Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback and son of NFL icon Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, found himself in the middle of a tempest of headlines this June, and not for his on-field performance. Within a matter of weeks, police stopped and charged Shedeur twice for speeding: once for supposedly going 91 mph in a 65 mph zone on June 5, and again on June 17 for supposedly reaching 101 mph in a 60 mph zone outside Cleveland. The second incident, captured on police bodycam, sparked rumors about Shedeur’s personal life after a woman named Jasmine Hammond was mentioned driving the vehicle, drawing more focus to the young quarterback’s personal life.

In the meantime, Deion Sanders—never one to be shy of standing up for his kids—has also been vocal with his support, both in interviews and on social media. Earlier this month, in June, Deion shared a post on Instagram to counter the negative stories regarding Shedeur’s character and professionalism. “A young man who has never been in trouble, never involved in an off-field incident, & quarterbacked two Universities to a resurgence has 0 behind-the-scenes qualities?” And once again, we receive another update from the socials of Coach Prime supporting his son.

“Let’s finish strong! Let’s finish, but not only finish, let’s complete the assignment in a way that others admire & respect. To finish, u must. Complete everything and be strong at the finish, which means you condition and prepare for the task. I believe in u, baby. Let’s Go!” Deion posts. Coach Prime, as fans endearingly refer to him, has noticeably stayed away from the limelight of late, and a wave of concern swept through fans and the Colorado football community. Having skipped important off-season activities—far out of character for the lively, camera-friendly coach—speculation about his health ran rampant. Deion is quietly on the mend, meanwhile, but his son, Shedeur Sanders, has made headlines of his own.

Deion’s son’s defense has not swayed. While he is fighting health issues, Deion has utilized his platform to vindicate his son’s professionalism and character. Others, such as Jason Whitlock, have criticized Deion for making Shedeur “clickbait,” claiming that the family’s Well Off Media channel, which chronicles their lives in high definition, blows every error out of proportion into a national event. “When you are Deion and you turn your son into clickbait, when you film everything through Well Off Media and turn your son and your whole name into a brand to be exploited on social media, this is what goes along with it,” Whitlock said. After all the public scrutiny, Shedeur has finally spoke concerning his actions.

Shedeur Sanders’ redemption

Shedeur clocked a scorching 101 mph in a 60 mph zone, exceeding the limit by an unprecedented 41 mph. The consequence of this infraction came swiftly. Fans and critics alike filled social media to the brim with outrage as they condemned Shedeur for his perceived recklessness. Some fans had no reservations about declaring, “He could’ve killed someone,” illustrating the severity of speeding at such outrageous rates. The Browns organization acted very swiftly regarding the issue, with team officials affirming that they had contacted Shedeur and that he was “taking care of the tickets”.

Fanning the flames, Shedeur skipped a scheduled court appearance for his first ticket, only to receive another citation the following day. The story around him began to change from promising rookie to individual making dubious off-field choices. They turned up the heat, and so did the scrutiny. Then, Shedeur finally spoke out on Instagram. In an unusual moment of vulnerability, he wrote, “I’ve made some wrong choices, I can own up to it…I learn from them.” He stood up for his mistakes and faced the criticism head-on.

The post was straightforward. Shedeur, who was once pegged as a potential first-round selection, now competes for reps behind journeymen and other rookies. His off-field problems haven’t assisted his situation, but they haven’t shattered his NFL aspiration either—at least not yet. Shedeur Sanders is in the microscope as of now. Everything he does, both on and off the field, is inspected.