Basketball and football have a bunch of transitive properties. However, an ugly one may be rearing its head this April. There is an underlying, rather partisan theme simmering along that’s been put a lid on. But it keeps boiling over and making a mess. The sensitive topic of nepotism became part of the discourse in the wake of Bronny James being drafted by the Lakers. A year on, Shedeur Sanders may be verging on becoming the next beneficiary of his athletic lineage courtesy of his father, Deion Sanders.

Deion is a HOFer and one of the most popular figures across American sports. Naturally, he’s got a certain reverence and stature within important circles. Concurrently, Shedeur, too, is making a name for himself. The general consensus dictates that Shedeur will be a top 3 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, conservatively. That condenses down the field of potential landing spots drastically. So much so that Deion Sanders has hinted he’ll maneuver his son to a franchise of his liking. Something that’s perceived as unethical from a football POV but shrewd from a paternal POV. Not too many people have a perspective worthwhile on this affair, but former No. 1 pick himself Michael Vick is very much an exception.

You are a product of your environment. As labored as this cliche sounds, it rings true nonetheless. Especially for quarterbacks, let alone ones stepping in raw and malleable from the college level. Situations that a QB walks into can alter the trajectory of their careers. Take the best in the sport, for instance. Patrick Mahomes walked into a program with Andy Reid at the helm. He deputized and learned the ropes behind Alex Smith, a former no.1 overall pick and 3x Pro bowler. These two were huge factors in why Mahomes hit the ground running when he became a starter and is who he is today. Deion Sanders knows the importance of a good environment. So does Micheal Vick. He thinks that the Sanders are in the right if they refuse to be drafted by certain franchises that are a bit of a dumpster fire right now.

Discussing this matter pertaining to Shedeur and Deion Sanders on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast, Vick said “It’s been done before, on a couple different occasions. The guys kind of dictated where they wanted to go. I think that’s fair.” Vick brought up the most famous or infamous precedent for this. Eli Manning – who refused to play for the LA Chargers pre-draft in ‘04. He even mentioned Phillip Rivers and John Elway going down a similar path. “[Shedeur] has a father in his life who cares about where his son plays and his son’s well being.” remarked Vick. This said, Michael Vick proceeded to put the onus on Shedeur if Deion Sanders does indeed send him down a certain direction.

Vick stated “I’m not saying [Shedeur deserves] special treatment in the sense of he’s just gonna pick where he wants to go…You gotta make it work when you get there. Eli was very successful. Philip Rivers was very, very successful. It worked out. So I think when you do that, it has to work out. But it’s so fair for [the Sanders] to try to navigate, you know, the path to success.” While he does make a fair rationale, there is a counterargument to this. There are plenty of QBs who walked into a bad situation and rebuilt the franchise on their back.

Shedeur and Deion Sanders perhaps need to pay heed to recent QBs’ success tasked with the opposite

This whole debate is a bit of a catch-22. It’s paradoxical because teams that have top 3 draft picks are usually always in the abyss. That’s the reason they even have that high a pick. There are exceptions, of course, such as the Chicago Bears last season. However, it theoretically still holds true. Now not everyone has a father of the ilk of Deion Sanders. Without an option to pick and choose, 2 quarterbacks in particular stand out as ones who went about things the hard way.

When Joe Burrow walked into the Bengals, they were an unmitigated disaster. Within a few seasons, Burrow led them to the Super Bowl. Yes, the franchise has since been hit or miss. But they’re in a much better place than when Burrow found them. The same is unraveling as we speak. Jayden Daniels has taken the Commanders from the depths of mediocrity to the NFC championship game as a rookie. They weren’t dissimilar to what you’d call a bad situation. Shedeur Sanders probably needs to take inspiration from this in case things don’t work out as advertised. He can truly become “legendary” if he gets a franchise out of the trenches.

Deion Sanders is correct in his place. However, that doesn’t make him right. Yes, going to the Titans or the Browns could turn out to be disastrous. But Shedeur could also become a revered messiah if he turns their fortunes. Michael Vick himself is forever etched in the Falcons’ history for similar reasons.  Sometimes, you’ve just gotta play the hand you’re dealt. It’ll be fascinating to see how things turn out. With the Sanders clan involved, expect more public discourse regarding this nepotism-adjacent matter.