NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter Breaks Down Exactly Who’s to Blame For Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Slide, But You Can Probably Guess

Football fanatics can’t stop discussing the 2025 NFL Draft that lit up the internet. What should’ve been a commemorative moment for Shedeur Sanders, son of iconic football legend Deion Sanders and rising star, quickly turned controversial.

Sanders’ slide to fifth-round draft pick, landing a spot with the Cleveland Browns, has been the talk of sports publications, blogs and podcasts wondering how and why it happened. NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter shared his thoughts on how Sanders self-sabotaged and fumbled a potential $50 million payday.

So, who is to blame? According to Carter, Sanders has no one to blame but himself.

Appearing on the “Fully Loaded” podcast, former wide receiver Carter laid it on thick like cold grits as he attributed Sanders’s fifth-round fall to his missteps, missed signals, and a public persona that left NFL teams turned off.

“Shedeur and his family overplayed their hand,” Carter noted. “Them thinking that he was in the same evaluation mode as Eli Manning, they didn’t play that right. Them trying to narrow the teams that he was going to go to, that didn’t do right.”

Sanders also didn’t work out at the combine, which led him to not leave a lasting impression on the scouts at his pro day. “Not working out at the combine, that wasn’t the right thing,” he said.

During the pre-draft process, Carter explained how Sanders didn’t present himself well in his interview. “His interview process - obviously, he could have done a lot better in that.” he shared. “A lot of people left that meeting felt he was very entitled,” he said. “So, for his job interview, he was so concerned about what his outfit was, his necklace was over a hundred grand. Like, he hadn’t even convinced people that you’re the face of our franchise.”

Due to being a fifth-round draft pick, Carter explained that Sanders missed out on a potential payout through signing bonuses. “He didn’t get drafted right. It’s no speculation,” Carter expressed in frustration. “Like, we’re through the draft, We are through three days. He threw away at least 30 to 50 million dollars.”

The former wide receiver explained that Sanders’ unfavorable disposition and interactions with other players convinced people that they would be better off going in a different direction and working with less talented people.

“Let me tell you what he understands today, okay? He ain’t running shit. Okay, yeah. Let me tell you what. They taught him a great lesson. Like, you don’t have this figured out. Your Dad doesn’t have this figured out.”