Many football fans were shocked when former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders wasn’t taken until the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, but one die-hard decided to take it a step further.
On May 1, the fan filed a lawsuit over Sanders’ slide, seeking $100 million in punitive damages for what he called “the impact of the NFL’s actions on his emotional well-being.”
The Georgia resident alleged that reports and leaked statements about Sanders negatively influenced the league’s decision-making process, “causing emotional distress and trauma to the Plaintiff as a fan and consumer.”
In his senior season at Colorado under his father, head coach Deion Sanders, he ranked fourth in the FBS in passing yards (4,134), second in passing touchdowns (37) and led the nation in completion percentage at 74.1%. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and earned AP second-team All-America honors.
Sanders was projected to be drafted in the first round, but the former Trinity Christian Academy-Cedar Hill star wasn’t selected until the Cleveland Browns took him in Round 5.
“Despite Sanders’ demonstrated skills and significant attention during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the NFL drafted him at the 144th pick during the 2025 NFL Draft,” said the complaint filed in Georgia federal court by a plaintiff using the pseudonym “John Doe.”
Despite wanting financial compensation, the suit seeks a “formal acknowledgment from the NFL regarding the emotional distress caused by their actions and statements,” a “retraction of the slanderous statements made about Shedeur Sanders, along with an apology for any harm caused to his reputation” and implementation of “fairer practices in the drafting process to ensure that talented players are recognized and given opportunities based on merit.”
The plaintiff described himself as “a dedicated fan of Colorado football” and alleged violations of civil rights, antitrust, consumer protection laws, intentional infliction of emotional distress and trauma, according to the suit.
The complaint ends with a request “that the Court consider this complaint and take appropriate action to address the intentional emotional distress and trauma suffered as a result of the NFL’s collusive practices and the harmful statements made regarding Shedeur Sanders.”
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