Stephen A. Smith Blasts NFL For CONSPIRING Against Shedeur Sanders │ Rac!st Owners Blackballed Him? | HO

The 2025 NFL Draft was supposed to be a coronation for Shedeur Sanders, the talented quarterback son of Hall of Famer Deion “Prime Time” Sanders. Instead, it became a lightning rod for controversy, with accusations of racial bias and collusion swirling around the league’s most powerful owners.

At the center of the storm is ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who has never been one to shy away from calling out what he sees as injustice—especially when it comes to Black athletes being “put in their place.”

The Slide That Shocked the Sports World

Heading into draft night, Shedeur Sanders was projected by many as a top-10 pick. His stats at Colorado were impressive, his leadership unquestionable, and his pedigree as Deion’s son made him one of the most talked-about prospects in years. But as the picks rolled in, Sanders’ name was nowhere to be found. Not in the first round, not in the second, not even the third or fourth. Finally, with the 144th pick in the fifth round, the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders.

The shock was immediate. Social media exploded with questions. How did a player with Shedeur’s résumé fall so far? Was it about his interviews? His attitude? Or was something darker at play?

Stephen A. Smith: “This Was a Power Play”

Stephen A. Smith wasted no time in voicing his theory. On his show and across social media, Smith accused the NFL’s predominantly white ownership class of orchestrating a campaign to humble both Shedeur and his father, Deion Sanders.

“Young kid privileged to be raised by a father who’s universally recognized as one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen—and a champion. By the way, he’s still Black. We don’t like his brashness. We don’t like his absence of humility. I believe they all came together in a clandestine meeting and decided they were going to embarrass, humiliate, and sabotage both Deion Sanders and his son Shedeur Sanders on draft day.”

Smith argued that this wasn’t about talent or readiness. Instead, he claimed, it was about sending a message: No matter how successful you are, if you’re Black and proud, the NFL will remind you who’s in charge.

The Collusion Theory Gains Traction

Smith wasn’t alone. Dr. Umar Johnson, a controversial but influential voice in Black activism, went even further. He likened the NFL’s actions to those of “plantation slave masters,” claiming that the league’s owners conspired to “destroy” Shedeur and Deion as a warning to Black America: “You have no power here.”

Dr. Umar even called for Deion and Shedeur to sue the NFL for racial discrimination and collusion, arguing that the league’s actions were a direct attempt to sabotage Shedeur’s career simply because he refused to play by their rules.

Former Congressman Jamaal Bowman joined the chorus, saying, “The NFL doesn’t like Shedeur Sanders because he wears gold chains and talks like a rapper. They don’t care that he’s a leader, intelligent, tough, and completed 77% of his passes with no O-line and no running game.”

Critics Push Back: Was It Really Collusion?

Not everyone bought into the conspiracy. Many former players, analysts, and NFL insiders pointed to Shedeur’s own actions as the real reason for his draft slide. Reports surfaced that Shedeur skipped key pre-draft events like the Shrine Bowl and NFL Combine, bombed interviews, and projected an air of entitlement that rubbed teams the wrong way.

Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason said on WFAN, “A bunch of coaches and GMs around the league think Shedeur comes off off-putting and too into himself. And Deion didn’t help by acting like he could dictate where his son would play.”

Longtime draft analyst Todd McShay confirmed that multiple teams told him Shedeur acted like he didn’t care what they thought, which was not a professional approach.

Even Deion’s own comments may have backfired. On national TV, he openly declared there were teams he “wouldn’t allow” Shedeur to play for, suggesting he would intervene if the wrong team drafted his son. This “helicopter dad” style clashed with the NFL’s culture, where franchises expect to make their own decisions about player development.

The Double Standard Debate

Supporters of Shedeur and Deion argue that white quarterbacks with similar confidence—think Baker Mayfield or Joe Burrow—are celebrated as competitive leaders, while Black players are labeled arrogant or difficult. “No one tells Joe Burrow to be humble. No one told Tom Brady to be humble,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

But others say the NFL is a business, not a popularity contest. If Shedeur were truly a generational talent, teams would have looked past the attitude—just as they did with his father, Deion, decades ago.

NFL Insiders: “It’s Not That Deep”

NFL agent Lee Steinberg dismissed the collusion theory, telling TMZ Sports, “Teams want to add to their roster players that give them a chance to win. That desire to have the best players overrules any other conspiracy theory.” Former ESPN president John Skipper echoed this sentiment, saying teams simply didn’t see Shedeur as a first- or second-round pick, and many coaches didn’t want to deal with Deion’s outsized personality.

What’s the Real Story?

In the end, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. There’s no question that Shedeur’s confidence and Deion’s brashness made some NFL decision-makers uncomfortable. But there’s also little hard evidence of a coordinated plot to blackball him. The NFL is full of unspoken codes and traditions, and when someone challenges them—especially someone as visible as Deion Sanders—it can trigger a backlash.

But was it collusion? Or just cold, hard business?

The Verdict

If Shedeur succeeds in Cleveland, the narrative may shift again—perhaps to one of redemption. If he fails, critics will say the NFL was right to pass on him. For now, the debate rages on, fueled by Stephen A. Smith’s fiery rhetoric and the larger conversation about race, power, and who really calls the shots in America’s most popular sport.

One thing is certain: The 2025 NFL Draft wasn’t just about football. It was a flashpoint for issues that go far beyond the field, and it forced the league—and all of us—to confront uncomfortable questions about race, respect, and what it really means to “earn your place” in the game.