Shedeur Sanders and Bronny James are two of the most polarizing figures in American sports today — the main characters in debates about nepotism. Critics argue that neither has shown exceptional talent worthy of the media attention they receive. The hype around the two athletes, they say, is largely driven by their famous fathers. But are their situations comparable?
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Is Shedeur the “Bronny of football,” or is Bronny more like the Colorado alum? Some people certainly think the comparison fits. However, Shannon Sharpe sees it differently.
On a recent episode of The Nightcap, the Hall of Famer discussed Shedeur’s basketball equivalent with Joe Johnson. The former NBA All-Star suggested that the quarterback’s closest basketball comp is Mike Williams, the shooting guard from Sacramento State. Johnson listed his reasons, too.
According to him, Williams’ talent, leadership, and flashes of brilliance at UCF mirror what Shedeur brings to the football field. Joe sees Williams as a rising star with the potential to take college basketball by storm.
Some fans pushed back on Joe’s take in the comments section, insisting that Bronny is the more obvious comparison to Shedeur, mostly because of the shared narrative of famous fathers and media attention. But Shannon wasn’t buying it.
He pointed out that Bronny wasn’t a top prospect coming out of college and that his NBA buzz was largely due to his father’s influence. That’s not the case with Shedeur.
Sharpe’s co-host, Chad Johnson, echoed the sentiment, saying Shedeur brings something different — he has presence, swagger, and flair. While Bronny is currently defined by being “LeBron’s son”, Shedeur has carved out his own identity. He’s not just floating by on Deion Sanders’ name.
“That’s not a good comparison. The cache and the aura that each of them has are completely different. Bronny is LeBron’s son, but Shedeur and what comes with Shedeur it’s a little bit more. Bronny [is a] little more low-key,” Ocho explained.
Sharpe chimed in, adding that, unlike Bronny, Shedeur has always been flashy, even dating back to his Jackson State days. Bronny, by contrast, tends to keep a low profile. For Shannon, the most accurate comparison for Shedeur isn’t someone from basketball — it’s former college football sensation Johnny Manziel, also known as “Johnny Football.”
“Bronny was never flashy. Shedeur was doing this at Jackson State. All Bronny do[es] is, he make a shot and run back down the court. Shedeur is more like Johnny Manziel or something like that,” Shannon said.
But all the flash and bravado Sharpe mentioned may have cost Shedeur millions. Had he been taken in the first round as many expected, his rookie contract would have reflected that. Instead, he slid to the fifth round. So he’ll now earn less than what he made in college through NIL deals.
But at this point, money should be the least of his concerns. He’s in the NFL now, and his only focus should be proving he belongs. This is his chance to silence the doubters and show that the reports questioning his character and ability were wrong.
If he puts in the work and wins the starting job with the Cleveland Browns, the money will follow. And it’s not like he’s broke — Shedeur still has a solid financial cushion from his college NIL deals, some of which have reportedly carried over into the NFL. But none of that will matter if he doesn’t perform.
As a fifth-round pick, his spot on the roster is far from guaranteed. He’ll need to show up to training camp ready to compete because if he doesn’t prove he’s the Browns’ future at quarterback, they won’t hesitate to move on.
