Let’s be honest, Shedeur Sanders should’ve never been available on Day 3. Now, former NFL linebacker Bart Scott is saying what a lot of us have been thinking.
“You deserve to be fired,” Scott said on ESPN’s Get Up, “if you are afraid of a man taking your job, so you don’t take his son. I guarantee 3-4 of them are gonna be in the unemployment line.”
That’s an indictment on these NFL coaches. Because while Sanders fell to the fifth round, several NFL insiders, including Robert Griffin III, suggest it wasn’t just about tape or pre-draft meetings. It was fear. Fear of Deion.
It sounds wild on the surface. But multiple reports suggest some NFL head coaches were hesitant to draft Shedeur Sanders high, fearing that if things went sideways, their GM—or even ownership—would be tempted to bring in Coach Prime to “fix it.”
RGIII didn’t hold back.
“I’m being told some NFL Head Coaches feared drafting Shedeur Sanders in the first round as a starter,” Griffin posted on X. “It not working out and then eventually being replaced by Deion Sanders as Head Coach. That’s weak and cowardly. Cost this man $40 million.”
Whether or not Deion actually wants an NFL job—he recently signed a $54 million extension at Colorado—doesn’t change the perception. And in the NFL, perception is often reality. Especially when job security is thin and reputations are fragile.
Kevin Stefanski is on the hot seat—but he took the risk
One coach who didn’t shy away from the Prime-Shedeur connection? Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski.
There's now way Cleveland drafted Sanders because it was safe. The Browns are coming off a brutal 3-14 campaign. Deshaun Watson may not play in 2025. Stefanski’s job is far from secure.
Yet, he and GM Andrew Berry doubled down, drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to revamp the quarterback room.
Berry’s explanation? They believed in the value.
“We spent a lot of time with Shedeur throughout the process,” Berry said. “He's highly accurate, can play well from the pocket, very productive college career. We didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round.”
But he was. Because some coaches let fear cloud their evaluation.
Shedeur’s focus is football
While rumors and speculation swirled, Shedeur has handled everything with grace. He got back on the field, back to work, and kept the focus on football.
“This is the first time I’m not coached by my dad,” he said on his 2Legendary podcast. “Coach Stefanski’s gonna push you…make sure you're the best in all areas.”
That’s exactly the mindset Cleveland needs right now. No politics. No distractions. Just growth and production.
So far, reports out of OTAs are promising. Shedeur looks polished, confident, and hungry. He’s drawn praise from veterans like Joe Flacco, and young teammates like Kisean Johnson have already referred to him as “my QB.”
NFL may regret this one
Shedeur Sanders’ fall to Round 5 will go down as one of the most bizarre draft-day slides in recent memory.
This wasn’t about mechanics, production, or possibly even his personality. This was about politics. This was about fear.
And if Shedeur plays the way many expect—especially if he wins the job in Cleveland this fall—there are going to be a lot of GMs and head coaches explaining why they passed on a franchise quarterback because of who his dad is.
But Bart Scott is right, if you miss on drafting the right QB, you'll be fired anyway. So what are they all so afraid of?
As for Deion? He’s made it clear he’s committed to Colorado.
“We’ve just scratched the surface of what this program can be,” he said in April. “It’s not just about football. It’s about developing young men ready to take on the world.”
Coach Prime's mission is rooted in Boulder. So everybody needs to just relax.
Let Shedeur do his thing.
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