NFL Coaches’ Fear of Drafting Shedeur Sanders Revealed After Father Deion’s Comments As Mike Tomlin Dubbed Suitable Choice for QB

Not too long ago, rumors suggested that Deion Sanders would follow his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, to the NFL to coach them. But those speculations were silenced—at least for now—when Colorado locked him in with a contract extension through 2029, bumping his base salary to $10 million and making him the highest-paid coach in the Big 12. But with the 2025 NFL Draft looming, fans can’t help but wonder: Will ‘Coach Prime’ play a behind-the-scenes role in shaping his sons’ NFL journeys?

Well, sports writer Mike Florio shed some light on that. You see, while most dads wave foam fingers from the bleachers, Deion Sanders, who was an NFL player himself and is now a coach, has seen the game, including the financial and commercial aspects of it, much more closely. He has the perfect recipe to set his sons up for success, and Flori, too, emphasized this.

Recounting a conversation with ‘Prime Time’, he stated: “I asked him point blank because he has given some conflicting answers, and he kind of was like, ‘What? What did I say?… But I said, ‘Hey under what circumstances would you come to the NFL to be a coach?’ He said, ‘I would only coach my son.’ Since we are in an age of 3D chess where up is down and down is up and what I did yesterday is the opposite of what I’m doing today, but I’m a genius for doing both of them, Deion said he would only coach his son and I thought this is a way scare off the weak.

“Because only the weak will fail if you haven’t heard. This is a way to scare off the weak. The coaches who would be threatened by the spectre of Deion Sanders possibly taking that coach’s job. If you are sufficiently insecure in your position that you would be worried either about Deion Sanders potentially taking your job, you’d be signing your own pink slip, potentially.

“Or Deion being asked questions during his couple of times per week press conferences as the head coach at the University of Colorado. If that troubles you, you’re not the right guy to be coaching my son… The first guy I said was Mike Tomlin. He is the guy that would not be troubled in any way shape or form by Deion Sanders. He is not going to be concerned about anything Deion says and if they ask him at a press conference, you know, ‘We do not care or we seek no comfort’ or he’ll just turn and walk away. He won’t care,” Florio said on the Pro Football Talk podcast on YouTube, and he has a point.

A lot of analysts have been connecting Shedeur with the Steelers. After all, the team’s QB struggles this off-season have been well documented. Post Justin Fields’ exit and Russell Wilson’s delayed signing with the Giants, Steel City chose Mason Rudolph as their starter for the coming season. But here’s the thing:

The team has George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, DK Metcalf: A bunch of big names in the offense could really help rookie Shedeur Sanders. And on cue, the QB even visited them pre-draft (last week) and loves what he saw there. The QB, head coach Mike Tomlin, and others present spent time understanding both sides and seeing if it would be a good culture fit. Later on, Shedeur gave interviews and revealed it was a “10” out of 10, and he praised Tomlin for his winning culture. But that’s not where it ends! He compared Tomlin to his dad, Deion Sanders, by stating:

“I understand the mindset and why they win a lot… Just how he is as a person. The values that the team has. And what he preaches from the top down is similar like my dad.” Well, that says a lot about how he views the HC and the Steelers! These comparisons and Shedeur’s thoughts on culture also take us back to something he shared in February. What was it?

Top Comment by Rad1

What a clown! Good luck with this one P-Burgh!

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Debate

Shedeur Sanders and the Pittsburgh puzzle…

Deion Sanders wants Shedeur drafted by a team that understands who he is, avoiding the fate of Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield—talents derailed by chaos. But Pittsburgh’s culture is kryptonite to dysfunction, and let us not forget that Shedeur said in February, “If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t [pick] me.” What about the Steelers, then?

Well, as per his previous statements, he believes he can have an impact on their culture. “I’ve done it at two locations already, so it’s simple.”

It is true that Shedeur was an important key in the turnaround of Jackson State and then Colorado, but he also had Deion Sanders by his side, guiding him whenever needed. The NFL will be different.

But the Steelers need a quarterback who thrives under pressure. After all, in the NFL, legacy isn’t just about talent—it’s about fit. Deion Sanders knows this better than anyone. By potentially nudging Shedeur toward Pittsburgh, he’s not just playing chess; he’s making sure his son’s throne isn’t built on quicksand. Plus, Tomlin’s Steelers offer the perfect bridge between Prime’s flash and old-school grit.

As draft night approaches, one question lingers: Will teams overthink the Sanders factor or recognize a rare alignment of player and culture? Let us know in the comments below.