Deion Sanders has revealed that his son, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, endured a tumultuous journey through the NFL draft process and his rookie season, describing it as a period of intense hardship. In an interview with "The Barbershop" posted on YouTube on Thursday, the Colorado head coach criticized what he deemed untruthful reporting that plagued his son's path to professional football.
Deion Sanders on Shedeur's Struggles
"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 Sanders said. "He kept going and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually." The 24-year-old Shedeur, he added, came to understand, "You can’t force this. If it ain’t your time, it ain’t your time."
Shedeur Sanders, once considered a first-round prospect entering the 2025 NFL draft, unexpectedly fell to day three. The Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick. Deion Sanders attributed the draft slide to false narratives. "It was some ignorant things came out about him predraft and all that, and that was a lie," he said. "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."
Rookie Season Performance
The negative reporting continued after Shedeur joined the Browns, according to his father. "A lot of things that was said … it bothered me, but it didn’t bother him," Deion Sanders said. "He just wanted the opportunity to get on the grass and do his thing." Shedeur started seven games as a rookie, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 169 yards and one touchdown. Despite the challenges, he earned a Pro Bowl invitation.
Desire to Meet New Browns Coach
Deion Sanders expressed his intent to meet with new Browns head coach Todd Monken to discuss his son's development. Having coached Shedeur in high school and college, Sanders believes his insights could be valuable. "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 Sanders said. "That wasn’t asked of me a year ago. I don’t understand it. Even a guy like Travis Hunter being drafted to Jacksonville and I’ve had him for the last three [years], don’t you think you would want to talk to me to ask me what gets him going and what backs him off? You would want to know that. So, I anticipate, and I can’t wait to have that conversation with Coach Monken."
The Browns enter the offseason with four quarterbacks on the roster: Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson, and 2026 sixth-round pick Taylen Green out of Arkansas.
