Shedeur Sanders expressed gratitude for President Donald Trump’s support after the Cleveland Browns quarterback suffered an unprecedented slide in the 2025 NFL Draft.
After falling out of the first round and losing out on millions of dollars, Sanders was finally drafted by the Browns in the fifth round with the No. 144 overall pick.
His draft slide sparked a flurry of strong responses, as Travis Kelce blasted the coverage surrounding the signal-caller while Trump directed his anger towards team owners.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump heaped praise on Shedeur’s father – Colorado head coach Deion Sanders – before voicing his positive opinion of the young signal-caller and his talents.
“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. He should be ‘picked’ IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”
Speaking to reporters at Browns rookie minicamp, Sanders – who was forced to settle for a new jersey number and actively finds himself in a heated quarterback battle while serving as backup to Dillon Gabriel – thanked Trump for his kind words.
“I was truly thankful for it,” he said. “Including him, there were a lot of fans, a lot of people in barbershops, a lot of hairstylists.
“A lot of fans of me, my craft and my family that were there in support. I was thankful that I have that foundation.”
As for why Trump rushed to the defense of Sanders, the 78-year-old cited his relationship with Deion as well as the Colorado product’s makeup.
"His father is a big Trump fan, and I like it when people are Trump fans," Trump told Fox News’ HughHewitt. "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."
While making an appearance on the ‘One Night with Steiny’ podcast, Shilo Sanders – Shedeur’s brother who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted – explained just how special it was to see his sibling be recognized by the President.
"Man, I’m not even gonna lie. That was the coolest thing I've ever seen, bro," he said. "Fam, if you got the president tweeting, bro, you know something’s wrong."
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Shedeur Sanders responds to Donald Trump's tweet about him during NFL Draft slide – The Mirror US
