University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders didn’t mince words when asked on ESPN’s “First Take” if there was anything that would get him to jump from coaching in the college ranks to the NFL.
“Not whatsoever,” Sanders said. “What transpired with my son (Shedeur Sanders) last year, ain’t no way in the world. No, I don’t have a …”
Sanders trailed off and briefly paused before ending the conversation on that topic.
“Thank you, Lord,” Sanders said. “When I stop like that, that don’t mean I’m lost for words … that means God said, ‘You a head coach now, you can’t do that. You can’t talk like that, you can’t say that. I know you’re comfortable with your brothers here, but you can’t say that.’ ”
Sanders, who joined Stephen A. Smith, Cam Newton, Ryan Clark and Shae Cornette as a guest on the show ahead of the Super Bowl, talked earlier in the segment about the experience over the past year, which saw Shedeur drop to the fifth round in the NFL Draft, begin the season as a third-string quarterback and finish the season starting the final seven games for the Cleveland Browns.
“It was a tough year (for the Sanders family),” Sanders said. “We didn’t fault him. We didn’t doubt. We didn’t back up off that thing. We stood there and we fought, man. And we’re back. This year, in 2026, is ours. We’re going to dominate this year, from the top to the bottom.”
The past year featured many storylines surrounding the younger Sanders after he completed his collegiate career, during which he played quarterback for his father’s teams at Jackson State and Colorado.
During the pre-draft process, there was criticism about how Shedeur interviewed with prospective teams ahead of the NFL Draft. After the draft began, there was a prank call to Shedeur, who was taking in the draft with his family. There were narratives surrounding Shedeur’s relationship with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, both when he began the season as the third-string quarterback behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel and when he finally got on the field.
In the first month of the season, reports also came out that Shedeur and his camp avoided being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders went 3-4 in his seven starts as a rookie, throwing seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement to put a bow on his NFL rookie season. He enters his first full NFL offseason with a new head coach in Todd Monken and a potential battle to be the starting quarterback in Cleveland.
