The 2025 NFL Draft witnessed one of the biggest shocks in its recent history when Shedeur Sanders, a quarterback projected to be a top-five pick, inexplicably tumbled out of the opening rounds, not even hearing his name called in the first three. The event not only stunned experts but also ignited a firestorm of controversy surrounding fairness, ethics, and even explosive allegations of collusion within the league itself. NFL legend Tom Brady finally broke his silence, pointing to the real reasons players across the league “dislike” Shedeur Sanders, and Shedeur’s fiery response that followed has pushed his career to a perilous crossroads.

The Draft Day Disaster and Lingering Questions

Picture this: You are considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the NFL Draft. You’ve thrown for over 14,000 yards and 134 touchdowns in your college career, maintaining a stellar 71.8% completion rate. You are the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer and have been mentored by the greatest quarterback of all time. Mock drafts have you going as high as the second overall pick. Then, draft day arrives, and the unprecedented happens: you’re not selected in the first round. Or the second. Or the third. Or even the fourth. This is exactly what happened to Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, sparking one of the most controversial slides in recent memory.

However, the most shocking part was the reason why. According to multiple sources, including Tom Brady, the problem wasn’t Sanders’ elite stats. The real issue was off-the-field concerns: missed meetings, questionable professionalism, reckless spending, and constant controversy. This is precisely why players across the league began to resent him, seeing arrogance where there should have been humility.

Pre-Draft “Disasters”: Headphones, FaceTime, and a Rolls-Royce

The most damning evidence came from Sanders’ pre-draft interviews. Former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Brady Quinn described the process as an “absolute disaster,” alleging that Sanders wore headphones during meetings, answered FaceTime calls, and appeared completely unprepared for what should have been the most important job interviews of his life. Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, passionately defended his son, claiming the NFL was unfairly targeting him. He argued that a professional wouldn’t walk into a meeting with headphones on and that the accusations of unprofessionalism were part of a smear campaign.

However, scouts and executives already had plenty of concerns. Reports indicated Sanders skipped production meetings with media outlets, including one with former NFL player Ross Tucker before a Colorado-Colorado State game. He cited injury treatment as an excuse but offered no real explanation—a pattern many interpreted as a lack of respect for professional obligations. Then came an incident that truly stuck: Sanders was later spotted sitting in a pickup truck instead of attending a rescheduled meeting. To evaluators, it wasn’t just a missed appointment; it was a symbol of indifference toward the very process that would define his career.

Questions about Sanders’ priorities had surfaced even earlier. In September 2023, on an episode of Tom Brady’s “Let’s Go” podcast, Deion jokingly asked if a college kid like Shedeur needed a Rolls-Royce with all his NIL money. Brady’s response was swift. Half-joking but sharp, he made it clear where he thought Shedeur’s focus should be: “I think he needs to get his ass in the film room and spend as much time in there as possible. Less time in the car and more time in the film room.” That seemingly lighthearted advice would later be weaponized by critics as proof that even Brady, Sanders’ biggest supporter, had concerns about his priorities and work ethic.

A Lavish Lifestyle and Warnings Ignored

Brady’s concerns were not unfounded. The young quarterback’s spending habits had become legendary in college football circles, and not in a good way. Sanders’ substantial NIL earnings, reportedly around $6.5 million, allowed him to live a lifestyle most college athletes could only dream of. The problem wasn’t that he had money; it was how he chose to display that wealth. His luxury car collection alone was staggering: a Tesla Cybertruck, a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, and a Mercedes-EQB, among others. But it was rumors of an even more extravagant purchase that truly caught the attention of NFL scouts.

In May 2025, just after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns, a viral video appeared to show a custom olive-green Rolls-Royce Phantom, worth over $500,000, being delivered to the Sanders family estate. While the family later clarified the car was not Shedeur’s purchase, the initial perception damage was done. Critics pointed to the incident as further evidence of Sanders’ reckless spending and misplaced priorities.

But the luxury cars were just the tip of the iceberg. Sanders was also known for his expensive jewelry collection, including watches that cost more than most people’s annual salaries. His post-draft party featured Louis Vuitton bags filled with cash, creating optics that seemed tone-deaf given his draft slide and the criticism he already faced. When Tom Brady—someone who achieved unparalleled success through relentless dedication—suggested Sanders needed more time in the film room, it wasn’t just casual advice; it was a prophetic warning about misplaced priorities.

Off-Field Issues: Speeding and a “Difficult Attitude”

The off-field issues weren’t limited to spending habits. In June 2025, just weeks after being drafted, Sanders was cited twice for speeding in Ohio. The first was for driving 91 mph in a 65 mph zone, while the second was even more egregious, reportedly clocking speeds over 100 mph. These weren’t minor traffic infractions; they were examples of the kind of reckless decision-making NFL teams desperately try to avoid.

Deion Sanders, typically one of the most media-savvy figures in sports, seemed caught off guard by the intensity of the negative coverage. His attempts to defend Shedeur often backfired, with critics using his very involvement as evidence of the “circus” that would supposedly follow Sanders to any team that drafted him. The elder Sanders had good reason to be frustrated. The allegations seemed to fly in the face of Shedeur’s objectively observable character and work ethic. This was a quarterback who had successfully adapted to six different offensive coordinators in college, demonstrating both intelligence and flexibility, all while maintaining excellent academic standards.

