Not so long ago, Shedeur Sanders was a top-tier quarterback prospect. However, come the 2025 draft, Shedeur found himself waiting longer than expected. While many projected him to be a first-rounder, teams had better picks, and Shedeur slid all the way to the fifth round. He finally landed with the Cleveland Browns.
Meanwhile, his brother Shilo went undrafted altogether, later signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shedeur now has his NFL shot, and the man who coached and raised him, Deion Sanders, seems far from at peace. Instead of celebrating, Coach Prime is taking on critics who painted Shedeur as unprepared during his pre-draft meetings.
CFB Analyst, Jason McIntyre, Blames Not Reports but Shedeur’s Father and Coach Deion Sanders for Draft Drop
On a recent episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Jason McIntyre did not hold back. He went on to call out Deion Sanders directly for the chaos surrounding his son’s draft day tumble. “This, my friends, is why Shedeur Sanders fell in the draft,” McIntyre said. “I thought it was probably 50% Deion, 50% Shedeur. I’m now thinking NFL teams, front offices were just like, ‘No thank you’ on Shedeur Sanders, precisely because of this.”
.@jasonrmcintyre reacts to Deion Sanders continuing to speak out about his son Shedeur falling in the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/Y2SVbuZ44P
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 2, 2025
And by that, McIntyre is talking about the overarching presence of Coach Prime and the very thing that made him “Prime Time.” McIntyre argued that NFL teams didn’t want the media circus. It’s June, and instead of talking about Nick Chubb or Myles Garrett, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is answering questions about a fourth-string quarterback, because of Deion.
“That’s why we didn’t want him,” Jason McIntyre said, referencing Deion’s chatter on the Say What Needs To Be Said and other places, too. And while Deion Sanders fumed over reports claiming Shedeur wore headphones during interviews, calling it ridiculous, McIntyre wasn’t so quick to dismiss them. “He either did or didn’t,” he shrugged, refusing to blindly side with Coach Prime.
The CFB analyst made a very simple point at the end of it all. The damage was done, and Sanders’ defensive posture may have made things worse. Now, Shedeur faces something he hasn’t dealt with in a long time. He has to fight for his spot. None of the automatic QB1 slot like he got at Colorado.
In Cleveland, he’s battling names like Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and a recovering Deshaun Watson. Nothing is guaranteed, especially not a roster spot. But that’s where Coach Sanders sees the blessing.
On the Say What Needs To Be Said podcast, Coach Prime recently said, “It did hurt. But the Bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise.” He sees the fall as motivation, just like the one Tom Brady had, who actually texted Shedeur with advice to channel the pain.
Still, McIntyre believes Sanders’s refusal to step back only fanes the flames. “It ain’t going to end here,” he warned. “This is going to continue any time Deion steps in front of a microphone.” And that’s the heart of it.
KEEP READING: Analyst Predicts Colorado’s 2025 Big 12 Finish Without Shedeur Sanders or Travis Hunter
Sanders’ fame, the same fire that made him an icon, may now be the storm cloud over Shedeur’s NFL journey. Deion seems to forget that in the pros, hype doesn’t earn you reps. So as Shedeur puts on that No. 12 jersey, following in Brady’s footsteps, one question remains unanswered: can he let his arm do the talking even when his father won’t?
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