Deion Sanders has strongly denounced the media and individuals who spread false rumors about his son, Shedeur Sanders, during the 2024 NFL Draft. The narrative that Shedeur performed poorly in meetings with NFL teams led to his unexpected fall to the fifth round, far below his projected top-three status. Sanders, known as ‘Coach Prime,’ has called these reports ‘lying,’ asserting that they were part of a broader effort to discredit his son. He claims that the negative stories were orchestrated to create a narrative that ‘people were afraid that I would go to the NFL,’ which could have influenced public perception of his son’s abilities.
In a recent interview on Asante Samuel’s podcast ‘Say What Needs To Be Said,’ Sanders expressed frustration over the media’s role in spreading these false stories. He described the situation as being ‘foolish’ and emphasized that his son, who has worked with six different offensive coordinators, is a professional who has consistently performed at a high level. ‘You’re not gonna catch them in no foolery or no mess,’ he said. ‘Shedeur Sanders? Who has had six different [offensive] coordinators, who has still functioned and leveled up every time we brought somebody new in, and you’re going to tell me he was unprepared? You’re going to tell me he had on headphones? Anybody who knows my son understands he’s a professional.’ His comments suggest that the media’s portrayal of his son as unprepared was not only inaccurate but also damaging to his son’s reputation.
The rumors about Shedeur’s performance in the NFL draft meetings were a significant factor in the team’s decision-making process. With reports suggesting that he was unprepared and nonchalant during interviews, NFL teams may have been hesitant to select him in the early rounds. This led to a situation where a potentially top-three quarterback ended up being picked in the fifth round, which is a dramatic drop in the draft. However, Sanders has called for an end to the spread of false information, emphasizing that the media should not take private conversations and turn them into public stories without any credible evidence. ‘Let’s Stop Lying today, tomorrow and the next day,’ he wrote on X, calling for an end to the trafficking of false rumors.
Ultimately, the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders, but not before selecting Dillon Gabriel in the third round. The rookies make up 40% of the quarterback room, which also includes Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Picket, highlighting the competition in the NFL’s quarterback position. However, the controversy surrounding Shedeur’s draft performance underscores the importance of accurate reporting in sports news. The incident has sparked a broader debate about the media’s responsibility in portraying athletes and the potential impact of rumors on an athlete’s career.