With the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up three spots for former Colorado football two-way mega star Travis Hunter. The 2024 Heisman Trophy Award winner, Hunter, had an unprecedented season last year, enough so that Jacksonville parted with a handful of high-end picks to come up and secure Hunter’s draft rights. However, Hunter’s quarterback and fellow Big 12 All-American teammate, Shedeur Sanders, did not share the life-changing moment despite owning a first-round grade among most media platforms.
On Thursday, during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterbacks Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart went within the top 32 picks, not Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Although linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, each team opted to look elsewhere, leaving Sanders without a team after the event’s first day. With Sanders being the FBS all-time leader in career completion percentage, many fans believe the league “blackballed” the passer.
Former Colorado Football QB Receives Support From Fans
Last season, Colorado football quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for a conference-best 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the FBS in completion percentage. Sanders housed a top-15 NFL Draft grade for much of the season and off-season. However, Sanders took heat following a poor showing in the Alamo Bowl and opting to forgo throwing drills at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Instead of going in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders will have to wait until Friday evening to find his NFL home. Most notably, the New York Giants traded back into the first round on Thursday, selecting quarterback Jaxson Dart over Sanders. The exclusion of Sanders in the first round has many of his supporters up in arms, going as far as putting the NFL on blast for conspiring against the former Colorado passer:
Somebody tell Shedeur Sanders that the last QB the league didn’t believe in is a two time MVP pic.twitter.com/fyC1xoqFz2
— Mr. Ridiculous (@PBJordan87) April 25, 2025
Shedeur Sanders not getting drafted 1st round smell lil racist to me
— BIG FAZO🛡️ (@___fazo) April 25, 2025
I hope @DeionSanders realize that HBCU or not – these ppl will always hate a confident talented Black man. Going to Colorado and not staying at an HBCU didn't make ppl respect Shedeur more. It only made them hate him more and disrupt the HBCU movement. Stay where you're valued…
— Thee Dr. (@iam_herrrrr) April 25, 2025
Deion Sanders took Shedeur from Jackson State to Colorado to win Heisman and be drafted Top 5 pick…. only for them to hate him, quasi-blackball him, and call him cocky. This is America – them ppl want a meek docile black boy & not a confident talented empowered one.
— Thee Dr. (@iam_herrrrr) April 25, 2025
The fact that we’re watching shedeur sanders get blackballed from the NFL in real time is nasty work
— John (@iam_johnw) April 25, 2025
I do believe that the NFL colluded to humble Shedeur. Kinda feels like the same collusion they had going on when Lamar went on the market
— Pepé Silvia ⚜️ (@SlayYoung23) April 25, 2025
Shedeur was projected as the #1 overall pick the entire last 6 months, I think it’s pretty clear what happened here…
Deion & his kid are confident black men who rejected the NFL Draft system and the GMs/owners involved don’t take too kindly to that
— Blue Bloods Bias (@bluebloodsbias) April 25, 2025
The fact that we’re watching Sheduer Sanders get blackballed from the NFL in real time is nasty work
— Franklin Saint ❄️ (@_fresh_princeee) April 25, 2025
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