But the damage was already done. By draft day, a narrative had been established: Sanders was a problematic prospect whose off-field issues outweighed his on-field accomplishments. This narrative was so pervasive and uniformly accepted across the NFL that it began to feel less like legitimate scouting and more like something else entirely.

Allegations of Collusion and “Making an Example”

The draft itself unfolded like a masterclass in institutional power. Team after team in desperate need of a quarterback passed on Sanders, often selecting players at other positions or QBs with less impressive college resumes. The message was clear: talent and production were secondary to attitude and cultural fit, as defined by the league’s power brokers.

The Las Vegas Raiders’ decision was perhaps the most shocking. Here was a team with Tom Brady as a minority owner, someone who had personally mentored Sanders. Yet, they passed on him eight times, including on three key opportunities. Brady’s response to questions was telling: defensive, frustrated, and almost too emphatic. His denial of involvement felt less like clarification and more like an attempt to distance himself from a decision he knew was wrong but couldn’t stop.

Meanwhile, the growing resentment from players and executives set the stage for one of the most explosive controversies in recent NFL history, complete with allegations of collusion and institutional manipulation. The whispers became roars when Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson appeared on AM570 LA Sports Radio. What Dickerson alleged was so damaging to the league’s integrity that it immediately overshadowed the draft itself.

“And I’ll tell you this much,” Dickerson said, “what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL… that the NFL told others, ‘Don’t draft him. We’re going to make an example out of him.’ And this came from a very good source.” The implications were staggering. If true, it meant the NFL had engaged in collusion—a coordinated effort to artificially suppress Sanders’ draft stock as a form of punishment. Dickerson went even further, suggesting the plan was to leave him undrafted as the ultimate humiliation, and that only a last-minute call to the Cleveland Browns secured his selection at all. The gravity of these accusations cannot be overstated.

The Cultural Clash and Racial Undertones

Dickerson wasn’t the only voice raising concerns. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith made his own explosive comments: “I know of owners who went to their personnel in the draft room and said, ‘You’re not drafting him.’ That’s what I was told, and I’ve been a reporter for 30 years.” This added another layer of credibility, suggesting the alleged collusion might have reached the highest levels of NFL organizations.

The pattern was deeply troubling. Multiple credible sources were suggesting Sanders’ draft slide wasn’t the result of legitimate football concerns but a coordinated effort to punish him and his family for their perceived transgressions against NFL culture. What were those transgressions? First was Deion Sanders’ hands-on approach, which rankled executives accustomed to deference. Second was Shedeur’s own reported behavior in pre-draft interviews, described by one coach as the worst he’d ever experienced.

The third issue was a broader cultural clash. The NFL prides itself on being a meritocracy rewarding hard work and humility. The Sanders family’s flashy, confident, media-savvy approach was seen by some as antithetical to these values. The irony, of course, was that many executives had no issue with wealthy prospects from other backgrounds. The difference, critics argued, was that Sanders was a confident, young Black man from a confident Black family, and his particular brand of swagger made some people uncomfortable. This racial component added another layer of complexity. Some commentators, including former Congressman Jamaal Bowman, argued Sanders’ slide reflected broader biases within the league against strong Black men who refuse to conform to traditional expectations.

The Aftermath and a Perilous Road Ahead

The human cost of the ordeal became apparent quickly. Deion Sanders was reportedly “devastated.” This wasn’t just professional disappointment; it was a father watching his son’s dreams be manipulated by forces beyond their control. But Shedeur himself responded with a maturity that defied the entitled narrative built around him, focusing graciously on the opportunity ahead.

His challenges, however, were just beginning. Even after being drafted, he faced an uphill battle in Cleveland, competing not just against other quarterbacks but against the established narrative about his character. The Browns’ decision to keep four quarterbacks, with Sanders ranked fourth, seemed to confirm they viewed him as a long-term project. In preseason games, he often played behind backup offensive linemen who were later cut, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy where any struggles could be blamed on his individual failings rather than the difficult situations he was placed in.

Tom Brady’s role throughout this saga has been particularly complex. As someone who experienced his own draft slide, his immediate outreach to Sanders showed character and empathy. But his position as a minority owner of the Raiders, a team that passed on Sanders multiple times, also raises uncomfortable questions. His inability to successfully advocate for Sanders suggests that even the greatest quarterback in history has limits when challenging entrenched organizational thinking.

The long-term consequences of the Sanders controversy are still unfolding. The young quarterback now faces the enormous challenge of proving himself worthy of an opportunity that arguably should have been his from the start. Every mistake will be scrutinized as proof that the teams who passed on him were right. Every success will be qualified by questions of what could have been. As Shedeur Sanders continues his journey, he carries not just his own ambitions, but the weight of a controversy that has exposed some of the NFL’s deepest contradictions and prejudices. Whether talent and determination can ultimately overcome institutional bias remains to be seen. One thing, however, is certain: his journey will continue to be one of the most closely watched and controversial storylines in the NFL for years to come.