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the fan, who filed the federal lawsuit as 'John Doe,' told The Independent, on the condition his real name not be published.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

Action! Jets using helmet-mounted cameras to help Justin Fields and the other QBs improve
Action! Jets using helmet-mounted cameras to help Justin Fields and the other QBs improve

San Francisco Chronicle​

time9 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Action! Jets using helmet-mounted cameras to help Justin Fields and the other QBs improve

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — There's a new addition to the New York Jets ' huddles this offseason. And it's not just the quarterback. The team is using video cameras attached to the top of the helmets of Justin Fields and fellow QBs Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook throughout organized team activities and the Jets' three-day minicamp this week. The purpose is to record every aspect of the play, from the quarterback getting the play, taking the snap, going through his reads and finishing. Then, the players and coaches can closely review the footage — and make director's cuts to the plays and the playbook. 'Yeah, it's kind of cool,' Fields said Wednesday. 'It's my first time ever doing it, but it's definitely cool just basically kind of hearing the play call again and kind of just going through, making sure you're just doing everything within the process of the play. So yeah, I like the GoPro a lot.' Using technology to measure progress is far from a new concept in the NFL, with several teams incorporating cameras, GPS systems and virtual reality in training, something the Jets did several years ago. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has used a helmet-mounted video camera and Minnesota also used them on its QBs last season. Jets coach Aaron Glenn was with Detroit when the Lions used GoPros and he and his staff, including offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand and quarterbacks coach Charles London, thought it might be useful with a new set of signal callers in New York. 'We said, let's give it a shot in rookie minicamp and see what it looks like, and then we loved it and we just said, let's just do it,' Engstrand said. "Everybody's doing it the whole time and it's been phenomenal for those guys. It gives direct feedback. Shoot, the O-line coach is in there watching the tape with his O-line, you know what I mean? 'Because you can hear everything — you can hear the calls. It's been really beneficial for us.' One of the knocks on Fields during his first four NFL seasons has been that he sometimes holds onto the football too long, leading to sacks and interceptions. The GoPros can be used as a tool to help offset and improve that shortcoming while allowing Fields and the rest of the quarterbacks to understand what they're seeing and hearing — and how it's translating on the field. 'Instead of trying to guess, 'Where did your eyes start?' we'll go back and watch it,' London said. 'You can see where his eyes started and you can see how he went in his progression.' It also helps the wide receivers, running backs, tight ends and offensive line get more familiar with the quarterback's cadence while watching the recorded video and audio. And everyone can hear every on-field comment, too, leading to some laughs. 'They only turn it on when you're actually on the field,' Fields said before grinning. 'But, I mean, some funny things have definitely been said and they've definitely been picked up, for sure.' That might take some getting used to for some players, but Engstrand said all the quarterbacks were open to the idea. "We didn't have to convince them of anything because they look at it and they go, 'This is a way for me to improve,' and that's what they're all here to do," Engstrand said. 'They're all here to find a way to get better and help contribute to the team and get us some more wins on the board. So, there was no convincing needed there.' Fields, a first-round draft pick in Chicago in 2021 who spent last season in Pittsburgh, has previously spoken about using his past experiences to help improve on and off the field. He's heading into this season as the Jets' starting quarterback and plans to gather some of his offensive teammates for throwing sessions during the break before training camp next month. 'I kind of had a feeling when I got here guys were looking for a leader to step up on offense,' Fields said. 'So, I was glad to receive that role and, of course, pushing the guys each and every day to be our best and play up to our standard.' And Fields has been doing exactly that — and his work on the film has gotten rave reviews. 'The biggest takeaway I would say is that this guy is just a workaholic,' Engstrand said. 'He comes in early, he's here late and he's trying to digest everything and download all the information and do things the right way. He's trying to do things that we're asking and I think he's really put the next foot forward every day, just trying to stack days, and it's been really good.' ___

Kyle Shanahan was rightfully annoyed how fans overreact to NFL practices
Kyle Shanahan was rightfully annoyed how fans overreact to NFL practices

USA Today

time15 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Kyle Shanahan was rightfully annoyed how fans overreact to NFL practices

