Stephen Jackson has never been one to mince words. Recently, he made it clear that he has no patience for ‘analysts’ telling young athletes how to act or handle themselves. Shedeur Sanders’ not-so-usual behavior at a post-game interview drew heavy attention. Weirdly, it was because the youngster said absolutely nothing. Was he trying to beat certain clickbait headlines, sometimes nonsensical? Maybe. Did he succeed? Argh.

Jackson made his stance clear via the All The Smoke podcast’s social media handle. “I just saw on Instagram that Dan Orlovsky and Stephen A. Smith trying to tell Shedeur how he should respond, how he should act to get on the floor. Like, are y’all talking to the Browns? Or the President of the team or organization telling you how what he should do? No! Success does not have a dress code bro. You can’t tell somebody what success looks like, especially if you haven’t had success in that space,” the former NBA star said.

He directly addressed Shedeur Sanders, saying, “Nobody can tell you how to respond, how to act, or how to feel about things. That’s you. You respond how you want to. What you don’t do is let people dictate who you are, and how you respond, and tell you what success looks like. Success looks a billion different ways, bro. And people that’s never had success in things that they talk about cannot tell you what it look like.”

Stephen Jackson pointed to Dan Orlovsky’s lack of success at the professional level, and in case you were wondering, he has a 2-10 record in games he started. And the reason I’m not saying too much about Stephen A. Smith… well, you’d rather see for yourself.

Smith, known for his jaw-dropping takes, was instead a bit on the calmer side for this one. He opened by saying he wouldn’t “overreact” and then dismissed the notion that Shedeur Sanders was “immature.”

“I’m just gonna say that he has to know that other people are going to look at him and consider that immature. I think that he can play, I think that he’s a leader. I think that a lot is prejudged when it comes to him. I think it’s unfair,” Stephen A. Smith judgmentally said.

Orlovsky, on the other hand, had a far more scathing opinion: “Did that 30 or 40 seconds help you in your own building when it comes to what they think you can be in the future? And did you help yourself outside of your own building? There’s 64 jobs, essentially, at that spot in the NFL. Did that 30 or 40 seconds help you at all when it comes to your future there or your future elsewhere?”

The analyst just wanted Shedeur Sanders to display vocal positivity and serve up the ‘I am going to push harder’ line to the media after Dillon Gabriel was named the starting quarterback for Week 5’s game. The Browns’ depth chart now has Gabriel listed first, Flacco second, and Sanders third.

Considering Flacco’s struggles, though, the Cleveland side might still want him around to fill in when needed. After all, having 195 career starts and a Super Bowl does hold weight. We no longer know the extent of his role, though. Should it just be mop-up duty, then Sanders might have an actual shot at making it.

Stephen Jackson’s message isn’t limited to this moment. He is defending a broader principle: that confidence, authenticity, and belief in young Black athletes are essential for navigating scrutiny. The media will continue doing what they deem fit as ‘their job’. Jackson’s encouragement to stay true to oneself while ignoring critics who try to fit them into a mold is an inspiring piece and is sure to instill confidence in others who see it. This is a pattern we’ve seen before.

Stephen Jackson Backed Shedeur Sanders Despite Draft Day Shock

For months leading up to the 2025 NFL draft, Shedeur Sanders was viewed as an upper-tier potential QB, with dazzling stats: over 14,000 passing yards, 134 touchdowns, and a 70.1% completion rate. Many, including his Hall-of-Fame father Deion, predicted that he would be picked up in the first round at the very minimum, making his slide to the fifth round all the more shocking.

Amid the surprise and confusion, Stephen Jackson came to the defense of Shedeur Sanders, who, in his view, was being kicked while he was down. Though he didn’t mention him by name, the message was clear. “They hate to see confident n—–. When you Black and you confident, you know where you come from, you know who you are, you know what you can do, and you don’t need nobody to pat you on the back to give you the confidence, they hate it,” Jackson said, highlighting how confidence perceived as arrogance is seen as a result of not conforming to expectations.

Despite the long wait, Sanders and his family persevered. They posted Bible verses as the draft went on, keeping themselves above the noise. When Shedeur was finally selected at #144 by the Browns, the family’s celebration on his Twitch went viral, and they kept hope alive that Shedeur’s journey is far from over.

The question is, do you think Sanders can make it?