Shedeur Sanders’ slide in the 2025 NFL Draft was quite surprising and shocking to many, as he fell to the fifth round before the Cleveland Browns took him with the 144th overall pick. It was also allegedly hurtful to someone other than Sanders.
An anonymous fan has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the NFL in punitive damages for “the harm caused to the Plaintiff and the impact of the NFL’s actions on his emotional well being,” court documents obtained by MSNBC read.
The complaint was filed by someone using the pseudonym “John Doe” in Georgia federal court. In the filing, the plaintiff claimed that he’s a Colorado fan and felt that reports suggesting that Sanders “tanked interviews,” “wasn’t prepared,” and “was too cocky” were unfair to the former Colorado quarterback.
“These slanderous statements reflect biases that influenced the NFL’s decision-making process, causing emotional distress and trauma to the Plaintiff as a fan and consumer,” a line from the court document read.
“John Doe” claimed that the NFL violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, alleging that there was “collusion among NFL teams to influence the drafting process and the subsequent low selection of Shedeur Sanders.” He also claimed that the NFL violated the Civil Rights Act, alleging that “decisions made regarding Sanders may have been influenced by racial discrimination, violating his rights as a player.”
The plaintiff’s other claims for relief include Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress and Trauma, due to “dissemination of slanderous statements have caused severe emotional distress and trauma,” and Violations of Consumer Protection Laws, alleging that the NFL “may have engaged in unfair practices by misrepresenting the nature of the drafting process and the qualifications of players.”
In addition to the $100 million, the lawsuit is seeking “a formal acknowledgment from the NFL regarding the emotional distress caused by its actions and statement,” a retraction of “slanderous statements” made about Sanders, an apology for “any harm caused” to Sanders’ reputation and an “implementation of fairer practices in the drafting process to ensure that talented players are recognized and given opportunities based on merit.”
In the days leading up to the NFL Draft, the vast majority of mock drafts projected that Sanders would be a first-round pick, with some predicting that he could be picked as high as No. 3 overall. Most draft evaluators, at least in the media, had Sanders rated as the second-best quarterback in the draft class as well.
Joel Klatt dives into why Shedeur Sanders dropped to the 5th round
However, Sanders didn’t improve his stock when he met with teams during the pre-draft process. Multiple league sources expressed to FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna that Sanders “didn’t come out of his pre-draft interviews with impressive results.”
“He’s a good person, but people didn’t like the personality,” a league source told FOX Sports on Sanders. “He’s the biggest celebrity since Johnny Manziel to enter the draft.”
Additionally, a team with a top-seven draft pick asked Sanders to study its playbook for an install ahead of an interview and instead, he asked the team how they planned to support him, according to McKenna.
Ultimately, the Browns wound up taking Sanders two rounds after selecting Dillon Gabriel, making him the sixth quarterback selected in the 2025 draft. He’ll join a quarterback room that includes veterans Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson, although Watson is expected to miss the entire 2025 season after re-injuring his Achilles. The Browns have expressed that Sanders will get the opportunity to compete for the starting job as he’ll join the team for rookie minicamp starting Friday.
As Sanders looks to battle for the Browns’ starting job, the plaintiff might get an answer on his lawsuit quickly. “John Doe” filed the lawsuit “In Forma Pauperis” because he’s unable to pay the filing fees associated with the complaint. In this scenario, the courts will often determine if the lawsuit is “frivolous,” with that determination possibly coming soon and could lead to a dismissal, according to MSNBC.
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