Kyle Shanahan was rightfully annoyed how fans overreact to NFL practices Dearest readers, I need you to sit down, because I think I'm about to blow some of your minds. The entire point of NFL practices, especially in this delicate time of year during minicamps and organized team activities (where no one is wearing full pads, mind you), is not peak performance at the highest level. It's to allow NFL players to digest their playbooks, try new things out if they must, and above all, make mistakes so they can learn from them in the future. Every other possible practice goal is ancillary. Every single one. So, the moment you start overanalyzing how good, say, a quarterback was during his practice by doing something absurd like counting their completion percentage and touchdowns, you've already lost the plot. You're overreacting to something that NFL coaches don't even care about themselves. You can count San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who has been to three separate Super Bowls as a coach, in that camp. DOG DAYS OF SUMMER: 1 glaring weakness every NFL team must address On Wednesday, while discussing what he wants to see from his 49ers quarterbacks like Brock Purdy, Shanahan went on a diatribe about how we overreact to NFL practices. He noted that the gathered reporters' presence has changed how we view players still trying to grow, because there can be a tendency to overanalyze and, really, over-report what happens on any given day. This dynamic, to Shanahan, is harmful for players who see people reacting to their every step in practice and respond by hedging toward playing for practice instead of practicing to play. That is a very key distinction for all athletes, not just NFL players. Are you trying to get better for possible situations you might see from an offense or defense when someone's keeping score? Or are you trying to look better in practice, and then you're inherently less prepared for meaningful games? The former is how one becomes a better professional football player. By learning what works and what doesn't. The latter is a one-way ticket out of the league. Honestly, I've gotta hand it to Shanahan. This is a salient point that I think isn't discussed enough about the NFL: None of this is to say that you shouldn't care about how players on your favorite team perform in spring and summer practices. I'm not trying to yuck anyone's yum about seeing a hotshot rookie or young talent get back to the grind. That part is fun. It's what helps keep the sports calendar rolling along. This also isn't to say that how a player practices doesn't matter, because it does. You're just likely never going to hear a coach's honest thoughts about someone on their roster based on what they do in only a helmet and shoulder pads. The only way we can make definitive judgments about NFL players is by seeing what happens between the lines from September through February. Nothing else. That's the truth. So, please, for everyone's sake: don't take what you see in NFL practices over the next weeks and months too seriously. Don't get too high or too low. It doesn't serve players well. And it definitely doesn't serve your own mental health well. The time to get excited or pull all your hair out about a player is around the corner. I promise.

Aaron Rodgers announces marriage after signing with Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers announces marriage after signing with Pittsburgh Steelers

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Aaron Rodgers announces marriage after signing with Pittsburgh Steelers

(NewsNation) — Aaron Rodgers announced during a Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp on Tuesday that he is now married. But who is the football star married to? After signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers told reporters that he was wearing a wedding ring after being asked. He also said it has 'been a couple of months' since he got married. However, he didn't tell reporters who his new wife is. USA TODAY reported that Rodgers said he was 'in a serious relationship' back in April during an episode of 'The Pat McAfee Show.' 'I'm 41 years old. I'm in a serious relationship. I have off-the-field stuff going on that requires my attention… I have personal commitments I made, not knowing what my future was going to look like after last year, that are important to me,' he said. BTS reunion nearing, almost all members done with military service The last time he mentioned having a girlfriend was on the same show in December 2024. He called her 'Brittani,' saying she spelled her name with an 'I.' It is not clear if this is the same woman that Rodgers is now married to, as the football player didn't reveal his new wife's identity. Rodgers has dated many celebrities in the past, including actress Olivia Munn and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. He was also briefly engaged to actress Shailene Woodley. In the Netflix series 'Aaron Rodgers: Enigma,' Rodgers spoke about his previous relationships. 'I didn't do myself any favors with some of the girls I dated after that—that were in the public eye,' Rodgers said. He also dated other celebrities, like actress Jessica Szohr in 2011, as well as friends, like Mallory Edens, according to PEOPLE. On Saturday, Rodgers officially signed a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN reported that Rodgers' deal has a guaranteed $10 million and could be worth up to $19.5 million with the other incentives that were added. Rodgers used to play for the New York Jets, but left the team in February after throwing 3,897 yards and making 28 touchdowns last season. Rodgers has been playing in the NFL for 20 years and has been the NFL MVP four times. He spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers before spending two seasons with the New York Jets. He had been one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL with the Packers and won Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers in 2011. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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