franchise quarterback is in next year’s draft.” Ahead of the 2025 season, the Browns have Flacco, Pickett, Sanders, and Gabriel. And while Flacco is the expected QB1, Shedeur will likely get an opportunity to start in his rookie season.
However, Tony Grossi pointed out that if Flacco and Pickett are out of the equation next year, Gabriel and Sanders could be competing not just with each other, but with a potential rookie from next year’s draft. Still, let’s be real—Shedeur’s catching heat mostly because of Deion’s presence, not a lack of talent. It’s too early to predict Cleveland’s next move, but for now, Shedeur might just be their guy.
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