Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders promises to be one of the premier passers available in the 2025 NFL draft, but all signs point toward his father, Deion Sanders, turning him into far from the usual prospect.
The Hall of Fame cornerback, who now serves as head coach at Colorado, said on a podcast in March that “certain cities ain’t gonna happen” for his son and “it’s going to be an Eli” if the wrong team tries to draft Shedeur.
That’s a reference to the 2003 NFL draft, when Eli Manning was picked by the San Diego Chargers, but he was soon traded to the New York Giants due to his refusal to play for the Chargers.
So where does Deion Sanders want his son to land? It sure sounds like he’s eyeing South Beach.
“What do you do business-wise if you’re the Dolphins?” Sanders asked Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson on a podcast earlier this week. “Do you take a quarterback, which is what I’m saying, or do you say, ‘Tua, let’s check this out, let’s see what we’re going to do.’ Is his health more important than that?”
When Johnson suggested “Shedeur to the Dolphins,” Deion Sanders said “So you just got the revelation, huh?” Sharpe then told Johnson it’s the only reason Sanders even brought up the Dolphins.
“Don’t tell him, Shannon. Let him think he just thought of it,” Sanders said.
Through five games this year, Shedeur Sanders has 14 passing touchdowns with three interceptions, as well as a rushing touchdown. In the latest mock from Draft Wire, Sanders is projected to go No. 21 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Three quarterbacks — Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Miami’s Cam Ward, and Georgia’s Carson Beck — landed in the top 20. The Dolphins were projected to take Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
Would the Dolphins even consider a quarterback? The most recent concussion suffered by Tua Tagovailoa raised serious doubts about his long-term future in the sport. However, the $212.4 million extension he signed in July may mean Miami isn’t inclined to move on from Tagovailoa until at least 2026 or beyond.
