As Shedeur Sanders begins his NFL journey with the Cleveland Browns, skepticism continues to trail the former Colorado Buffaloes‘ quarterback, not just about his on-field potential, but also about the machinery behind his public image.
Amidst accusations of nepotism, questions are now being raised about the role of Deion Sanders Jr., known as Bucky, in shaping and amplifying the media narrative around his younger brother.
Shedeur, the son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer, Deion, dropped significantly in the 2024 NFL Draft. His fall was seized upon by critics as a “humbling” moment, igniting debates about whether his stardom was built more on familial ties than individual merit.
However, the controversy now extends beyond the quarterback himself as a controversial journalist accuses Deion Sanders Sr., Deion Jr., and their Well Off Media of manufacturing coverage to keep Shedeur in the public eye.
“Shedeur Sanders, constantly, constantly, he’s in the news cycle,” Jason Whitlock said on his Fearless show. “I’m starting to think that Deion and Deion Sanders Jr. and that Well Off media machine is at the heart of and is the engine driving all the conversation about Shedeur Sanders.
His co-host, Steve Kim, concurred by adding: “Deion is applying [his] hype tactics to Shedeur in this modern age. They’re like, ‘Hey, social media hurt us before the draft. Now we’re going to make it work for us.'”
Well Off Media: Boosting or bending reality?
Since taking over the social media channels for Colorado football, Deion Sanders Jr. has increased the program’s digital footprint by 500% in one year. His content has attracted millions of views-videos like Shedeur’s introduction to the team and highlight reels now garner massive online traction.
These numbers reflect a calculated effort by Bucky to control how the public perceives both Coach Prime and his sons, although he is simply doing his job by pushing the Buffaloes‘ online presence to maximum potential.
However, Whitlock read anonymous tweets praising Shedeur and labelled them as “manufactured”, as he creates a conspiracy about how these kinds of statements were carefully curated to shape the narrative.
They’re turning him into gold chain-wearing Tim Tebow. I think it’s going to blow up in their face,” Whitlock said, whilst Kim called this strategy “engagement farming,” arguing that the family’s goal is to dominate the social media space even if the content stretches authenticity.
Regardless, Sanders continues on with his preparation for the 2025/26 NFL season as he bids to win the starter spot at the Browns, ahead of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, for their opening clash against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The fixture will take place at the Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland and is scheduled to begin from 13:00 ET/10:00 PT on September 7.
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