Cris Carter discusses Shedeur Sanders, NFL draft: 'There was not a collusion message'
Cris Carter discusses Shedeur Sanders, NFL draft: 'There was not a collusion message'
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Why does Jordan Palmer think Shedeur Sanders fell in the draft?
Former NFL quarterback Jordan Palmer shares his thoughts on Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round of the NFL draft.
Sports Seriously
Cris Carter doesn't have time for conspiracies.
The NFL Hall of Fame receiver had plenty to say about the 2025 NFL Draft, which is becoming more commonly known as "The Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft" with each passing day. Everyone has a take, which ranges from league collusion to a talent problem and everything in between.
Well, Carter seems to have made his opinion clear on the matter, which he addressed on the latest episode of the Fully Loaded podcast.
"There was not a collusion message with the NFL owners, Carter said. "Because they wouldn't be able to keep a secret like that."
Sanders famously fell to the fifth round of the draft, with his slide ending when the Cleveland Browns selected the Colorado prospect with the 144th overall pick.
Carter instead placed some blame on Sanders' family, specifically his father, Deion, an NFL Hall of Famer and current Colorado head coach.
"It's a small word. This whole thing with Deion and the media and everything, like, it's out of control. It did not help him."
"You're going for a job interview," Carter 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. Matter of fact, he had convinced people that they were better off going in a different direction even with people who had lesser talent. That's the rub he put onto people."
Carter added that Sanders threw away at least $30 to $50 million in this process.
The former Minnesota Viking said the quarterback's tape was good enough to make him a first-round pick, but the added factors made the situation worse.
"He doesn't have a big time arm. He's not a big guy. He's not overly athletic. So his measurables are not say first-round measurables, but he played football like a first-rounder."
More: Why did Shedeur Sanders fall in the NFL draft?
Carter highlighted the bad meetings, his father's potential NFL future and the prominence of his brand already. He said that Sanders is not a generational quarterback that would allow teams to overlook the other things.
"But Shedeur and his family, they overplayed their hand," Carter said. "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.
"Not working out at the combine, that wasn't the right thing. His interview process – obviously he could have done a lot better in that. A lot of people left that meeting and felt he was very, very entitled."
Carter did admit that Sanders fell further than he thought he would, saying this process and the system taught Sanders a lesson.
"Let me tell you what he understands today," Carter said. "He ain't running (expletive). Okay? Let me tell you what, they taught him a great lesson. You don't have this figured out. Your dad don't have this figured out."
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: How did your favorite team fare in the 2025 NFL Draft?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brother of NFL star commits to Kirby Smart and Georgia football in 2026 recruiting class
Kirby Smart helped Alabama land Minkah Fitzpatrick before he went on to become a five-time Pro Bowl safety in the NFL. Now the Georgia football coach has secured a commitment from his younger brother, Justice Fitzpatrick. Advertisement The 6-foot- 1/2 , 205-pound four-star cornerback from Fort Lauderdale picked the Bulldogs over Texas, Ohio State, Florida and Miami, according to his X account on Tuesday June 3. Smart in 2018 told the recruiting story of Minkah Fitzpatrick to Alabama. Smart and then offensive line coach Mario Cristobal were higher on him than coach Nick Saban. "[Saban] didn't like Minkah at one point," Smart told "That, to me, was just crazy because Mario Cristobal and I were fighting like hell [for Fitzpatrick]. We thought he was such a good kid." Justice Fitzpatrick, who plays for St. Thomas Aquinas, is the nation's No. 47 overall prospect and No. 3 cornerback. Advertisement Minkah Fitzpatrick played at Alabama from 2015-2017, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as nation's top defensive back in his last season. He was a Dolphins first-round pick, but traded from Miami in 2018. He has played with the Steelers since then. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: NFL star Minkah Fitzpatrick's brother commits to Georgia football
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Jim Marshall, NFL ironman and Minnesota Vikings legend known for wrong way run, dies at 87
Jim Marshall, NFL ironman and Minnesota Vikings legend known for wrong way run, dies at 87 One of the most durable players in NFL history − though he was perhaps best known for an infamous blunder − has died. The Minnesota Vikings announced the passing of longtime defensive end Jim Marshall on Tuesday. A cause was not revealed, though the team said Marshall's death came "following a lengthy hospitalization." He was 87. He played 19 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Vikings, joining them after being traded by the Cleveland Browns in 1961, which also happened to be Minnesota's inaugural season. Along with Gary Larsen and Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, Marshall helped form the famed "Purple People Eaters" defensive line, a unit largely responsible for driving the team to four Super Bowl berths between the 1969 and '76 seasons − still the Vikings' only appearances on Super Sunday, though they lost all four times. "Jim Marshall set the tone for how this franchise goes today," Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton once said via the club's website. "We had the Purple People Eaters. They were the foundation of who we are. The leader of the band was Jim Marshall." A perennial team captain, Marshall started 270 consecutive regular-season games, second only to Hall of Famer Brett Favre (297) in NFL history. The 282 consecutive games Marshall played are the most ever by a defensive player. The Ohio State product's 29 fumble recoveries were a record when he retired following the 1979 season, but he was later matched by eventual Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. "The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall," read a statement from the Wilf family, owners of the team. "No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man. A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim's unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career. Jim led by example, and there was no finer example for others to follow. His impact on the Vikings was felt long after he left the field. Jim will always be remembered as a tremendous player and person. Our hearts are with his wife, Susan, and all of Jim's loved ones." However despite Marshall's lengthy service, membership on one of the league's most vaunted D-lines, two Pro Bowl nods and 130½ career sacks (all unofficial as they weren't recognized until 1982), it was a legendary gaffe that brought him the most attention. On Oct. 25, 1964, at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium, Marshall was hustling while trailing a play in the fourth quarter. His effort was rewarded when he scooped up a fumble by the 49ers and set sail for the end zone − unfortunately, it was Minnesota's. Unaware of his disorientation, Marshall galloped 66 yards − failing to notice teammates urging him to turn around − before crossing his own goal line and chucking the ball toward the sideline in celebration. But instead of scoring six points for the Vikings, he'd provided a safety for the Niners. "(P)eople, you know, constantly talk about the wrong way run," Marshall told NFL Films decades later. "I always tell them, 'You know what, think about the worst mistake that you've ever made and think about a hundred, two hundred million people seeing you make that mistake and teasing you about it every day of your life. How would you feel?'" Ultimately, it didn't matter as Minnesota prevailed 27-22, Marshall subsequently forcing a fumble that led to the game-winning touchdown. Still, despite often being referred to as "Wrong Way Marshall," it was accomplishments that distinguished him. "He was a special player," Hall of Fame Vikings coach Bud Grant said at the team's facility years before his death in 2023. "Many times you're asked, 'Who are the greatest players?' As a coach, you can't say who is the best, but there is a category you do have, and that is 'special.' Jim Marshall was 'special.'" The Vikings said a celebration of Marshall's life is in the works, and the team already has pictures of him splashed across the top of its X account. All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
Washington Post
34 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Rams pass rusher Jared Verse ready to build on strong rookie season
LOS ANGELES — Jared Verse came as advertised in his debut season for the Los Angeles Rams, offering explosive pass rush prowess en route to AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors . After totaling 77 pressures, 11 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks last season, the outside linebacker isn't worried about a sophomore slump.
