The Eli Manning talk is on again! Almost a year back in March 2024, Deion Sanders revived an infamous 2004 NFL Draft situation. Back then, legendary NFL QB Eli Manning made headlines for refusing to play for the San Diego Chargers and instead choosing the New York Giants. It sparked a lot of mixed responses from players, analysts, and fans alike. Now that Shedeur Sanders is highly rated as one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, his father only wants the best for him. But Deion Sanders’ protective behavior is called off as a new narrative surfaced – Let Shedeur decide for himself.

Robert Griffin III isn’t somebody who particularly slammed the Eli Manning move. But he believes it should be Shedeur Sanders who’s holding his own reins. In his appearance on the Dan Patrick Show on January 15, the former NFL QB dropped his approval on Shedeur Sanders’ possible Eli move if the Tennessee Titans or Cleveland Browns try to draft him.

He said, “I think I’d be in. Because at the end of the day, I’m a player-empowerment guy… The bottom line is structure matters, who the coach is matters, who you have around you matters. And if Shedeur, cause he’s a grown man, feels that Tennessee or Cleveland are not the right place for him, then that’s his decision to make. I, for one, believe that they’re not the right place for him, so I’d be in on that.”

The thing with the NFL Draft is that Shedeur Sanders will be in one of the worst-performing teams as a first-round pick. Currently, the two mentioned teams are among the ones in dire need of an impactful QB. However, do they have the resources to develop this formidable CFB player? RGIII mentioned how Caleb Williams became a bust QB in his debut season with the Chicago Bears after being picked as a highly touted No. 1 overall pick. The Bears finished the season with a 5-12 record along with the firing of their HC Matt Eberflus.

Unfortunate circumstances occur, but this is exactly what Deion Sanders wants to prevent for his son. He’d always been serious about his son landing on the right team. Earlier in September, he told Shannon Sharpe on Night Cap that he’ll pull an “Eli, a Lavar Ball, a LeBron… I’m pulling all of them.”

The lengths he’d go for Shedeur Sanders! The 57-year-old HC added, “Honestly, we’ve talked about it ostensibly, I’ve talked to a multitude of (NFL) teams because they’re at practice every day, but I want what’s best for him, but I want him to be happy as well.” So, does that mean Tennessee and Cleveland don’t have the it factor?

Tennessee and Cleveland could become tricky for Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders is entering the 2025 NFL Draft as a top 5 prospect. Tennessee holds the No. 1 pick and word is that they’re pursuing Miami’s Cam Ward, who’s another top-rated QB in the upcoming draft. If that scenario happens, Cleveland, who holds the second pick, might try to pull in the Buffs QB. But their QB history is a question mark. 

In another appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, Deion Sanders admitted, “It’s not like who I would like for him to play for. It’s a couple of teams that I won’t allow him to play for.”

Could Tennessee and Cleveland be among those fateful teams? The Browns have a particularly weak QB history, holding an NFL record for starting the most quarterbacks in consecutive seasons with nine. Consider this. Since their inception in 1999, the Browns had 40 different starting QBs! 

We still have two months to speculate on Shedeur Sanders’ ultimate landing spot. But what do you think about Deion Sanders’ intervention in his son’s football career?