Shedeur Sanders wasn’t the only one impacted by his dramatic slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to a new lawsuit filed by a “distressed” football fan.
An unidentified NFL fan in Georgia filed a $100-million lawsuit against the league, arguing that the 23-year-old quarterback’s unexpected drop in the draft caused “emotional distress and trauma” to the plaintiff “as a fan and consumer” of the NFL.
The lawsuit, filed May 1 and reviewed by PEOPLE, names the NFL as a defendant and asks for the monetary compensation due to “the harm caused to the plaintiff and the impact of the NFL’s actions on his emotional well-being.”
The plaintiff says in the lawsuit that they are “a dedicated fan of Colorado football and has closely followed Sanders throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons,” even traveling to attend a game in 2023 and “witnessing firsthand Sanders’ exceptional talent and potential as a quarterback.”
The filing also says the fan “regularly consumes media content related to Shedeur Sanders” online. The fan alleges in their lawsuit that “reports and leaked statements” about the former Colorado quarterback being “too cocky” had “contributed to a narrative that has unjustly harmed his reputation and potential as a player.”
“These slanderous statements reflect biases that influenced the NFL’s decision-making process,” the fan’s lawsuit alleges.
Related: Son of NFL Coach Admits to Prank-Calling Shedeur Sanders During Draft: ‘I Made a Terrible Mistake’
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Shedeur Sanders
The fan further claims Sanders’ draft slide showed “collusion” among NFL teams, and that decisions regarding Sanders “may have been influenced by racial discrimination.”
“The NFL’s actions and the dissemination of slanderous statements have caused severe emotional distress and trauma to the Plaintiff, resulting in frustration, disappointment, and psychological harm as a fan,” the lawsuit alleges.
Related: Shilo Sanders ‘Fired’ Dad Deion as His Agent After Brother Shedeur Shockingly Drops to 5th Round in NFL Draft
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In the past year, Sanders was projected as high as a top 3 NFL draft pick in some mock drafts. However, as draft day drew closer, Sanders’ value appeared to slide – especially as Cam Ward became the consensus No. 1 overall draft pick and stock surrounding other quarterbacks, like No. 25 overall pick Jaxson Dart and No. 94 overall pick Dillon Gabriel, began to surge.
Sanders was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns with the team’s final draft pick at No. 144. “Thank you GOD,” Sanders wrote on social media after his name was finally called.
After the draft, Sanders’ father Deion Sanders posted a video on Instagram of his son speaking to guests at the family’s draft party, saying that “we all didn’t expect this,” but that he felt confident that it happened for a reason, and added that it only added “fuel to the fire.”
Read the original article on People
