Shedeur Sanders entered the draft process as a polarizing figure, carrying both the weight of expectations and the intense scrutiny that followed him throughout college.
Sanders slipped from projected first-round status all the way to Day 3, where the Cleveland Browns finally selected him.
The son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders signed a four-year rookie contract worth approximately $4 million and now faces the challenge of making the roster.
Recently, Sanders addressed the hate that has shadowed his career, offering insight into how he handles the negativity.
“They don’t care about other people’s opinion of you,” Sanders said. “They go based off their own. 99% of hatred (directed at me) is toward Pops. And then I’m just his son. … But (the kids) didn’t grow up in an era to where they watched him play … It‘s just the older generation that does it to me rather than the younger people. Because when I come in person, there’s no negativity I see. But it‘s all over online,” Sanders told Cleveland.com.
The New York Giants invested significant time evaluating Sanders during the pre-draft process. Their front office reportedly viewed him as potential first-round material.
However, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll shifted course and selected Jaxson Dart instead.
That decision prompted a strong response from Deion Sanders, who expressed frustration over what he considered false narratives about his son that contributed to the draft slide.
Sanders now enters a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland. He faces competition from veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
The depth chart presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the young quarterback looking to silence the doubters.
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