The quarterback who has their name on the stadium at Boulder is playing backup behind the most unpopular quarterback prospect in years. Suffice to say it isn’t a good year for Shedeur who did not get the starting role at Cleveland, which went to Deshaun Watson, the man throwing interceptions to third stringers in the preseason against Buffalo. But the blowback has not been only about his play. In fact, his brother feels there may be prejudice involved.

On August 23, Shilo streamed his day on his YouTube channel. During the stream, Shilo was asked why there is so much hate directed at the Sanders family throughout the league, to which he had a single answer.

“No, bro. I don’t know, fam. I like to say it’s not racism, but bro, it’s something, gang. It’s some evil spirit that be just displaying, bro, all the time. I don’t know what it is. But it’s really wicked. And you can see it a lot, just how people just react to Shedeur. Like, now that I’m not playing, I could just see everything from a different perspective. I could see it clearly, bro,” said Shilo Sanders.

While his friend, who asked him the question, assured him that most people only call them out because they have achieved a lot in their lives and certainly done too much for their age, Shilo Sanders doubled down on that as well, saying that as long as the criticism is limited to sports, he can take it.

“Like, I don’t care if people talk about sports, but it’s different whenever it goes into, like, personal life and stuff in that category. And I see that a lot, bro,” said Shilo Sanders.

The Sanders family has found itself embroiled in controversies few could have imagined. Deion Sanders’ Colorado tenure started with immense media coverage as he faced accusations of nepotism when taking over as the head coach. Even Shedeur saw his stock drop before the NFL Draft. They have weathered one storm after another. But this is a story of resilience that started decades ago.

Deion Had To Create The Alter Ego

During his time at Florida State University in the 1980s, Sanders came as a multi-sport superstar in football, baseball, and track. However, his flashiness often overshadowed his historic athletic achievements in the eyes of the media. But there was a point to the outfit and the performance.

He openly admitted he created the alter ego “Prime Time” because he realized defensive backs were undervalued and underpaid. To get noticed, he wore flashy jewelry, drove a customized car, and spoke with supreme confidence.

When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Sanders 5th overall in 1989, his arrival coincided with a rigid NFL culture that expected players, particularly Black athletes, to remain humble, quiet, and deferential to the front office. But Deion balked at that expectation.

He openly prioritized financial compensation and routinely engaged in prolonged contract disputes, complained about being underpaid. He even famously released a music video called Must Be the Money. Media critics framed this as greed and a lack of character.

All of this looks tame in comparison to today where athletes routinely engage in such behavior of bravado. It was Deion who broke that path for them. But the difference was that back then, he could always back it up with production on the field. Now, for the first time, the Sanders clan is underwhelming their fans and their critics.

The Downturn

“So I want y’all to get ready to go ahead and jump in the portal and do whatever you’re gonna get because if more of you jump in, the more room you make,” said Deion Sanders to a room full of CU Buffs football players when he took charge of the team.

While Shedeur earned his spot and Shilo benefited from limited options, the family still faced heavy criticism.

Fairly recently, Shilo Sanders faced backlash after he criticized Cleveland Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot for reporting that the Browns would have Deshaun Watson as the starting QB over Shedeur Sanders. Shilo basically told her to “go make him a sandwich.”

While the family keeps getting called out for several reasons, father Deion Sanders believes people can call them out for anything, but they seldom care.

“All the scrutiny, the hate, and the drama that surrounds the Sanders family, we don’t care,” Sanders said in a Well Off Media video. “I’m so proud of my kids.”

All of this now comes off as crude and mean. It was one thing for an underdog to flash his talents and speak truth to power all those decades ago. But Deion and his family are basically football royalty now. This kind of behavior is not going to be received well, regardless of skin color.

Shedeur Sanders’ Week 1 hopes take a hit as Browns make their call

After months of anticipation, Todd Monken finally revealed who will start for the Cleveland Browns, with ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reporting that the team has chosen veteran Deshaun Watson as its starting quarterback for 2026.

Watson was favored to be the Browns’ starting QB for nearly half a year until training camp arrived, when Sanders began outperforming him time and time again. Not only did the young QB have a better completion rate, but he also threw fewer interceptions, leading many to believe that he was nearing his peak.

Deshaun Watson’s promotion to Cleveland’s starting quarterback may not sit well with fans. In the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards without a touchdown or interception, while Shedeur Sanders went 6-of-11 for 79 yards with one interception.

In their second game against the Bills, Watson was severely booed by the fans as he fared worse than Sanders. The young QB started the game, completing 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Watson, meanwhile, completed just 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and threw an interception.