By Scott Salomon
Deion Sanders is putting the National Football League on notice. In the process, he put his foot in his mouth and embarrassed himself and his players.
Sanders boldly proclaimed that if his sons, Shedeur or Shilo Sanders, or Travis Hunter are drafted by a team that he does not approve of, the players will simply refuse to sign and demand an immediate trade similar to what Eli Manning did when he forced a trade from the San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants shortly after being selected as the top pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.
“I know where I want them to go,” Prime said on a recent podcast. “So, it’s certain cities that ain’t going to happen. It’s going to be an Eli.”
Pulling an Eli, as you might recall, was when Eli’s dad. Archie Manning, told the Chargers, the owner of the first selection in the 2004 NFL Draft, before the pick, not to select Eli or face the realization that he would not report to camp. San Diego was held hostage and traded Manning to the Giants for Phillip Rivers, who was selected fourth by New York and a third-round selection.
Prime said he would do the same thing if he does not approve of where his players are selected.
Deion was on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast on YouTube and put the NFL on blast and said that Shedeur and Hunter will be among the top four picks in next season’s NFL player draft. However, before they enter the league, Deion must approve of the team that selected them.
More Sports News
“Like, I don’t want my kid going nowhere cold next year,” Sanders said earlier on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio. “He grew up in Texas. He played in Jackson, played in Colorado. Season’s over before it gets cold in Colorado. I’m just thinking way ahead. I don’t want that for him.”
Excuse me Prime? Are you going to study the meteorological dynamics of a city and decide whether or not the weather is suitable for the kid? The kid has not even hit the draft yet and is already calling his shots.
Deion Sanders aka Coach Prime x Million Dollaz Worth Of Game TONIGHT at 7:30 PM ET 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/zsHJ6Rmxow
— MILLION $ WORTH OF GAME (@mworthofgame) March 22, 2024
After hearing him speak at the NFL Combine earlier this month, I thought Caleb Williams was a Diva, a prima donna, but this takes the cake.
We must not forget that while Prime is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as a player, he is still a coach who finished his first season at Colorado at 4-8, after a 3-0 start. Who in the name of Archie Manning does he think he is trying to tell the NFL that his kids won’t play in certain cities?
Playing in the National Football League is a privilege, not a right. A player should be thankful that they have an opportunity to get paid to do what they love and perform for adoring fans. What Manning did was an aberration and Prime should not threaten to do what Manning and agent Tom Condon did before first-round selections were made.
Deion did say that he wants his kids to play in a city that fits them, and he mentioned San Francisco, Dallas, Washington D.C., and Baltimore as potential acceptable suitors for his kids. It is not a coincidence that Sanders played for those teams during his career. He also mentioned Atlanta as a hot spot for reasons other than the fact that Atlanta drafted him out of college.
“I want the right fit. Atlanta was the first time I saw black people in positions of authority,” Coach Prime said. “It blew my mind. It was real in Atlanta. I had never seen anything like that in my life.”
So, essentially, according to Prime, the teams that draft his kids have to be in warm weather climates, and their political footprint must show that African Americans are in positions of power. Well, Miami is a warm weather city, but they have a Cuban mayor, so I guess that won’t work. Florida has a Cuban senator and a white senator. Does that make matters worse?
I love it when Deion plays the race card, but wants you to believe that race is not an issue with him. Cities have to check both boxes to make Deion content. Teams should send representatives to their political party meetings to get ready for the Sanders boys and Hunter.
Deion needs to learn to shut his mouth. This is a check that he cannot cash. He needs to let his kids play their last season of college football and grow up. Just maybe they should be thankful for the opportunity that they will get after next season.
If Prime plays his cards right, the chips will fall into place. Wherever they go, they should be thankful and practice humility. That’s a lesson that they have to learn, but I do not think that Prime has the ability to teach those values.
