A self-proclaimed diehard fan of Shedeur Sanders is taking the NFL straight to court over the quarterback’s unexpected fall in the 2025 NFL draft — demanding $100 million in damages for the “emotional distress and psychological harm” he says he suffered watching the slide happen.
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Filed under the name “John Doe” in federal court, the Georgia-based fan’s lawsuit claims the league’s treatment of Sanders was not only unfair but part of a wider pattern of collusion, discrimination, and slander, CBS Sports reports.
Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Famer and University of Colorado Boulder head coach Deion Sanders, was projected by a slew of analysts as a first-round pick but wasn’t selected until the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns at No. 144 overall.
“It was immediate frustration,” the fan told The Independent, on the condition his real name not be published.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.”
The 55-year-old fan addd, “And to have all the NFL owners collude and not draft him, it was mentally frustrating and debilitating. For them to believe that they can just do this and there’s no recourse, it has to stop.”
In his suit, Doe accuses the NFL of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Civil Rights Act, and consumer protection laws, and he alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress. He claims leaked reports that Sanders “tanked interviews,” came off as “cocky,” and was “unprepared” contributed to a media narrative that unfairly damaged the quarterback’s reputation and, by extension, harmed fans like him. “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,” the suit reads.
Though he has no personal relationship with the player or his father, Doe says he closely followed Sanders’ collegiate career and even attended his debut game for Colorado in 2023.
In addition to financial compensation, Doe is seeking an official apology, a retraction of “slanderous statements,” and and the “[i]mplementation of fairer practices in the drafting process to ensure that talented players are recognized and given opportunities based on merit.”
Neither the NFL nor Sanders has yet to comment on the suit.
