Deion Sanders promises to intervene for son Shedeur and pull an Eli Manning in 2025 NFL Draft if wrong team picks QB
Deion Sanders' son and Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders is expected to be the first quarterback taken off the board in the 2025 NFL draft. The 22-year-old is having a stellar senior year and will be on the radar of several teams looking for a signal-caller.
However, franchises eyeing Sanders will have to check with his Hall of Famer father before picking him. During an appearance on "Speak" on FS1, retired wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson asked Deion Sanders whether he'd pull an Archie Manning and ensure his son lands on a stable franchise.
He responded:
"Yeah, [I will], but I'm not going to do it publicly. I'll do it privately." [From 0:28]
The incident Johnson referred to happened in the 2004 NFL draft. The Los Angeles Chargers, then known as the San Diego Chargers, had the first overall pick and were keen on Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning.
However, his father, former NFL quarterback Archie, persuaded the team to refrain from drafting his son and told them that he wouldn't sign his rookie contract if the team took him.
The Chargers did not heed the warning and picked Eli first overall. As Archie promised, Eli refused to play for the team and a standoff ensued. The New York Giants ended the conflict by trading quarterback Phillip Rivers, whom they picked fourth overall, and three future draft picks.
Archie had the last laugh as the Giants won two Super Bowls with Eli, which Rivers spent 16 seasons with the Chargers and made it to the AFC Championship Game only once, losing to the New England Patriots.
Shedeur Sanders draft: Deion Sanders outlines expectation
Deion Sanders is willing to dissuade some teams from steering clear of Shedeur Sanders. However, he did give them a blueprint of what he expects from the franchise that lands the quarterback.
He said:
"[Shedeur will go to a team] that can handle the quarterback that he is. Somebody that can handle, understanding that what he's capable of, someone that has had success in the past handling quarterbacks, or someone in an organization understands what they're doing. Not just throwing you out there amongst the wolves." [From 1:08 to 1:26]
He claimed that he didn't expect the team to have the right pieces, but wanted them to present a persuasive plan:
"You don't have the support in the infrastructure of the team. Forget the [o] line. He's played with [o] lines that hadn't been great, but he's been able to do his thing. But just the infrastructure of the team and the direction of where we're going. He could deal with anything." [From 1:27 to 1:41]
Convincing Deion and landing Shedeur is going to be an arduous chore and it remains to be seen who wins the sweepstakes for the quarterback.