Every young player dreams of making it to the NFL. But when your last name is Sanders and your father is Deion, the pressure doesn’t just get doubled, it multiplies. That’s the kind of situation Shedeur Sanders is in right now. The Colorado Buffaloes legend was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft with a $4.6M contract. However, he entered a quarterback room that is already stacked with names like Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson.

When you have a QB room like this, the competition gets fierce, the expectations become higher, and the margin of error? Almost nonexistent. Watson is recovering from an injury, and his status for the upcoming season is uncertain. But even after that, the Browns will have four QB options. And usually, most teams only keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. So, what does that mean? Someone’s going to be the odd man out. And the rumours suggest that it could be Shedeur Sanders.

Despite the criticism and accusations of being a “pageant mom” influence on his sons, Coach Prime remains unfazed. He’s determined to be there for his kids whenever they need him. True to form, Coach Prime has stepped in to support his sons and share an uplifting message: “I pray u make it through this Test & turn it into a Testimony! Your job, your relationship, your finances & your entire situation, I pray for it to become what u want it to be or that u find better, do better & live better. You deserve what u want & need. Believe!” Deion wrote on X. Although he didn’t mention Shedeur’s name anywhere in the tweet but fans were quick to get the hint.

Shedeur has featured in two seasons in college football, and both were as Colorado’s QB, under his father, Coach Prime. Who better than Deion knows his son’s ability? It now comes down to how well he takes his father’s advice and turns those into action.

Standing at 6 feet 1 inch and weighing around 212 pounds, Shedeur threw for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions over the last two years at Colorado. The Buffaloes had a terrible season in 2023 (4-8), which was also Coach Prime’s first stint as Colorado’s HC, but Shedeur was phenomenal and carried the squad on his shoulders and became the reason for those four wins. The team’s performance improved in 2024, and so did Shedeur, who comparatively performed better than he did in 2023. But even those numbers aren’t enough to solidify his place on the Cleveland Browns’ roster.

If not Cleveland, then where? Shedeur’s options remain open

It is being reported that Joe Flacco will be starting over Shedeur in week 1. That was a tough blow for Shedeur. And talents like him never want to see themselves warming the bench. Shedeur is the kind of player who has a hunger for numbers, titles, and many more things. So, it’s hard for him to just sit down in the dugout and wait for his turn. He’d rather find a new place where he can prove his worth and nurture his skills for the future, and most likely, he can end up in the CFL, as per reports.

Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Matthew Schmidt shed light on Shedeur’s situation with the Browns. “While there is no guarantee that Sanders will be a smashing success for the Browns right off the bat, it also seems incredibly hard to imagine the signal-caller heading to play football in Canada. Barring a drastic turn of events, it just isn’t happening.” Schmidt wrote. Although it’s too early to say that Shedeur is going to play in the CFL but if the NFL doesn’t work out right away, it’s a door that could eventually open.

“Right now, Sanders is battling with three other quarterbacks for the starting job in Cleveland, and he seems rather unlikely to be under center heading into Week 1. We all understand that. But it doesn’t mean that Sanders will suddenly be banished from the NFL,” Schmidt added. Shedeur’s father is an NFL legend, and he knows the importance of playing in the league. So it’s a bit dicey if he’s going to let his son shift to the CFL.

The current scenario suggests that Shedeur has a mountain of pressure on his head. Whether it’s about carrying his father’s legacy, fans’ expectations, or uncertainty about his own place on the roster, nothing’s on his side as of now. But he’s focused, silenced, and is hoping to weather this storm. The preseason will either break him or he will emerge stronger than ever.