Deion Sanders’s leadership of the Colorado Buffaloes football program in 2023 was captivating. I was all in on the media blitz that Coach Prime attracted to Boulder. But less than a year later, I’m over the Sanderses and their mile-high egos. I also think Shedeur Sanders’ attitude overshadows his physical abilities and hurts his NFL prospectus.
On Sunday, social media circulated a Shedeur Sanders’ statement in which the quarterback compared himself to Michael Vick and Tom Brady. Like father, like son. Deion Sanders has always spoken highly of himself as a player, but he backed it up on the field. Now, his second oldest son follows in his old man’s footsteps, popping off with egocentric comments.
Shedeur comparing himself to a pair of established pro quarterbacks, including the greatest of all time, is gross. He’s a player who hasn’t led his team to anything valuable outside of an FCS conference. Nevertheless, the Colorado quarterback’s remarks are on brand with the Coach Prime experience in Boulder.
Shedeur Sanders is proving he only cares about Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders flashing a Rolex while in uniform was a cute gimmick at first. But now that I think of it, I realize that Shedeur was trying his best to advertise Shedeur. His team finished with a 4-8 record (1-8 in Pac-12) in 2023, but the quarterback didn’t hesitate to flex at any moment.
To his credit, Shedeur’s metrics were solid last season, but he didn’t lead his team to notable wins. Now, instead of talking up his team during the college football preseason, Sanders is going viral comparing himself to Tom Brady. This isn’t the first time Shedeur Sanders has exposed himself as a borderline narcissist. In April, the Buffs’ signal-caller took to Twitter to mock a former teammate who criticized the Colorado program under Deion’s tutelage.
Ion even remember him tbh. Bro had to be very mid at best. https://t.co/qwK48Ys0Et
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 30, 2024
The tweet was in response to Xavier Smith’s claims that Deion created a toxic culture in Boulder. Instead of taking the high road, Shedeur Sanders validated Smith’s statements by putting him down. Such a reaction is counterintuitive to leadership.
Smith transferred from the Buffaloes to UTEP this offseason.
How Shedeur Sanders is threatening his draft stock
Shedeur Sanders has the physical gifts that align with a top-three NFL Draft pick. However, his attitude and hokey attempts to advertise himself are not going well with the public. Thus, I assume NFL scouts feel the same. Remember that NFL scouts look high and wide for red flags on players.
We’re talking about a group of people who have queried players about sexual preferences and their murder weapon of choice.
What’s worse are reports that Coach Prime has compiled a short list of teams he will allow his son to play for. Indeed, we’re potentially starting down a 2025 draft scenario that will make the John Elway and Eli Manning situations seem elementary. That’s sad because many analysts penciled Shedeur in last fall as the projected first overall pick. Today, I see Shedeur falling behind Carson Beck and Conner Weigman on lists of NFL quarterback draft prospects.
Unless things change, I think Shedeur’s prospectus will plummet. As talented as he is, I don’t believe NFL franchises are interested in burning a first-round pick on a player who thinks he’s bigger than the team before entering the facility.
Visit Belly Up Sports daily and connect with me on Twitter/X. Also, check out the Third and Ten Podcast, available on all podcast formats.
Featured Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images