Deion Sanders spent Super Bowl week moving from one NFL obligation to another in San Francisco, but one brief, unscripted exchange stood out from the usual media stops and ceremonial appearances.
Away from the crowds and cameras, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach crossed paths with New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, and the conversation quickly settled on a familiar subject: Shedeur Sanders and what lies ahead for him in the NFL.
The interaction, captured behind the scenes by Deion Sanders Jr. for Well Off Media, offered a rare glimpse into how league veterans still talk about Shedeur behind closed doors.
Despite a rookie season that tested his confidence and patience, Winston left no ambiguity about where he believes Shedeur’s career is headed.
“Thank you for blessing us with a son that will be a quarterback at the top,” Winston told Deion. “He with me. I’m going to keep sending him my voice messages and looking him up.”
Coming from Winston, the words carried weight. Few quarterbacks understand the extremes of expectation quite like him, from Heisman Trophy winner to NFL starter, from franchise cornerstone to constant subject of debate. His message was not framed as sympathy. It was conviction.
A belief formed long before Sundays in the NFL
Winston’s support for Shedeur Sanders did not emerge after the Cleveland Browns drafted him. It has been years in the making. While Shedeur was still leading the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023 and 2024, Winston was already pointing to something deeper than box scores. He spoke about leadership, composure, and the ability to change how a program carries itself.
“As a quarterback, for you to change the whole culture of your team and to go out there and put in great games one game after a time,” Winston said on The Rich Eisen Show in November 2024. “Despite the outcome of the game, Shedeur Sanders is playing some of the most elite football that I’ve seen from a college perspective.”
That praise was rooted in shared experience. Both Winston and Deion Sanders came through Florida State, learning early what it means to perform under relentless scrutiny.
Winston’s own collegiate career remains a benchmark. As Florida State‘s starter in 2013 and 2014, he threw for 7,964 yards and 65 touchdowns, led the Seminoles to a national championship, and claimed the Heisman Trophy before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Read the full article here
