NFL news: Trump dishes on why he spoke out during Sheduer Sanders’ draft fall

As Sheduer Sanders inexplicably fell down NFL Draft boards, President Donald Trump implored NFL owners to take a chance on the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback.

Sanders was projected to go as early as No. 2 before his draft slide, which had the entire sports world talking and wondering why it happened. 

During the draft, Trump took aim at team owners as franchises passed on Sanders.

“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” Trump wrote on April 25. “Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness.”

At one point during a recent phone interview with Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt, the president was asked about what motivated him to defend Sanders. Trump said it was a combination of NFL great Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, and the young quarterback’s “genetics.”

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“His father is a big Trump fan, and I like it when people are Trump fans,” Trump told Hewitt. “His father has said great things about me over the years.

“No 2, genetics. He has good genes for a football player. I watched him play for a little bit, and I thought he was a really talented quarterback. I like his gene pool, and I like his talent. I really think he’s going to do well. I just felt they treated him really badly.”

Shilo Sanders, Shedeur’s brother, also weighed in on Trump’s involvement.

“Man, I’m not even gonna lie. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, bro,” he said on the “One Night with Steiny” podcast. “Fam, if you got the president tweeting, bro, you know something’s wrong.”

Shortly after last month’s draft wrapped up, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Shilo as an undrafted free agent. The signing prompted a message of gratitude from his Hall of Fame father. 

“I’m very thankful. Tampa’s a wonderful spot,” Deion said during a Twitch stream. “Coach [Todd] Bowles is a defensive-minded guy. He’s brilliant.” 

The two-time Super Bowl winner took it a step further by making a call to Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht. 

“Coach Prime called him Saturday night and thanked him for giving (Shilo) a fair shot,” according to Joe Bucs Fan.

Sheduer finished the 2024 season with 4,134 passing yards. He will join a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland that features Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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