In light of recent reports suggesting that his son, Shedeur Sanders, was “unprepared” in pre-draft meetings, the former Atlanta Falcon and Head Coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders, couldn’t help but to note that he was “hurt” by the inaccuracy of those claims. Suffice to say, he’s not the only one who isn’t buying the story either.
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During the most recent episode of the Nightcap podcast, the pair of NFL legends in Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Shannon Sharpe claimed that they were equally skeptical of the narrative as well. According to Ocho, based on the pedigree of Sanders as a prospect, in addition to the home training that he likely received from his NFL Hall of Fame father, his reported actions during pre-draft meetings simply fail to match the profile.
“When you go into a meeting like that, with execs, with the higher level folks at an organization, you go in there a certain way. You’re not going to have your earphones on, you’re going to be prepared. Your coach and your father has already prepared you for that moment anyways, so what are talking about?,” Ocho explained.
After Sharpe mentioned that “He probably had headphones around his neck and they’re talking about ‘he had them on,'” Ocho was quick to allude to the history between the owners and underhanded business tactics. “You know they gonna change it up when it comes out.”
The lack of willingness to trust the initial reports surrounding the 23-year-old isn’t unique to the pair of NFL veterans either. Seeing as many are blaming the owners themselves for colluding against Sanders, everyone from Johnson and Sharpe to everyday fans are a bit reluctant to believe their claims.
The stigma surrounding Sanders’ untimely slide in the 2025 NFL Draft has now lingered into the start of minicamps and OTAs, causing fans and pundits alike to begin to rally around the 2024 Golden Arm winner. For better or worse, his presence on the sidelines will likely be a point of contention for the foreseeable future in Cleveland.
Nevertheless, the second-generation star will first have to earn his way onto the field before he can complete his underdog story. According to Sanders’ newfound head coach, Kevin Stefanski, his attitude and approach to the beginning of the process stands in direct contrast to what was said about him previously.
When asked about the initial steps in attempting to develop both Sanders and Dillon Gabriel alongside each other, Stefanski explained that,
“They are both wired to get in early, stay late, put in whatever work is required. They’re sponges in the meeting room, which I think is really fun for me.”
While it’s encouraging to know that his head coach is on record for having seen Sanders “get better just by listening,” to Ocho’s credit, it doesn’t match the description of an arrogant quarterback prospect who shows up late to meetings and fails to pay attention. For better or worse, however, the damage is done and all there is left for Sanders to do now is compete.
Even though he’s now without the guidance of his father and the versatility of Travis Hunter, Sanders still finds himself entering the NFL while coming off of one of the most accurate seasons in FBS history. Given the trove of knowledge and experience that he’s been able to access throughout the past several years, if there’s anyone who has all of the tools to become the surprise QB of the 2025 class, it’s Shedeur Sanders.
