Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said his son, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, endured “hell” during a turbulent predraft process and challenging rookie NFL season, pointing to untruthful media reports and a lack of support from the previous coaching staff as factors that undermined his development.
In an interview posted Thursday on the YouTube show “The Barbershop,” Deion Sanders described the scars he sees on his son after what he called a difficult journey from top quarterback prospect to fifth-round draft pick and limited rookie contributor.
“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.
Shedeur Sanders, who starred at Jackson State and Colorado, was rated the top quarterback prospect by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. But he slid to the third day after reports surfaced of poor interviews and lack of preparation. The Browns traded up to select him 144th overall.
Deion Sanders called those predraft stories “ignorant things” and outright lies.
“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.”
The false narratives, Deion Sanders said, created a turbulent environment that carried into Shedeur’s rookie year in Cleveland.
As a rookie, Shedeur Sanders began the 2025 season as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart and received no first-team repetitions during training camp. He became the backup in Week 6 after the Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. Shedeur made his NFL debut in the second half of a Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens after starter Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion. He started the final seven games, helping the Browns post a 3-4 record in that stretch as the team finished 5-12 overall.
The Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski after the season and hired Todd Monken, previously the offensive coordinator, as head coach. Deion Sanders praised the move and said he plans to meet with Monken to share coaching insights on his son — something he said was not requested by the previous regime.
“I love it, man, because he’s a straight shooter. He keeps it a buck,” Deion Sanders said of Monken. “That wasn’t asked of me a year ago. I don’t understand it.”
Shedeur Sanders has spoken positively about the new coaching staff after the team’s voluntary veteran minicamp in late April, describing a “new vibe” and saying the coaches are “embracing” him. Deion Sanders said his son has matured spiritually through the adversity and now feels prepared for whatever comes next.
“He kept going and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually,” Deion Sanders said. “You can’t force this. If it ain’t your time, it ain’t your time.”
Shedeur Sanders enters the 2026 season in competition with Deshaun Watson for the starting job. Deion Sanders expressed confidence that his son is now “bulletproof” after navigating what he described as predraft and rookie-year challenges fueled by misinformation and limited opportunity.
