Deion Sanders sparked a firestorm earlier this week when he claimed that not only would Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter be two of top-4 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but there are certain cities that the Colorado Buffaloes head coach isn’t going to let happen.
Now, with Shedeur being his son, it makes sense. You previously saw Archie Manning get involved as Eli Manning forced his way from the then-San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants. But never before have we seen a head coach of a program directly influence which NFL teams can and cannot select one of his prospects.
And weighing in on that debate Monday was Robert Griffin III on ESPN’s Get Up, as the former Heisman-winning quarterback touted the era of player empowerment.
Robert Griffin III responds to Deion Sanders saying Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will pull Eli Mannings to avoid playing in certain cities when they get drafted.
"The power shift is coming, so everyone needs to buckle up… without the players, all of these sports leagues… pic.twitter.com/fvVBKTZPB2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 25, 2024
“The power shift is coming, so everyone needs to buckle up,” said Griffin. “All these college coaches have been running to the NFL because they’re ‘upset’ that the college players have a little bit more power and a little bit more say. Well, guess what? Those same kids that they’re running away from are gonna be the ones coming up the ranks and coming into the NFL in the next few years. So, Deion’s saying that either Shedeur or Travis are going to pull an Eli doesn’t surprise me at all.
“Look at what happens this year. Caleb Williams goes to the (NFL Scouting) Combine, doesn’t do anything except for meetings, and doesn’t even let the medical teams go out there and look at him because he says they don’t need to. Marvin Harrison Jr. doesn’t do his Pro Day, doesn’t do the Combine, doesn’t do the 40 because they don’t need to. In today’s age, with the athletes and their mindset, they’re empowered. They know that they can control their own narratives. They know that they can be a part of the media while they’re still playing.
“So, if the players that are coming up are saying these things and feel this type of way, you’re going to see more of them pull an Eli and say, ‘I understand that playing in the NFL is a privilege, but that privilege is earned through my play or through my pay.’ And the players right now understand that they don’t have to do the status quo and they don’t have to sit here and answer to whatever they’re told to do anymore. Because without the players, all of these sports leagues are nothing. This is the player empowerment age, and you’re seeing it come into the NFL.”
While RG3 makes a valid point about the rise of player empowerment in the NFL, the trend of college coaches leaving for the NFL might be overstated. We’ve seen several coaches, including Wink Martindale, Eric Bieniemy, and Bill O’Brien, return to the college ranks recently. Notably, Martindale became the highest-paid assistant coach in college football, and O’Brien took over the head coaching position at Boston College.
And while player empowerment is very real, it’s Deion Sanders who is holding that empowerment by speaking on behalf of his two players, including his son. Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. are also prime examples, but they aren’t dictating which teams can and can’t take them. Williams has pushed back at the idea that he would demand out of Chicago, one that was perpetrated and later walked back by Colin Cowherd. And yes, they’ve largely made Pro Days and the Combine obsolete, but in the age of player empowerment, players want the tape to speak for itself, and it should.
Only time will tell how Sanders’ comments and the evolving landscape of player empowerment will impact the relationship between college coaches, players, and the NFL draft.
But with players like Williams and Harrison prioritizing on-field performance over traditional scouting events, the NFL may need to adapt its evaluation methods in the era of player empowerment. And that evaluation should include prospects who have signaled they don’t want to come to a city near you.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter/X]
