logo
Shedeur Sanders fan sues NFL for $100 million over ‘emotional distress' caused by low draft pick

Shedeur Sanders fan sues NFL for $100 million over ‘emotional distress' caused by low draft pick

Yahoo05-05-2025

A crestfallen Shedeur Sanders enthusiast is suing the NFL for $100 million over the much-hyped quarterback's disappointing fifth-round draft pick, claiming he suffered 'emotional distress and trauma… as a fan and consumer' because the 23-year-old phenom wasn't selected earlier.
'It was immediate frustration,' the fan, who filed the federal lawsuit as 'John Doe,' told The Independent, on the condition his real name not be published. 'This guy was projected to be the first or second pick, no later than the top five, and to watch mediocre players be chosen before him… it was frustrating.'
Doe, 55, described draft day as 'one of the biggest days' of a player's life.
'And to have all the NFL owners collude and not draft him, it was mentally frustrating and debilitating,' Doe, who said he has no personal connection to Sanders, went on. 'For them to believe that they can just do this and there's no recourse, it has to stop.'
The Cleveland Browns ultimately picked up Sanders, a standout player at the University of Colorado and the son of NFL legend and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, 144th overall on the third day of last month's pro draft. Multiple reports blamed Sanders's allegedly vainglorious attitude during the pre-draft process as a major reason for his regrettable showing; one NFL front office exec told NBC Sports that the pro hopeful behaved as if he was being 'recruited,' not as if he was being 'interviewed' for a roster spot.
As for Doe's 'collusion' allegation, the notion has already been shot down by NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter, who said last week on 'The Art Of Dialogue' podcast that Sanders and his famous dad 'overplayed their hand.'
Some fans have suggested owners agreed not to draft Sanders as a way to punish him for his dad's intense messaging and hype around the quarterback.
Doe, who owns a small logistics company in the Atlanta area, is representing himself in court. He said on Monday that he used a pseudonym in an effort to shield his business from the spotlight as he pursues his admittedly peculiar claim. ('The Court offers no opinion on the propriety of Plaintiff filing this action under the pseudonym 'John Doe,'' Magistrate Judge Christopher Bly wrote in an order allowing Doe, who claims he is unable to afford the customary filing fees, to proceed without upfront payment.)
An NFL spokesman did not respond on Monday to a request for comment.
Doe, according to his May 2 suit, is a 'dedicated fan of Colorado football and has closely followed Shedeur Sanders throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons.' It says he attended the first game Sanders played for the Colorado Buffaloes on September 2, 2023, against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, 'witnessing first-hand Sanders' exceptional talent and potential as a quarterback in Coach Deion Sanders' debut with the program.'
Yet, Doe's suit continues, despite Sanders' 'demonstrated skills and significant attention' from professional teams over the past two years, he was left hanging until Day 3 of the 2025 draft.
'Reports and leaked statements suggested that Sanders ''tanked interviews,' 'wasn't prepared,' and 'was too cocky,' which contributed to a narrative that has unjustly harmed his reputation and potential as a player,' Doe's suit contends. 'These slanderous statements reflect biases that influenced the NFL's decision-making process, causing emotional distress and trauma to the Plaintiff as a fan and consumer.'
Doe alleges in his suit that the NFL violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, claiming team owners unfairly conspired 'to influence the drafting process… [and] to restrain trade and limit competition within the league,' that the 'decisions made regarding Sanders may have been influenced by racial discrimination, violating his rights as a player,' that the NFL 'may have engaged in unfair practices by misrepresenting the nature of the drafting process and the qualifications of players,' and that the league'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.'
Aside from the $100 million in punitive damages Doe is seeking for the 'impact of the NFL's actions on his emotional well-being,' he is also asking the NFL for a 'formal acknowledgment… regarding the emotional distress caused by their actions and statements,' an apology and retraction of 'the slanderous statements made about Shedeur Sanders,' and the '[i]mplementation of fairer practices in the drafting process to ensure that talented players are recognized and given opportunities based on merit.'
However, as law professor Eugene Volokh wrote for Reason, Doe's case 'is going nowhere.' His claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress is flimsy, at best, and Doe does not have standing to bring such a case, according to Volokh. Further, he argued, Doe's contention regarding the NFL's supposed unfair practices is 'too vague to analyze.'
'I expect the court to indeed promptly dismiss it as frivolous,' Volokh wrote.
Doe told The Independent that he calculated the $100 million figure based upon his own 'emotional distress,' plus 'the amount of money that [Shedeur] lost by being the 144th pick.' (On 'The Art of Dialogue,' Cris Carter estimated that Sanders's late pick reduced his earnings by as much as $50 million.) When asked if he would offer to share any windfall with Sanders, were Doe to win his case, he said he would 'probably donate part of the proceeds to some local football associations to help the youth.'
Doe said he believes 'the NFL needs to be on alert,' even though he is fully aware he faces 'an uphill battle.'
'I don't have a legal team in place yet, and I am still trying to find [one] that would assist in this endeavor,' Doe said. 'I just want people to know that whenever they're feeling like they have no power, that there is always a way for you to gain power. The court system in the U.S. was established so that everyone could be heard. I believe that the NFL thinks that they're above the law and that they can just conduct business any kind of way that they choose to.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs
Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs

