We Now See Why The Circus That Follows Shedeur And Shilo Sanders Made Some NFL Teams Wary Of Both

It was a rough weekend for Deion Sanders' sons, as both Shedeur and Shilo struggled – one seemingly getting benched, the other getting fired.  And that brought out the crazies.

So, I understand it better now.

I now get why NFL teams were hesitant to bring either player onto their teams last spring. It's not just about the players themselves. It's not just about character, or talent, or their athletic abilities. 

BOULDER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 29: (L-R) Shilo Sanders #21, Head coach Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes walk the field during senior day celebrations prior to the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field on November 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Circus Comes To Town Following Sanders

It's the sideshow idiots that come in their wake – the pundits, the blind fans, and the hate mob that includes, yes, racists of all colors – that make up the circus that rolls into town when the players do.

Talk about baggage and distractions no NFL team wants.

First the facts: Shedeur Sanders struggled terribly in the Cleveland Browns final preseason game. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown or interception, but he held the ball and then held up poorly under pressure, which partly led to him getting sacked five times.

And what best told the story of this poor outing came in the final two minutes of the game when Browns coach Kevin Stefanski pulled Sanders and let Tyler Huntley take the final possession with the game on the line.

Huntley, more experienced, rallied the Browns to a victory.

So, a fourth-string quarterback was ineffective in his team's final preseason game and forward we go, right? Nope.

getty

The pundits stepped in. University of Colorado football fans chimed in. The haters as well as the blind acolytes posted comments on social media.

And while some people are actually celebrating Sanders' failure, the narrative among other people is that Stefanski sabotaged Sanders. Probably on purpose, they believe.

Conspiracy theories abound and this isn't just a bunch of fans talking out of their hindquarters. This craziness includes former NFL players Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and others claiming Sanders struggled because Stefanski … 

• A. Picked the wrong starter for the final preseason game
• B. Should have put Sanders in the game with starters instead of backups, although he's a backup.

"Everybody Shedeur played with is getting cut," Houshmandzadeh said. "You didn't give this man a fighting chance to compete. He went into a gun fight with two knives. He's going to lose that every time."

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 28: Joe Flacco #15 celebrates after defeating the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Idiot Pundit Skip Bayless Joins In

Never mind that Flacco, Cleveland's actual starting quarterback, had not started a preseason game and needed to work before the regular season. Never mind that Sanders started a previous preseason game. And never mind that Sanders, a backup, was playing with backups, but also playing against backups on the other side.

Idiot pundits, as personified by Skip Bayless, said they're "outraged" how the Browns are treating Sanders. Bayless called Stefanski, a two-time coach of the year, "sorry ass" for the way he authored the quarterback snaps.

Bayless also called rookie Dillon Gabriel better than Tua Tagovailoa so, yeah, he's apparently not well.

The chorus of morons was so loud it reached Stefanski's ears.

"Yeah, obviously I don’t concern myself with outside type of things," Stefanski said, "but I’m committed to his development, just like all of our rookies. So, we’ll continue to focus on getting our guys better, and that’s what we’ll stay committed to, and that’s what’s important to me."

Shilo Sanders Good Kid, Unremarkable Player

The obsession with the Sanders brothers extends to Shilo, who also had a terrible preseason-finale.

Playing early in the game because Tampa Bay Buccaneers starters sat this one out, Shilo Sanders was flagged for pass interference in the first quarter. And in the second quarter, he got into a scuffle with Buffalo Bills tight end Zach Davidson.

Sanders threw a punch at Davidson's helmeted head. And yellow flags rained all over the field as officials rushed in. Sanders was thus disqualified from the game.

"You can't throw punches in this league -- that's inexcusable," coach Todd Bowles said afterward. "They're going to get you every time. You've got to grow from that."

The Bucs cut Sanders less than 12 hours later. And I'm told the ejection was not the sole reason Sanders was cut, although it didn't help.

The Buccaneers like Sanders as a person, say he's been professional in their building, and he practices hard and is attentive in meetings. But he's not Deion Sanders good or anything close. He was an undrafted free agent and played like one in the preseason.

Is that acceptable to the frenzied mob and the media? Of course not.

Noise From The Circus Abounds

The story of Sanders throwing a punch and getting cut was on the CBS Morning Show on Monday morning. And, aside from fans weighing in – with some saying Davidson initiated the contact and others contending Sanders acted like his dad did against Andre Rison back in the day – the media also did questionable things in picking a side.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz got out there and unwisely blamed the referees for ejecting Sanders. He was immediately hit with reader notes on X that showed throwing a punch typically leads to an ejection. Article 17 on fighting states:

"There shall be no fighting. The act of throwing a punch, or a forearm, or kicking at an opponent, even though no contact is made, is a foul."

The rule calls for a 15-yard penalty and an automatic ejection.

There was also a loud swath of fans that used the controversy to claim the NFL hates the Sanders brothers. And there was an equally wide swath of fans that rejoiced at the two men's struggles and included disparaging racial remarks as part of their celebration.

The delusion on both sides makes Angel Reese's fans seem thoughtful by comparison. And the vitriol has unmasked people.

NFL teams try to avoid all this stuff. They want to avoid players who, even through no fault of their own, bring the circus to town with them.