Shedeur Sanders entered the NFL surrounded by enormous hype. As the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and a standout quarterback at Colorado, many believed he could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns selected him—a move that shocked fans and analysts alike.
Now, NFL legend Eric Dickerson claims the slide wasn’t by accident. Speaking on the Roggin and Rodney Show on AM 570 LA Sports, Dickerson alleged that league executives intentionally discouraged teams from drafting Sanders. “What I heard from someone in the NFL [was] that the NFL told teams ‘don’t draft him, do not draft him,’” Dickerson said. “We’re going to make an example out of him. And this came from a very good source.”
Dickerson even suggested that the Browns only drafted Sanders after receiving a phone call instructing them to do so. “Somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said, ‘don’t do that, draft him,’” Dickerson explained. “They were forced into drafting him because somebody made a call to them.”
The alleged conspiracy, which some have dubbed the “Deion Factor,” points to concerns that Sanders’ father and former coach might have influenced where his son wanted to play. However, not everyone is buying into Dickerson’s theory. NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated pushed back on the idea during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“I think the great majority of NFL teams did not view him as a first-round prospect contrary to what had been out there for the year previous,” Breer said.
On the field, Sanders has shown flashes of potential during the preseason, including a strong performance against the Carolina Panthers where he threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. But an oblique injury has since slowed his progress, leaving veteran quarterback Joe Flacco as the favorite to start Week 1 for Cleveland.
Whether Dickerson’s claims prove to be true or not, Sanders faces an uphill climb. He’s not only fighting for a starting role, but also battling the weight of lofty expectations tied to his last name. For now, all eyes remain on Cleveland to see if Shedeur Sanders can quiet the doubters—and prove he belongs at the highest level.
Source: YouTube
