Deion Sanders Once Warned QBs to Dodge the Browns—Now His Son Is a Brown

Shedeur Sanders’ NFL dream finally got a zip code: Cleveland. The Browns traded up in the fifth round to grab the former Colorado star, ending Shedeur’s agonizing wait and launching a new chapter in the Dawg Pound. His response? A simple and heartfelt "Thank you GOD"—sometimes, all-caps says it best.

But as soon as Shedeur’s name was called, the internet got busy digging up old tweets—specifically, a 2018 post from his dad, Deion Sanders. Deion, aka "Coach Prime," once told young quarterbacks in no uncertain terms: if you’re drafted by the Browns, do your best Eli Manning impression and get out of there. Oops.

Back in 2004, Eli Manning famously forced a trade away from the Chargers, and Deion seemed to suggest his own son should pull the same move if the Browns came knocking. Fast forward to now, and Shedeur is suiting up for the very team his dad told him to avoid. The irony here is thicker than Cleveland’s winter snow.

Deion later clarified he wouldn’t “orchestrate” anything for his son, saying he wanted Shedeur to shine against the odds—and let’s be honest, there are plenty of odds in that Cleveland quarterback room. Shedeur joins a crowded QB roster: Deshaun Watson (dealing with another Achilles injury), Joe Flacco (freshly reunited with the Browns), Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel. Talk about quarterback bingo.

Adding to the family’s colorful online history, Deion predicted last May that Shedeur would be a top-five pick. Instead, he slid all the way to the fifth round, with the Browns passing on him in the third round in favor of Gabriel. The internet was quick to slap a note on Deion’s old post: "Shedeur Sanders was not a top 5 draft pick." The digital world never forgets, does it?

Shedeur comes to Cleveland after a big season, racking up over 4,100 passing yards in 2024. Despite the draft-day drama and a crowded depth chart, he’s got a shot to prove himself—especially with Watson expected to miss all of 2025. Maybe this “chip on the shoulder” Deion loves talking about will finally pay off, Browns-style.