From his relatively weak arm strength to his recent reputation of being an overconfident brat, multiple reasons have been cited for the declining draft stock of Shedeur Sanders. However, if Mike Florio is to be believed, the biggest factor may not be Shedeur himself—it’s his father, Deion Sanders.
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Florio believes that Deion’s recent comments about only coaching in the NFL if his son is on the team may have had a significant impact on how franchises are approaching drafting Shedeur.
In his recent appearance on ESPN’s This is Football, Florio noted how Sanders’ NFL coaching future depending on Shedeur Sanders may make head coaches drafting the quarterback insecure.
Usually, the teams drafting in the first round are the ones coming off a terrible season. The incumbent head coaches of this team are always walking on a tightrope to secure their jobs.
For instance, should a team like the New York Giants, coached by Brian Daboll, draft Shedeur Sanders, the HC will not only fear being undermined by Deion Sanders but also fear that the management may end up deciding to replace him with Coach Prime himself.
“Now, what impact does that have on a coach who is going to sign off on drafting Shedeur Sanders? Unless you are securing your position, unless you are oblivious to outside noise, you know what’s going to happen… This could be the way to ensure that one of these teams with a history of derailing young QBs’ careers will pass on Shedeur Sanders. Because a coach will look at this and say, ‘Wait a minute—if we take Shedeur, I’m getting fired after one year, and Deion’s going to be the head coach.”
That said, Shedeur Sanders recently has made it clear that he is willing to play for any team as long as they are ready to see their culture and success trajectory change for the good. But Florio believes that this is a delusional take because no playmaker can single-handedly change a team’s fortunes. “Bad teams stay bad,” believes Florio.
In the veteran journalist’s eyes, however, the chances of Shedeur Sanders playing for “bad teams” is lesser because of his dad’s statement. So call it a blessing in disguise but Florio expects the Buffs playmaker to fall in the Draft and get picked by a much stronger team than the likes of Giants or the Browns.
“So yeah, Shedeur might fall in the draft some—but he may end up in a much better spot,” Florio concluded.
At the end of the day, the Shedeur-Deion dynamic isn’t just a father-son bond—it’s a storyline that could shape the future of an NFL franchise. Whether teams embrace it or run from it, one thing is clear: Deion Sanders will always have a say in Shedeur’s football journey.
