Shedeur Sanders claimed his snub in the opening round of the NFL Draft will act as ‘fuel to the fire’ as he broke his silence on a dramatic night.

The former Colorado quarterback, son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, was pᴀssed over in all 32 picks of Thursday’s first round. 

Sanders had been tipped by some – including his father – to be a top-five pick but Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart were the only quarterbacks selected.

Ward was taken first overall by the Tennessee тιтans, while the Giants – who had been strongly linked with Sanders – went for ex-Ole Miss QB Dart. The Pittsburgh Steelers also opted against the quarterback.

Sanders had decked out a special draft room where friends and family gathered for a party on Thursday evening.

But, at the end of the first night, the 23-year-old spoke to his loved ones about his snub, admitting ‘we all didn’t expect this, of course’.  

This message from Shedeur Sanders after going undrafted in the 1st round is exactly why he has the resolve, poise and maturity to lead an NFL Franchise. He didn’t hide. He stood tall in the face of adversity and disappointment. This adds to his testimony.🎥 @DeionSandersJr pic.twitter.com/1tAoHCZpI1

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 25, 2025

Shedeur Sanders claimed his snub in the first round of the NFL Draft will act as ‘fuel to the fire’

Sanders’ father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, believes he warranted a top-five draft pick

But Sanders tried to remain upbeat, insisting he would be ‘happy’ regardless of what happens in the upcoming rounds of the draft. 

‘I feel like with God, anything is possible, everything is possible,’ he said. ‘I feel like this happened for no reason – all this is is of course fuel to the fire and under no circumstance we all know this shouldn’t happen. 

‘But we understand we’re on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow is the day, we’re going to be happy regardless, legendary.’

There had been speculation ahead of the draft that Sanders’ stock had tanked among certain teams. 

His character in particular had been targeted following the combine, with the quarterback reportedly branded ‘brash’ and ‘arrogant’ following interviews.  

Concerns about Sanders’ arm strength have become an issue in recent weeks, too, though his father – Hall of Famer Sanders – laughed off that notion. 

In 50 collegiate games, Sanders threw for 14,347 yards, with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He completed 70.1 percent of his pᴀsses and ran for 17 more scores.