One of the biggest stories of the 2025 NFL Draft was the fall of Shedeur Sanders. Son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur was projected to be a first-round pick and was widely regarded as one of the top two quarterbacks in this year’s class.
Surprisingly, he slipped to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th pick. There were numerous reports, rumors, and conspiracies about why he tumbled so far. Some attributed it to his confident persona, while others pointed to his father’s perceived domineering character.
Chad Ochocinco Slams NFL With ‘Collective Collusion’ Claim After Sanders Brothers’ Draft Fall
Shedeur went off the board at No. 144 in the fifth round, while his older brother, Shilo, went undrafted but later signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
Shannon Sharpe, Johnson, and NBA champion Antoine Walker reacted to Shedeur’s slide during a sit-down discussion.
Johnson called it “collective collusion,” insisting it had nothing to do with race but reflected a league-wide bias against the Sanders family and the surrounding hype.
“I still believe it’s collusion,” Johnson said. “I’m not talking race at all. I’m just saying a collective collusion against brother Sanders and all these things, the hype…”
In 2024, Shedeur broke Colorado’s single-season passing record and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranked him No. 20 among the top 150 prospects for the 2025 draft, praising his “outstanding touch, accuracy and toughness.”
He also won the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
“Thank you, everybody, who came to support. I thank all the fans… Thank you to the Browns organization for giving me a chance,” Shedeur said on Shilo’s live stream after being drafted. “We know these decisions… things happen. We can’t control the uncontrollable.”
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“I knew the whole time God had me, so I wasn’t panicking because I understood it’s about perfect timing.”
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