“I Need Love”: Shedeur Sanders on Why He Decided to Surprise Dad Deion Sanders

Shedeur Sanders recently paid a surprise visit to his dad, Deion Sanders, catching him completely off guard. The Cleveland Browns QB decided to make the most of his bye week, returning to Boulder, Colorado, while continuing treatment for his injured back. It turned into a heartfelt moment between father and son that fans love to see.

Shedeur originally wasn’t planning to make the trip to Colorado. In fact, he opened up about it during a livestream on October 30, saying he just didn’t have the time in his hands.

In case you didn’t know, Shedeur injured his back during practice leading up to the Week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots. It forced him to miss the game, with Bailey Zappe backing up Dillon Gabriel instead.

And when the bye week came around, Shedeur said he wanted to focus on getting treatment for his back. However, the idea of surprising his dad came to him while he was resting, and he even decided to bring his treatment specialist along to Colorado.

“Why are you here?” Deion jokingly said as his son showed up at his office out of the blue.

“I know you need your son. I know you need some love and affection!” Shedeur responded.

It was a heartfelt moment shared between the two. Deion has had a tough stretch lately when it comes to his health. Diagnosed with bladder cancer earlier this year, Coach Prime had to have the organ removed. He is now cancer-free and in high spirits.

Shedeur looked thrilled to see his dad when he first walked in. He went on to ask Prime if they could just sit together on the porch in silence and take in the sights and sounds of Colorado.

“Came here to see dad! To see Prime Time!” Shedeur later said.

During his flight to Colorado, Shedeur took a video detailing why he made the trip. “Family means everything, you know? There’s certain moments in life that you know is priceless,” he said.

Shedeur’s family has supported him through every step of his life. They’re a strong, tight-knit bunch. Even though his mother, Pilar, divorced Deion back in 2011, he still regularly talks to her, his brothers, and his sisters. But it’s been a while since he’s been home, especially after being drafted and moving to Cleveland.

There was one specific line that caught our attention when Shedeur was explaining why he made the trip. 

“I need love, I need to be around family. So, I wanted to just come back home. I think he’s gonna be excited because he doesn’t expect me to come,” Shedeur predicted. “Enjoying and spending those moments with your family means a lot. I just want to be able to bring that spark, a little bit of happiness in his life.”

The lines hit hard, considering how tough things have been for Shedeur in Cleveland. Coming into the NFL as a first-round prospect, he fell to the fifth round due to questions about his character. He was then beaten out by Gabriel for the Browns’ starting QB job. Since then, he’s been grinding to stay ready for his moment when it comes.

We have a feeling we will see Shedeur on the field at some point this season. After all, he could be a really good player that the Browns are nurturing. But at the same time, it’s hard to feel overly confident in Shedeur’s potential, as his talent would’ve overcome the pre-draft interview drama if he were that good. 

However, ever since getting into the NFL, there’s been no such drama from Shedeur’s camp. He’s kept his head down, stayed out of the limelight, and has earned his way into the backup QB role for the Browns. Now, he’s making waves for something wholesome that he decided to do for his father.

It makes one wonder how the media narrative got so twisted for Shedeur leading up to the draft. He seems like a good kid who has a bit of cockiness to him. But it’s the type of confidence and cockiness every QB needs to have in themselves to succeed. It’ll be interesting to see if that moxie helps him when he eventually gets his shot as QB1.