Former NFL MVP sheds light on Shedeur Sanders receiving Colin Kaepernick-like treatment

Boomer Esiason claimed the NFL owners removed Shedeur Sanders' name from their draft list because of his entitled behavior and the presence of Deion Sanders.

Former NFL MVP sheds light on Shedeur Sanders receiving Colin Kaepernick-like treatment

Colin Kaepernick and Shedeur Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

After Shedeur Sanders went undrafted in the first round, veteran ESPN contributor Stephen A. Smith blamed the Colorado quarterback’s father, Deion Sanders. But at the same time, Smith argued that Prime Time can’t be the only reason behind 32 NFL teams passing on a quarterback who was once projected as the number one overall pick.

If you think that I’m going to sit here and assume that that was strictly an evaluation about his football skills alone that led to him falling out the entire first round without his father having an impact, I don’t buy that.

Stephen A. Smith said on First Take after day one of the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay

Retired NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson slammed the collective effort of the media, scouts, and the NFL GMs for giving a rookie the Colin Kaepernick treatment.

This has been a collective effort. Media, GMs, and owners, for the simple fact they allowed [Shedeur to slide down the draft due to his last name]… There’s no other reason. Just turn the film on.

Chad Johnson said

Smith and Johnson were onto something. Former league MVP Boomer Esiason revealed that several owners weren’t too keen on Shedeur Sanders.

Boomer Esiason revealed the reason behind Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round

Esiason has been around for a long time. The former Bengals quarterback hears and knows things that a general football fan would have zero clue about.

Former NFL MVP sheds light on Shedeur Sanders receiving Colin Kaepernick-like treatment
Shedeur Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

During a recent appearance on WFAN Sports Radio, Esiason revealed that Sanders “torpedoed himself” because of his “entitled’ attitude,” and his father made the situation worse.

[Deion Sanders] was on podcasts talking, ‘This is my son; if I can get him to where I want to get him to, I’m gonna do that.’ But when you listen to this kid talk right prior to or at the Combine about, ‘If you want a new culture in your locker room, I’m the guy to do that; I can turn it around’—I mean, he’s very high on himself.

Boomer Esiason said

The statement and the disinterested body language were off-putting for several franchises. Eventually, some of them took Sanders off their shopping list. They had no intention of drafting the 23-year-old even though he’s a very capable quarterback.

They took him off, and they took him off because the owner said, ‘Take him off. I don’t want that guy. I don’t want this entitled person on our team’. 

Boomer Esiason said

The Ringer’s Todd McShay echoed Esiason’s knowledge. McShay heard from sources inside the New York Giants building that Brian Daboll wasn’t a fan of the former Colorado quarterback.

Shedeur didn’t have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit. An install package came in. Preparation wasn’t there for it. Got called out on it. Didn’t like that. Brian didn’t appreciate him not liking it.

Todd McShay said

However, the Giants’ general manager, Joe Schoen, later shut down the rumors.

GM Joe Schoen thereafter shut it down, trying to focus the questions on Alexander and not on players, not on the New York roster.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote

Daboll claimed he and Schoen had great meetings with every athlete who came for a private visit. Obviously, the Giants selected Jaxson Dart over Sanders, who fell to the fifth round.

Donald Trump’s tweet worked. The Browns drafted Shedeur 144th overall. “Thank you, God,” Shedeur tweeted. 

It was a relief for the Sanders family because, judging by Esiason’s words, Sanders came close to going undrafted. Regardless of what happened behind the scenes, the Browns bagged a good quarterback prospect. Sanders led the Big 12 Conference with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

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