Shedeur Sanders is ready to pass on the Olympics, and he’s got good reason. Though the Paris Summer Olympics just wrapped up and the vibes are still buzzing across all sports, the Buffaloes quarterback has decided to snub it all.

Well, the Olympic fame and even a gold medal aren’t worth the risk for him. And that risk? Injury, of course—a nightmare for any athlete, and Shedeur’s no different.

For football fans, the 2028 Olympics will be special, with flag football making its debut. But don’t expect to see Shedeur on the roster. He made his stance clear during the August 27th episode of the ‘2Legendary with Shedeur Sanders’ podcast, where his brother, Deion Sanders Jr., asked if he’d want to join the Olympics flag football team. Shedeur’s answer was a flat-out no, with one simple explanation: “Because bro, you could get injured, bro.”

Deion Jr. even tried to sweeten the deal by saying, “But you could be a gold medalist. There’s no gold medalist for football players.” But Shedeur wasn’t having it. He responded, “I don’t like that bro. Then you just had a full season.”

And honestly, it makes sense. Playing in the Olympics and then diving right into the pro season would be grueling for any athlete. Even though flag football is less intense and non-contact, it can still take a toll on the body. And Shedeur isn’t willing to risk muscle soreness or injuries that could affect his regular season.

After facing setbacks last year, Shedeur & Co. are cautious about avoiding an injury-filled season. 

Shedeur Sanders’ injury saga to end

Shedeur Sanders and his Buffs had a rough 4-8 season last year. But the real nightmare wasn’t that, it was the injuries to their key players. Travis Hunter, their coveted two-way phenom, missed three games after a life-threatening hit from CSU’s Henry Blackburn. And for Shedeur Sanders it’s equally worse. He was the most sacked player in college football, going down 52 times last year! It got so bad that he had to rely on pain-numbing injections just to keep playing.

His QB coach, Mike Sanford, couldn’t help but praise Shedeur’s ‘toughness.’ Speaking to DNVR Sports last month, Sanford recalled, “In the Washington State game, he was like a walking wounded… He sounded like he had a spiral microfracture or something in his back.” But because of this injury, Shedeur had to miss the Utah matchup, which the Buffs lost 23-17.

But things are likely to change this season for good. Coach Prime has brought in a group of massive O-linemen, all over 6 foot 3 and 300 pounds, to protect his ‘often-hit’ QB son. Deion Sanders is also taking extra precautions to keep his star players safe, especially before the season opener. During fall practice, he gave a clear warning to the team: “Do not get near the QB and leave Travis alone.” Well, let’s see if these precautions pay off this season.