The Sanders family just can’t seem to catch a break. Last week, Deion Sanders underwent a four-hour surgery to remove blood clots from his leg. Meanwhile, his son, Shedeur Sander, continues to wait for his NFL moment with the Cleveland Browns. And if the family wasn’t already under enough scrutiny, Deion Sanders Jr. just added fuel to the fire.

“No sympathy for any of them… cuz they didn’t have sympathy for us.” Deion Jr. posted on X on October 15. No names, no context, just a blunt message that set off waves of speculation. Fans immediately wondered if he was talking about the Browns? About the critics circling his dad and brother? Maybe both. Because if you’ve been watching Cleveland football lately, you’d know there’s plenty of sympathy to go around.

After a shaky run from veteran Joe Flacco, the Browns decided to roll the dice on rookie Dillon Gabriel. Two starts later, and it’s safe to say the experiment isn’t going well. The Oregon product’s Week 6 stat line read 52 pass attempts in a 23-9 loss to the Steelers. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders has been waiting 50 long days since his last preseason snap. The irony is that Gabriel’s number of pass attempts nearly matches Shedeur’s days on the sideline. The difference is one’s getting roasted on film, the other isn’t even getting a chance.

Veteran QB-turned-analyst Chase Daniel has a brutal take. “The offensive film that I just watched. It might’ve been the worst offensive film I have ever seen, and that’s putting it lightly,” he said. And while he was hesitant to call for Shedeur outright, the message was clear. The Browns’ current formula isn’t working. “Is Shedeur Sanders the answer? I don’t know. But they can’t keep doing this. This film was pretty bad.” At 1–5, the Browns have the worst offense in the league and lead the NFL in penalties (43). Yet, they continue to ignore their rookie QB with a first-round draft grade and a proven record of poise. Deion Sanders isn’t off to a great start either. 

In Boulder, Deion Sanders fights back

While the Browns sink deeper, Deion Sanders’ own team at Colorado has been fighting its own uphill battle. This season was supposed to test his coaching mettle, and so far, it’s done exactly that. After losing two stars to the NFL Draft, the Buffs stumbled out to a 3–4 record, dropping tough games against Georgia Tech and others. 

Even with surgery looming, Deion Sanders promised he’d be back immediately. “Prayerfully, I’ll be right back at practice tomorrow,” he said, brushing off his four-hour procedure like it was a sprained ankle. Days later, his Buffaloes rewarded that toughness with a 24–17 win over Iowa State. So, no sympathy? Fair enough. 

Whether it’s Cleveland’s chaos or Colorado’s grind, the Sanders name is still showing the world how to fight through adversity even when the scoreboard says otherwise.