{"id":239930,"date":"2026-04-23T13:32:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T13:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/23\/coach-prime-still-holds-a-grudge-deion-sanders-boycotting-2026-nfl-draft-over-last-years-rejection-of-shedeur\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T13:32:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T13:32:52","slug":"coach-prime-still-holds-a-grudge-deion-sanders-boycotting-2026-nfl-draft-over-last-years-rejection-of-shedeur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/23\/coach-prime-still-holds-a-grudge-deion-sanders-boycotting-2026-nfl-draft-over-last-years-rejection-of-shedeur\/","title":{"rendered":"Coach Prime still holds a grudge: Deion Sanders boycotting 2026 NFL Draft over last year's rejection of Shedeur"},"content":{"rendered":"

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T<\/span>he NFL<\/a><\/strong> Draft is typically a celebration of opportunity, but for Deion Sanders<\/strong>, it remains a reminder of what he believes went wrong.<\/p>\n

Speaking to students during a recent session at Colorado<\/strong>, the Buffaloes<\/strong> head coach delivered a candid admission that underscored just how much last year’s draft still affects him. <\/p>\n

What began as a discussion about leadership and life lessons quickly turned toward football’s biggest offseason event.<\/p>\n

“They got the draft coming up, right?” Sanders<\/strong> said. “I’m still angry about last year’s draft, so I’m not even watching.”<\/p>\n

The comment drew laughter in the room, but the message was unmistakable. Nearly a year after Shedeur Sanders<\/a><\/strong> unexpectedly slid to the fifth round, the disappointment has not faded.<\/p>\n

A draft night that changed expectations<\/h2>\n

Heading into the 2025 NFL<\/strong> Draft, Shedeur<\/strong> was widely viewed as one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects available. <\/p>\n

After helping transform both Jackson State<\/strong> and Colorado<\/strong>, he entered the process with significant momentum and confidence. That confidence was evident in his own assessment of what he could bring to an NFL<\/strong> franchise.<\/p>\n

“We went from Jackson State<\/strong> to Colorado<\/strong> and changed two programs back-to-back,” Shedeur<\/strong> said before the draft. “You don’t think I could come to an NFL<\/strong> franchise and change a program again?”<\/p>\n

Yet the outcome told a different story. Instead of hearing his name called early, Shedeur<\/strong> remained on the board until the Cleveland Browns<\/strong> selected him with the No. 144 overall pick. The slide quickly became one of the most talked-about developments of the draft.<\/p>\n

Reports at the time pointed to concerns from teams about his pre-draft interviews, with some evaluators questioning his approach in meetings. <\/p>\n

Others viewed his confidence differently, interpreting it as arrogance. Whether fair or not, those perceptions appeared to influence his draft position.<\/p>\n

For the Sanders<\/strong> family, the disappointment extended beyond the field. The draft unfolded during a challenging personal period, with Deion Sanders<\/strong> dealing with significant health concerns while also navigating the pressures of building a program at Colorado<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Adding to the frustration, Shedeur<\/strong>‘s brother, Shilo Sanders<\/strong>, also went undrafted, compounding what became a difficult stretch for the family.<\/p>\n

Despite the setback, Shedeur<\/strong> has since begun carving out his role in the NFL<\/strong>, earning opportunities within a competitive quarterback room and working to reshape the narrative surrounding his career.<\/p>\n

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