“I Would Pull an Eli Manning If Possible”: Fans Troll Deion Sanders as Shedeur Sanders Joins Cleveland Browns Despite Dad’s 2018 Warning

Irony came full circle for Deion Sanders when one of his infamous tweets resurfaced after his son, Shedeur Sanders, slipped to the fifth round of the NFL Draft, when the Cleveland Browns drafted him. Once considered a potential first-round pick, the Colorado quarterback endured a nightmare draft experience, sliding from Day 1 to Day 3, where the Browns finally selected him 144th overall.

Cleveland, often dubbed a quarterback graveyard, was likely one of the last destinations Coach Prime wanted for his son. After all, he once vowed to intervene if the “wrong team” drafted Shedeur. But when the moment arrived, there was no intervention — because, as the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosers.

Fans wasted no time digging up Deion’s infamous seven-year-old tweet, where he openly warned quarterbacks to avoid Cleveland at all costs — even encouraging them to pull an “Eli Manning” and refuse to play for the franchise. The internet did what it does best, using the moment to highlight the irony, roast Prime, and remind everyone that the NFL humbles even the most confident.

“I love what the Browns have done this offseason but if im a young QB ain’t no way im going to Cleveland. I would pull an Eli Manning If possible,” Deion tweeted in 2018.

Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning, with the backing of his father Archie Manning, famously urged certain teams, like the Chargers, not to draft him. When the Chargers ignored that request and selected him anyway, Eli made it clear he wouldn’t play for them, ultimately forcing a trade to the Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers.

Fast forward to 2025, and fans are now trolling Coach Prime after his worst-case scenario unfolded: the Cleveland Browns drafted his son, Shedeur. Social media erupted with jokes and memes. One user mockingly asked people to like the post if they were reading Deion’s old tweet in 2025, while others responded with laughing emojis, GIFs, and quips about karma.

One fan joked that Deion is now a die-hard Browns supporter, while many others simply found the entire situation hilarious. For some, it felt like life had come full circle for the Sanders family. See for yourself,

Another chimed in and added,

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Others stated,

Deion Sanders may have overestimated both his son’s draft stock and his own influence within the NFL. His attempt to orchestrate an “Eli Manning-style” power move backfired, ultimately hurting Shedeur Sanders’ standing with teams.  Scouts and executives raised concerns about the Colorado quarterback’s character and questioned his lack of elite physical traits, and the widespread belief that he was better than he actually was only widened the gap between perception and reality.

The NFL sent a clear message, humbling both Shedeur and the Sanders family in the process.

Now, Shedeur must earn his place the hard way in Cleveland, like so many before him. The choice is his: become just another name in the long list of Browns quarterbacks who didn’t pan out, or rise to the occasion, rewrite the narrative, and change the culture in one of the league’s most unforgiving environments.