Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft Saga Wasn’t About Race Or Talent: He Has To Rid Of The Spectacle Around Him

Shedeur Sanders walked off the field at Nebraska last year with just over two minutes left in the loss, surrounded by security officials, a trainer and his brother documenting every step of the way. As I stood next to the exit area of the field, my only thought was to follow him towards the locker room, knowing this was going to be a moment discussed in the following days. 

While the game was over on the scoreboard, there were thousands of Nebraska students yelling at the Colorado quarterback as he walked past their section, right as a liquor bottle hit me in the arm while I documented the late-game exit. 

There was obviously something different about Shedeur Sanders. The cameras followed his every move, from getting off the bus, to speaking with the media following the loss. I couldn't help but wonder what the moment looked like on television, as the starting quarterback left the field, while his teammates waited for the final seconds to tick off the clock. 

If we're being honest, this was the type of situation that would have been best to avoid, along with the countless other instances of Sanders being magnified on social media thanks to his family documenting every moment of his time in Colorado. And don't get my words confused, I'm not putting any blame on Deion Sanders Jr., but we also cannot ignore the fact that everyone involved in football has watched Shedeur's every move on social media for the past five years, or the ones they wanted you to see. 

There hasn’t been a situation like this before in college football, and there most likely won't be another. 

From a football perspective, this whole ordeal during the NFL Draft could be traced back to those within the family trying their hardest to make it look like Shedeur Sanders was a first-round player. But, speaking with multiple NFL personnel members in the past few days, it's clear that NFL personnel were watching on social media. 

"I think those within his camp thought they could build him up enough that the thought of him getting out of the first round would be unthinkable," one NFL coach told OutKick. The problem for Shedeur was that the social media footage did not help his case. He has flaws, and no matter how much promotion somebody gets, it all comes down to how you present yourself when trying to change the minds of coaches and general managers. 

"At the end of the day, who were we really talking to? Was this the Shedeur we all saw on social media, or is there a different side of him that the public had not seen yet? If he handles his business and goes about this next chapter in a professional manner, he will have success."

Off-Field Stuff Has To Go. Shedeur Sanders Has To Embrace NFL Life

Every single thing about Colorado football over the past two years was about Deion Sanders, Shedeur and Travis Hunter. But only one of them could get away with the non-stop media presence that surrounded their every move, and that was the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter. 

While folks inside the Colorado athletic department would tell you that everything was kosher, the way in which there were seemingly two different media departments in Boulder was quite overwhelming. 

So, the question is whether this type of attention helped Shedeur Sanders or hurt him. Let me be clear, what Deion Sanders has done for the Colorado football program should be applauded, given that nobody besides the people that cover the team on a daily basis had any interest in covering a program that has been dormant since the Kordell Stewart days. 

When asked if he had any regrets from his time at Colorado, Sheduer did not shy away from the question. 

"I feel like in life it’s always a way I can improve. So it’s always in different areas I’m able to improve. And some things that I could have done at the time that seemed right at the time I could have went about in a different way and that was like more during the season and stuff like that."

But, thinking that the folks who run NFL organizations would want to deal with something like this on a daily basis is ludicrous to think. Now, it's not as if this type of coverage of Shedeur Sanders would've been allowed inside an NFL building, but let's not act as if the past few years of non-stop coverage helped the quarterback. 

Sure, he profited off NIL deals, and gave fans an inside look into what it's like on a daily basis for a college football program, especially when the main character of the story is Deion Sanders. But, put yourself in the shoes of an NFL general manager for a minute. Are you willing to bring in this much attention for a guy who you don't think is ready to be the starting quarterback of your franchise right now? If it wasn't made clear this past weekend during the NFL Draft, I don't know what other types of examples you need to see. 

This Wasn’t About Race Or On-Field Talent For Shedeur Sanders

While some want this story to center around the color of Shedeur Sanders' skin, this theory does not add up, given the current standing of the NFL. No, this had to do with a young man who brings so much attention to himself, when it's just not needed. 

Why did Colorado feel the need to retire the number of a player who competed in his final game for the school just six months ago? Besides a PR move, it did not make sense, and I mean that with the utmost respect to Shedeur Sanders. Sure, I could see it for Travis Hunter, given that he was the best player I've seen in this sport in recent memory, but even that could've waited if we're being honest. 

There comes a time when a man has to look in the mirror and understand that if you're going to be the face of an NFL organization, some of the stuff that comes with you needs to go. 

Right now, Shedeur Sanders has to embrace the competition that’s upcoming. Don't worry about social media, or making sure every move you make is documented on a YouTube channel that is monetized, and wasn't actually part of the Colorado athletic department. I was fascinated to see how the NCAA, or even the television networks, would allow his brother to be on the field for a coin toss, or on the field when the team is coming out of a huddle. 

These are the small things that I have noticed covering Colorado football over the past few years. And, none of this helped Sheduer Sanders throw the ball farther down the field, or read a blitz that was coming his way from an opposing defense. 

So, imagine how a professional football league viewed this.  

Shedeur has the talent to have a long career as an NFL quarterback. I watched him hit his receivers with passes only a skilled passer can make. I watched him lead Colorado to a win against TCU to open the ‘Coach Prime’ era, then followed it up with magnificent moments going forward, one of them being the 98-yard drive against Colorado State in one of the wildest games of the 2023 season. 

There are plenty of examples as to why Shedeur Sanders could be an NFL quarterback for the next ten to fifteen years. But, those in-game moments weren't the only reason why he slid during the NFL Draft.