Deion Sanders made some powerful revelations on the New Heights Podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce. The conversation, initially light and focused on football banter, quickly escalated when Sanders started discussing some hidden aspects of the NFL and how Shadour Sanders, his son, has already become part of negotiations at the highest levels.

Shadour, a young quarterback from Colorado, has yet to be drafted, but his name has already surfaced in NFL war rooms—not because teams are looking to pick him, but because they are using his potential as leverage in contract negotiations with current quarterbacks. Sanders made it clear that Shadour is being exploited as a “pawn” in the larger power struggles between NFL front offices and established quarterbacks.

The situation is about far more than neglect; it’s about strategic manipulation. Teams are not interested in drafting Shadour but are throwing his name around to pressure current quarterbacks into accepting less favorable contract terms. Sanders blasted the NFL system, calling it broken, lazy, and transactional, particularly when it comes to how young quarterbacks are treated. He argued that players like Shadour are expected to arrive fully ready to perform, without mentorship or support, and if they don’t immediately fit, they are discarded.

But what really fueled Sanders’ anger was the notion that his son’s name—his identity—was being used for financial games. The idea that teams would try to use Shadour’s name as a threat without any real intent to draft him, just to leverage current quarterbacks into submitting to team demands, deeply offended Sanders. He called out the NFL for exploiting players in this way, particularly young black quarterbacks, who face even more significant challenges.

The irony, as Sanders points out, is that Shadour is one of the most promising quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, but his name is being used behind the scenes in ways that undermine his potential. It’s not just about his skill set; it’s about how the league views and treats players based on their value in contract negotiations. Sanders’ message is clear: this system is broken, and it needs to change.

He also put a spotlight on how teams, particularly the Browns, have reportedly used Shadour’s name to exert pressure on their own quarterbacks, even though they have no intention of drafting him. For Sanders, this is more than just a tactic; it’s a symptom of a larger issue within the NFL culture. Teams are willing to sacrifice the futures of young players in the hopes of gaining an advantage in contract negotiations.

This is a bigger issue than just one player or one team. It’s about how young, talented players are being exploited and left without the proper support and mentorship they need to thrive. Shadour’s situation, according to Sanders, is a warning flare for what’s wrong in the NFL—a league that treats players as mere assets, not human beings with their own futures and careers.

Through this conversation, Sanders is not just defending his son; he’s calling for a fundamental change in how the NFL treats young talent. He believes that players like Shadour deserve real opportunity, development, and mentorship—not to be used as pawns in contract disputes. Sanders is drawing attention to the NFL’s failures to nurture its most promising young stars.

By going public with these frustrations, Sanders is making sure that Shadour’s situation doesn’t just fade into the background. He’s making sure that the NFL can’t ignore the exploitation of young talent any longer. Whether the NFL acknowledges it or not, Shadour has become a symbol for the league’s failures to treat its young players with respect.

The bottom line: Sanders isn’t just a dad looking out for his son. He’s starting a movement that challenges the very foundation of how the NFL does business. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and the recognition of the humanity behind every player’s name. And if the NFL doesn’t change, Sanders will be there, ready to keep calling them out.