Deion Sanders Defends Sons After NFL Draft Disappointments

Deion Sanders, head coach of Colorado football and father of quarterback Shedeur Sanders, expressed his emotional pain over Shedeur's unexpected drop to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Cleveland Browns. Deion strongly disputed rumors that Shedeur was unprepared or unprofessional during pre-draft meetings, including allegations that he wore headphones during interviews, calling these claims "lying" and emphasizing Shedeur's professionalism despite having worked under multiple offensive coordinators. Deion highlighted that such negative narratives unfairly impacted Shedeur's draft stock and that both Shedeur and his other son, Shilo, who was not drafted, are using their draft experiences as motivation, drawing parallels to Tom Brady's similar late draft selection. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski praised Shedeur's off-field demeanor, and Shedeur is engaged in a quarterback competition with several veterans on the Browns roster. Deion's remarks came during a podcast with former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel, where he candidly shared his feelings about the draft and defended his sons against criticism.