It might be time for the Sanders family to log off for a bit.
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be in consideration for one of the top selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. Given his potential and his brash style, coupled with Colorado head coach and dad Deion Sanders’ take-no-prisoners mantra, it’s already led to a narrative that the QB will try to maneuver his way toward certain NFL franchises and away from others.
The same goes for Deion’s other son on the team, Shilo Sanders, who appears likely to be a mid-to-late-round selection according to most mock drafts.
Given that X (formerly Twitter) essentially operates without guardrails these days thanks to the meaninglessness of blue checkmarks and the abundance of trolls, it’s led to many fake reporter accounts offering up what seem like juicy scoops about Sanders’ intentions.
Monday, Deion went viral when he called out “IDIOTS” on X who were saying things that weren’t true about where he wants Shedeur and Shilo to be drafted.
It will be multiple IDIOTS that will say things that totally aren’t true regarding where I would like @ShedeurSanders & @ShiloSanders to play in the @nfl. If I say it I will say it directly to whom it may concern not a attention seeker. I do know @nflcommish personally! 🎤drop
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) December 30, 2024
People quickly put two and two together and linked this comment to a post that morning from “NFL and NY Giants insider” Wesley Steinberg.
“Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders has no interest in playing for #Browns or #Titans,” he posted.” This could have major NFL draft implications, Shedeur’s father Deion Sanders will demand his son goes to a big market team with good infrastructure for a young QB.”
BREAKING: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders has no interest in playing for #Browns or #Titans.
This could have major NFL draft implications, Shedeur’s father Deion Sanders will demand his son goes to a big market team with good infrastructure for a young QB.
— Wesley Steinberg (@WesSteinberg) December 30, 2024
Colorado social media producer Deion Sanders, Jr. also responded to Steinberg’s post with the “cap” emoji, to infer that it is a lie.
The problem here is that Steinberg is not actually an NFL insider. He’s a troll who routinely posts incorrect and false information as news on X. Aside from community notes, however, he doesn’t suffer any consequences. In fact, when his “news” is shared and quoted, all it does is help his follower count.
The best thing the Sanders clan can do is block the account and ignore the trolls. Unfortunately, they’ve taken the other road, presuming that the account has merit and helping spread its falsehoods, either via quotes or mentions, thereby increasing the impact of the fake news they’re attempting to discredit.
It’s a negative loop that only leads to further frustration.
A similar situation played out two weeks ago when X account NFL Rookie Watch posted that Shedeur Sanders is “prepared” to be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders or Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 NFL Draft and that there is a “high likelihood” he would refuse to play for the Cleveland Browns.
Again, Deion Sanders, Jr. quoted the post, saying “Bro is lying.” Again, Deion Sanders, Sr. reacted as well, calling it out as a lie. Again, the account, which has a long history of making up quotes, got a ton of engagement and reach thanks to their sharing.
In both cases, aggregation sites and NFL social media accounts wrote about the “reports” and narratives, in large part because the Sanders family gave them so much oxygen.
They would have been so much better off just doing nothing. And ultimately, a fake report on X is such small potatoes, why even bother?
The lesson is, as always, ignore or block the trolls, though something tells us the Sanders family isn’t going to get that memo.
As a coda on the whole thing, Steinberg later shared what he purports is a DM conversation between him and Deion Sanders, Sr. In the message, he blamed USA Today reporter Art Stapleton for giving him bad info. Stapleton did not appreciate the mention.
Hey Wes – keep my name out of your mouth or I will expose you. Stop playing around with me. Not a threat.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) December 30, 2024
“Hey Wes – keep my name out of your mouth or I will expose you,” he wrote. Stop playing around with me. Not a threat.”
Just another day in paradise on X, the everything app.