Since the NFL Draft, I have been thinking about Shedeur Sanders and the nepotism debate: did he get drafted because of his name — because his father is the legendary Deion Sanders — or did the Cleveland Browns see potential in him? 

Few people actually know the answer to that question. Fans don’t. Shane Gillis — the ESPYs host who joked that the Browns drafted Sanders solely because of who he is — doesn’t. Deion doesn’t. Neither does Shedeur himself. The only people who truly know why the Browns drafted him are within the organization.

Yet, the conversation is more nuanced than we’re discussing. The argument that getting drafted was merely the pinnacle of privileges Sanders has experienced because he is Deion’s son is incomplete. So is the counterargument that it’s an absurd accusation to make because he fell to the fifth round of the draft. Neither claim captures the entire story.

The real story here is about opportunity. 

I’m not here to debate whether Sanders will be a good NFL player — I think he could have a great career. He had great numbers at Colorado; over 4,000 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2024. I was impressed with his preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers on Friday, where he threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. 

But it’s about how he had the chance to deliver those numbers, to prove himself on a national stage. It’s about how in life, but especially in sports, opportunity is currency, where players –– even the greats –– rely on others, whether it’s coaches, scouts, or teammates, to recognize their talents and skills in order to thrive, especially when they get to college. It’s about how Sanders had a built-in opportunity in college because his dad was his coach and gave him a starting role at Jackson State and then again when he got the job at Colorado. And it’s about how some players transfer schools looking for a chance to play, without knowing if it’s going to work out, but he transferred to not just stick with his dad, to stay in his dad’s system he knew fit his strengths and to keep his spot without going through the typical quarterback battle.

And the reality is when he and his dad arrived at Colorado in 2023, and the team started 2-0 after going 1-11 the previous season, the media attention became a machine. Constant coverage of the duo and the team, and even a 60 Minutes segment ensued. And while it was about what Deion was bringing to the program, the storyline was also their relationship — the unique blend of head coach-quarterback and father-son connection and the fact that a Hall of Famer was turning around a program with his son at the helm.  Sanders would have drawn attention on his own, but that partnership put the coverage on overload. They were the focal point because their story would draw clicks. They were under the microscope, and the story was almost always “look how successful Deion Sanders and his son are.”

But his fame gave him the opportunity to take interviews in public and to prove to the Browns he was worthy of drafting, to show he knew how to conduct himself. And that’s not a knock on Sanders himself but instead a reality of sports. He had numerous opportunities to win people over, from the time he was in high school to now — being visible to the most important eyes was planted into his football journey. Is it nepotism or access? Time will tell.