Yahoo

time43 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs

Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys' running back battle is going to be one of the most-watched situations in Oxnard when training camp begins. Advertisement But we might already have a clubhouse leader. And yes, we know it's OTAs, and there are still plenty of padded practices to take place, but Miles Sanders, by all reports, is impressing. As part of a running back room that includes Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue (who was injured in practice on Tuesday), and Deuce Vaughn, it has been Sanders who has impressed. "I don't know why anybody would be surprised with Miles' ability,' head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. 'I mean having been in the division and played against Miles when he was in Philadelphia you talk about a guy that's a home run threat. A guy that's got incredible ability to hurt you running, catching the ball out of the back field, all that stuff very smart, very bright.' Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams At AT&T StadiumTony Fisher So Sanders is making Schottenheimer take notice, and as it turns out, the Cowboys head coach isn't the only one speaking glowingly of Miles' ability on the practice field. Advertisement Our own Mike Fisher, who got a front row seat to OTAs on Tuesday, and like Schotty, was left impressed by the veteran running back ... again. "Miles Sanders did it again today," Fish said on The Fish Report. "He's got burst, all the things that I say about him when he was with the Eagles, you're watching Miles Sanders, and you're on the edge of your seat holding your breath every time he touches the ball. He does that at practice. He did it last week, and he did it again today. If they [Cowboys] had to make cuts to 53 today, they're not cutting Sanders. No way.' That is quite the endorsement from both Schotty and Fish. Yes, we know it's the Underwear Olympics, and offensive players get a little more leeway to play with than defenders, but it does appear that if a game were played today, Sanders might just start. Advertisement At a position that many think could go down to the wire when it comes to the final make-up of it, Miles is taking his chance. And everyone is noticing. Related: Cowboys Legend Reveals 'Totally Different Vibe' Under Schottenheimer Related: Cowboys' Schottenheimer Won't Shy Away From Super Bowl Prediction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

Cowboys Ex Amari Cooper Might Be 'Done' Barring Major Training Camp Change
Cowboys Ex Amari Cooper Might Be 'Done' Barring Major Training Camp Change

Yahoo

time43 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Cowboys Ex Amari Cooper Might Be 'Done' Barring Major Training Camp Change

Cowboys Ex Amari Cooper Might Be 'Done' Barring Major Training Camp Change originally appeared on Athlon Sports. FRISCO - It's a weird thing to note about a guy who has been to the Pro Bowl five times, but the track record says it's true: The acquisitions of Amari Cooper, every time, never quite work out very well. Advertisement The Amari move of 2019? Nope, it didn't work out the way the Dallas Cowboys envisioned. Close, but no cigar. His time in Cleveland, where Dallas trade-dumped him? Nope, because the Browns eventually turned around and did the same with him in moving him to Buffalo. And that 2024 midseason Amari trade? That didn't work out the way the Bills has envisioned it, either, with the big-name never really taking off in Joe Brady's offense. Granted, Cooper came in midseason and then had an injury, which isn't ideal when you are coming to a new team, as Amari was playing catch-up the entire time. So he's a free agent. And has been for months. Advertisement Teams that might've had an interest - including the teams that know him best - have gone in the other direction. The Cowboys had a need at wideout and so they traded for George Pickens. The Bills had a need at wideout and so they signed Joshua Palmer. ... and then they signed Elijah Moore, who used to play third fiddle to Amari in Cleveland. USA Today has been among the outlets not understanding what's happening here, recently writing, "He offers a veteran presence and consistency for a team searching for a proven player to add to their receiving room." That's what some in the media and some NFL fans think. Advertisement But as Amari turns 31 this month, the NFL is telling you - and him - their truth. Consider this telling review from one of his own former coaches from earlier this offseason. "Amari is done. That's not me talking," NFL insider Matthew Berry of NBC Sports posted on X. "That's from an offensive coach of a former team of his I spoke to at the combine." Is that true? Dallas is aware of what we at the time called "shrinkage,'' when Amari simply didn't come up big enough in big moments. Buffalo had to think about the production that Amari gave them last year as Cooper totaled just 297 yards and two touchdowns from 20 receptions in eight regular-season games and had six games for 41 yards in three playoff outings. ... in a postseason during which he was essentially benched. Advertisement When we add this fact, that in six of his Bills games, while playing with MVP QB Josh Allen, he had 12 or fewer yards? We're not saying Amari Cooper is done. But pending some team maybe calling him as a training camp move due to roster injury? The NFL is sort of saying Amari Cooper is done. Related: Josh Allen Making An Impact at Bills OTAs Despite Absence Related: Cowboys' Pickens Makes Official Jersey Number Change This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

Eagles to be featured on HBO this season as Hard Knocks goes In-Season with the NFC East
Eagles to be featured on HBO this season as Hard Knocks goes In-Season with the NFC East

Yahoo

time43 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Eagles to be featured on HBO this season as Hard Knocks goes In-Season with the NFC East

The NFC East is the most challenging division in the NFL, and things will ratchet up dramatically this season. The season will start with four potential 2025 playoff teams and many storylines. As HBO's Hard Knocks takes an inside, in-season look at this historical division, fans will now have an up-close look at the Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants' quest for a division title. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles to make their debut on Hard Knocks in'season with the NFC East

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store