Skip Bayless’ ‘Special’ Tag Does Little as Shedeur Sanders Becomes a Target Again

Craving more football drama ahead of the new season? Then the Shedeur Sanders debate is the one dominating timelines. Once projected as a first-rounder, Sanders instead slid to the fifth round, 144th overall, sparking debate over whether it was undervaluation, nepotism backlash, or just bad luck. Now sitting third on the Browns’ depth chart, fans and analysts are split. While some believe he is a rising star in the making who will prove doubters wrong, others call him unprepared, pointing to his playbook struggles and decision-making.

Amidst this, Skip Bayless has once again ignited debate, this time by branding Shedeur Sanders a “special” quarterback. Underdog posted the clip on X, writing, “@RealSkipBayless thinks Shedeur Sanders is a special QB (Via @ArenaGridiron).”

In a back-and-forth exchange dissecting Sanders’ NFL future, Bayless has given his opinions, pushing back the skepticism, saying, “I’m saying he’s special!” Bayless argued, “Can he be a starter in this league? Yes. Well, if you could be a starter in the league, you damn special. There are only 32 of them in the world.”

Bayless has doubled down repeatedly, arguing that Sanders “in any draft would still be a first-rounder.” And, after Sanders’ preseason debut with the Browns, securing 14 of 23, 138 yards, two touchdowns, he tore into the NFL for letting him fall to the fifth round. But that belief has come with fire directed at others.

In lieu of this, Bayless has blasted Browns coach Kevin Stefanski as “trash” for pulling Sanders late in a preseason game. He even accused the team of “sabotaging” the rookie and even suggested a trade was in order. Bayless even bought Tom Brady, who once mentored Sanders and part-owns the Raiders, into the ambit of the conversation, saying he steered Las Vegas away from drafting him.

Bayless tweeted back in May 2025, writing, “It is now pretty clear Tom Brady… told the Raiders NOT to take Shedeur. Duly noted.” Yet, as much as Bayless is willing to elevate him, the pushback hasn’t stopped. In the recent clip, the panel quickly highlighted the weight of the Sanders name.“If his name is Shadeur Johnson, do we care if he’s a fifth-round pick to start? No,” one countered.

He noted how expectations have heightened because he is Deion Sanders’ son. On panelist bluntly added, “In the NFL, if you’re drafted in the fifth round, you take the reps we give you. I don’t care if your last name is Sanders.”

From the outside, it is clear why fans remain divided despite Bayless’ backing. There is a lingering doubt about whether Sanders can be more than just a starter. Compared to NFL elites Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson, Sanders still has much to prove.

Fans react against Shedeur Sanders’ “special status”

Not everyone is buying into Skip Bayless’ “special” label for Shedeur Sanders, and fans wasted no time making their feelings known online. One X user put it bluntly: “Sanders is and will be a bust, Big, selfish guy.” Another fired back simply with, “He ain’t,” showing how split the fanbase already is on the young quarterback’s future.

Others were more colorful in their takes. “That chip is just getting bigger and bigger. Neph’s shoulder is going to be dragging on the ground by the time he hits the field. I can’t wait to see it,” one of the fans wrote. Meanwhile, another fan criticized Sanders’ fundamentals, saying, “He hasn’t even learned the playbook. He doesn’t do a check down or throws it out of bounds if his life depended on it.”  Some fans don’t see him as a potential franchise QB, but as someone destined to flame out before proving anything.

And of course, Bayless wasn’t spared either as a fan took a shot directly at the analyst, asking, “Does he get money every time he mentions Deion’s son’s name or something. This is why no one watched Skip anymore. He’s a f—— idiot lol.” That mix of critique aimed at Sanders and at Bayless shows how polarizing this entire conversation has become.