Deion Sanders calls out ‘lies’ over Shedeur’s rookie season and claims son ‘went through hell’

Shedeur Sanders ‘went through hell’ during his NFL Draft process and rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, dad Deion has suggested.

The young quarterback was one of college football’s biggest names, and starred for the Colorado Buffaloes, where he played under his two-time Super Bowl champion father.

Getty

Heading into the 2025 draft, Sanders was touted as a first round — and potentially a top five — pick.

But he suffered a historic slide, driven by concerns over his attitude and on-field arm talent, created by a massive media storm in the build-up to the event.

Sanders was eventually drafted No. 144 overall by the Cleveland Browns, and started the season as the third-string QB, behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

He won the starting role later in the year.

Deion Sanders calls out ‘lies’ over Shedeur’s turbulent draft process

Deion was a regular in the Cleveland stands as his son clawed his way to the top of the Browns depth chart, and has opened up on the challenges Shedeur faced during his rookie season.

“When he takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back that he’s been through hell, but he’s made it through hell,” the NFL Hall of Famer said in an interview with The Barbershop.

“He kept going and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually.

“You can’t force this. If it ain’t your time, it ain’t your time.”

Sanders went on to note that ‘ignorant things’ dominated his son’s pre-draft process, and called out the ‘lies’ reported on his Combine interviews.

He continued: “It was some ignorant things came out about him pre-draft and all that, and that was a lie.

Getty

“Like, he would never go into a meeting with headphones on. He would never go into a meeting unprepared.

“That’s just not who he is. There’s no way he could accomplish the things he accomplished without being prepared.”

A year on from his tumultuous draft process, and Shedeur finds himself in another quarterback battle with the Browns.

New head coach Todd Monken is yet to decide on his Week 1 starter, and Sanders will now have to beat the returning, $230 million veteran Deshaun Watson for the role.

Coach Prime to meet with new Browns HC ahead of 2026 season

Deion is confident his son will be able to win the role, and is expecting big things from the Browns next season.

“I love it, man, because (Monken is) a straight shooter,” Coach Prime said of Monken’s appointment.

Getty

“He keeps it a buck.

“I want to meet him because I think it’s vital that as a coach, not the dad, I can tell him a few things about (Shedeur), how to get him going.

“That wasn’t asked of me a year ago. I don’t understand it.

“Even a guy like Travis Hunter being drafted to Jacksonville and I’ve had him for the last three (years), don’t you think you would want to talk to me to ask me what gets him going and what backs him off? You would want to know that.

Getty

“So, I anticipate, and I can’t wait to have that conversation with Coach Monken.”

There’s little doubting that 2025 was tough for the Sanders clan.

But Shedeur survived the ride, and Deion is ready for what’s to come in the fall.

Stay up to date with the NFL across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET