Even before joining the league, Shedeur Sanders was always closely linked to his father, Deion. When Shedeur was signed to the Cleveland Browns, fans expected that link to follow him.
Sure enough, there is a lot of conversation about Shedeur’s relationship with his father and how it influences him.
While recently speaking with the press, the Browns quarterback opened up about how his dad influences him and how much he has always demanded of him.
“During the game and everything, I always hear his voice…His expectation for me is the highest. That’s where playing for him my whole life made it easier to play anywhere else… He’s hard on me.”
#Browns QB Shedeur Sanders on the expectations his father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, has for him:
“During the game, I always hear his voice. His expectation for me is the highest. That’s where made playing for him my whole life made it easy to play anywhere else. He’s hard on… pic.twitter.com/KLktEb8ph4
— Ashly Holder (@AshNoelleTV) December 10, 2025
Shedeur was lucky enough to be coached by his dad in college. While that might be a tough situation for many young athletes, he is happy he got to experience it because his father pushed him hard and only accepted the very best.
Because he was guided by his dad while at Colorado, Shedeur feels he can play anywhere in the NFL. And the sort of work ethic and determination that he saw as a kid and in college is the same kind he is bringing to Cleveland.
There are some fans who feel that Shedeur’s dad has overshadowed him during his young NFL career. The expectations were too high, they say, while others claim he received extra attention because of his last name.
But Shedeur has recently shown a lot of great and undeniable progress and has come into his own. The shadow and influence of his father is still there, of course, but the Browns star is beginning to move past that.
Shedeur is thankful for his father and feels he wouldn’t be the player he is now without him. But he’s ready to make his own name for himself, and the last few weeks suggest he can.
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