Shedeur Sanders found himself at the center of another controversy this week, but this time it wasn’t about his play on the field. ESPY host Shane Gillis took aim at the Colorado quarterback’s legacy, joking that his number was retired at Colorado “not because of nepotism” but because “he went 13-12 over his career and almost won the Alamo Bowl.”
Can Shedeur Sanders Overcome the ‘Nepotism’ Narrative in Cleveland?
Digging a little deeper, Gillis quipped, “Definitely not nepotism, right?”
The jab, aimed squarely at the son of Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, drew laughs and renewed public scrutiny of Shedeur’s path to the NFL. While critics continue to point out his foibles in the pre-draft process, the younger Sanders must now let his arm do the talking in the Cleveland Browns training camp.
The jokes Shane Gillis made about Shedeur Sanders and Caitlin Clark at the ESPYs was solid gold pic.twitter.com/iwbOeFJweI
— Garrett Savage (@GarrettWSavage) July 17, 2025
The controversy surrounding Sanders runs deeper than comedy show punchlines. As a controversial pick in April’s draft, Sanders endured anonymous reports that he was disrespectful, brash, and unprofessional during pre-draft meetings. He went from being considered a top-five pick in December 2024 to being drafted in the fifth round as the 144th pick, marking one of the most spectacular public draft devaluations in recent memory.
Beyond the alleged personal differences with NFL talent evaluators, questions remained about his arm talent and ability to avoid pressure. Sanders was sacked 52 times in his senior year at Colorado.
However, while Sanders is not considered to have a big arm, he was one of the most accurate passers in the draft. He boasted a career completion percentage of 70.1%, with 1267 passes completed out of 1808 in college. That precision has translated to some positive moments during Cleveland’s organized team activities and minicamp.
What Are Sanders’ Chances of Making the Browns’ Roster?
Despite showing flashes of promise in OTAs and minicamp, Sanders is still speculated to be buried on the Browns’ depth chart at quarterback while still fighting to get first-team reps.
Sanders’ college credentials tell a compelling story. He won the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns at Colorado. His No. 2 jersey was retired earlier this year, fueling the nepotism narrative.
The situation becomes more complex in Cleveland. Sanders is part of a crowded quarterback room where he finds himself behind Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and an ascendant Dillon Gabriel.
Whether Sanders will make the roster remains uncertain. With only three quarterbacks likely to make the active roster, Sanders will need a strong training camp, impressive intra-squad scrimmages, and even stronger preseason showings to secure a roster spot.
The Browns open their exhibition season on August 8 against the Carolina Panthers, giving Sanders his first real opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.