At 23 years old and selected in the fifth round at number 144 in the 2025 NFL Draft, despite being projected as a first-round player, his case has puzzled fans, teammates, and analysts.
The Cleveland Browns put an end to Shedeur Sanders’ decline, and that gesture was well rewarded. His talent and skill have left his teammates and a coaching staff that has yet to decide who will be their QB1 more than satisfied. And all of this is, in part, thanks to the tutelage and guidance of his father, Deion.
Coach Prime, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, knows firsthand what it’s like to have a camera following his every move. For this reason, he taught Shedeur, Shilo, Deion Jr., Deiondra, and Shelomi to live with it and overcome it. Above all, the first two, exposed by their athletic careers and under pressure to continue their father’s athletic legacy.
This is not lost on his teammates, who notice the work Deion did with Shedeur. In fact, for Greg Newsome II, Shedeur has learned those lessons exceptionally well.
In a conversation with NFL Network, the Browns cornerback highlighted Sanders’ poise in the spotlight. He also praised the young man’s quickness to learn everything he has been taught and more. “He’s been amazing, a sponge, I would say,” the fifth-year cornerback said.
It’s just crazy, a guy this young with this much notoriety can just handle media and things like that. I think his dad has really taught him how to be that guy in the spotlight and understand what comes with it. I think he’s done an incredible job of just learning and getting better each day.
Sanders’ next goal: his starting position with the Browns
First, Shedeur will have to compete for an active spot on the team’s roster. With Deshaun Watson (starter in 2024) out of action due to his Achilles tendon injury, Cleveland will have to decide who will fill the starting quarterback position.
Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, who were already on the team, are joined by draft picks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. With four players vying for the QB1 position, the competition is fierce and numerous. And while all have demonstrated their skills and strengths, the Browns still don’t have a clear QB1.
His father’s health
According to several reports, 57-year-old Coach Prime is battling an illness that has not yet been disclosed but has forced him to stay out of the public eye and away from his duties as coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Deion Sanders is at his home in Texas and, according to comments from his son, Deion Jr., although he “feels fine,” there is no set date for his return to Boulder to resume his work.
The truth is that his surgeries and blood problems have kept Coach Prime on alert. The formation of blood clots in his lower extremities led to the amputation of two toes on his left foot while he was at Jackson State. At the end of 2024, he admitted that doctors recommended amputating the remaining toes, but he refused.
However, it is unknown whether his current health problems are related to his previous illnesses.
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