Everyone biting their nails over Shedeur Sanders being overlooked in the first four rounds of the NFL draft can relax now; the Cleveland Browns picked up Sanders in round five.
Thank you GOD
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 26, 2025
As we reported earlier, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman sounded the alarm on Sanders being passed over in the first rounds of the draft, saying it was because "America continues to fear strong black men who come from means and have a strong sense of themselves."
That was a bad take, but ESPN's Stephen A. Smith had one that was even worse. He'd received a text on Friday claiming that Sanders being passed over felt like "Colin Kaepernick-level collusion" on the part of the NFL. "They are absolutely correct," Smith posted.
Someone just texted me this message and they are absolutely correct: “This is a bad look for the NFL. This feels like Kaepernick-level collusion.” All the hard work the NFL League Office puts in to eradicate these kinds of perceptions, only to turn around and watch as the OWNERS…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 26, 2025
… look like they’re colluding, messing up everything. What has been done to Shedeur will outshine everything else in this draft. We’ll never believe this is about just talent evaluation again.
So are the owners colluding, or does it just look like they're colluding, and was Kaepernick actually the victim of collusion, or is that just his conclusion?
Shedeur Sanders: - Refused to work out at the combine - Absolutely bombed interviews - Told teams not to draft him if they weren’t ready to change their franchise & culture This isn’t collusion. Teams just don’t want him because he expects to run the organization from day one
— Legion of Orange (@SnapAgainThanos) Apr 25, 2025
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Journalist Tom Pelissero seems to agree with that conclusion:
NEW: Journalist Tom Pelissero details Shedeur Sanders' attitude issues, says an NFL coach told him that his interview with Sanders was the worst formal interview he ever had.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 26, 2025
Sanders also was allegedly dictating to teams "how he wanted things to go."
The comment comes as many… pic.twitter.com/X2pNUKP3hQ
… are accusing the NFL of being racist for not picking Sanders in the first 3 rounds.
"Throughout the pre-draft process, Shedeur Sanders very much proceeded as if he was dictating to clubs where he was going to go rather than how the draft works, which is the other way around."
"Some of his formal interviews did not go well. An assistant coach told me, in all his years, it was the worst formal interview he'd ever been through."
"People said that Shedeur was trying to dictate how he wanted things to go and made them feel small."
Maybe, as with Kaepernick, teams just didn't want the extra baggage that came along with the player.
The first pick in the draft was a black QB. The second pick in the draft was a black CB/WR. The third pick in the draft was a black LB. Perhaps teams don't want the Sanders Circus in the locker room, and rightly so.
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) Apr 25, 2025
He’s not that good man.
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) April 26, 2025
It has nothing to do with race. It’s a bad look for all of you who over hyped his talent.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) Apr 25, 2025
It’s all a giant conspiracy to not draft talented players 😫
— Casey (@C4SEY85) Apr 25, 2025
Collusion? How about the circus wasn't worth the asking price for a backup quarterback. Makes perfect sense.
— IndySpanglish (@IndySpanglish) Apr 25, 2025
This isn't about race. It's about the NFL not wanting the headache that comes with the Sanders circus. His talent doesn't justify the outside noise.
— Logan Shoulders (@lolo33961) Apr 25, 2025
No one wanted the headache. Kaepernick compared the draft to a slave auction in his Netflix special, yet still wanted to be signed by the NFL. No team wants to deal with that.
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