Deion Sanders; Shedeur Sanders
Deion Sanders; Shedeur Sanders.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders opened up about the "strange" but "healthy" experience of watching his son Shedeur Sanders make his NFL start
Deion told reporters he felt odd at first because it was the first time he had watched his son play "without me coaching him"
"I was just in straight dad mode," Deion said, watching Shedeur lead the Cleveland Browns to a victory in his first career start at quarterback
Deion Sanders is opening up about the pride he felt watching son, Shedeur Sanders, make his NFL start on Sunday with the Cleveland Browns.
At the Colorado head football coach’s weekly press conference on Tuesday, Deion told reporters that Sunday’s NFL game was the first time he had ever watched Shedeur play football without being on the sideline in some sort of official coaching capacity.
“I’ve never seen him play without me coaching him, so that was strange,” the 58-year-old former NFL and MLB star admitted. “But it was good, and it was healthy, because I was just in straight dad mode. I wasn’t in coach mode and I loved that I was able to see him gain the first victory.”
Shedeur, 23, led the Browns to a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on the road Sunday, marking the rookie quarterback’s first career win.
Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass the ball in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025
Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass the ball in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025
In what was just the Browns third win of the season, the fifth-round NFL Draft pick turned heads with a number of big plays throughout the game, including a 52-yard pass to fellow rookie Isaiah Bond that left Deion jumping and screaming in the stands as he watched the game with a wide smile. Shedeur later added a 66-yard touchdown pass to running back Dylan Sampson, another fellow rookie, late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Afterwards, Shedeur told CBS Sports during a postgame interview that his dad’s support meant everything to him.
“Dad’s always going to be there,” Shedeur noted in the post-game chat. “Even if everything goes wrong, he’s always going to be there. I’m just thankful that I have both my parents in my life and I have my whole family. That’s what life is about: family.”
Then moments later, Deion and Shedeur sharing another big embrace while they celebrated the rookie’s first win, as seen in a video shared on social media by Yahoo Sports.
Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes walk the field during senior day celebrations prior to the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field on November 29, 2024
Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes walk the field during senior day celebrations prior to the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field on November 29, 2024
Back at Deion's press conference on Tuesday, Coach Prime said he was simply “thankful” for the opportunity to watch his son play in the NFL, bursting into laughter when a reporter asked whether he was “a nervous wreck” watching his son make his first career start.
The heartfelt moment comes just four months after Deion revealed he survived bladder cancer this past offseason, which resulted in his bladder being removed in surgery he largely kept under wraps until returning to Colorado to begin coaching his 2025-26 team in July.
“Slowly but surely, I built myself back up," Deion reflected at the time. "I’m able, I’m strong. it has been a tremendous journey and I’m truly thankful that god is so good. God is so good, you have no idea. You have no idea how good god has been for me to be here. You have no idea.”
As for Shedeur, the former Colorado quarterback who spent his whole career playing under his father’s tutelage: the Browns officially named him the team’s starting quarterback in their next game Sunday at home against the San Francisco 49ers, ESPN reported this week.