NFL agent breaks down Trump's impact in Shedeur Sanders saga

After Shedeur Sanders fell retired of the archetypal circular of the NFL Draft connected Thursday, President Donald Trump plunged the concern into the governmental realm connected Friday afternoon. 

Trump's Truth Social station calling NFL owners "stupid" for not drafting Sanders and calling for the backmost to beryllium "picked IMMEDIATELY" became 1 of the astir unexpected moments of an unprecedented draught slide.

Sanders was yet not picked "IMMEDIATELY" arsenic Trump ordered, arsenic the 4th slipped retired of the 2nd and 3rd rounds aboriginal connected Friday night. Sanders did not extremity up getting taken until the 5th circular connected Saturday, with the 144th prime by the Cleveland Browns. 

Still, Trump's property caput Karoline Leavitt took the liberty of crediting Trump's station for Sanders getting picked astatine all. 

"All I volition accidental is the president enactment retired a connection and a fewer rounds aboriginal helium was drafted. So, I deliberation the facts talk for themselves now," Leavitt told reporters connected Monday. 

However, famed NFL cause Leigh Steinberg is not truthful speedy to recognition Trump for helping Sander get taken. 

"I would privation to be, successful a precise divided state wherever there's utmost opinions connected some sides of the spectrum, arsenic a-political arsenic possible," Steinberg told Fox News Digital astir what his absorption would beryllium if Trump called for 1 of his clients to beryllium drafted. 

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From near to right, President Donald Trump, Shedeur Sanders and Stephen A. Smith. (Getty Images)

Steinberg, who has represented a record-breaking 8 players taken with the archetypal wide prime successful the NFL Draft, does not judge that Trump's station had a large interaction connected the result of Sanders' draft. 

"I don't deliberation truthful due to the fact that teams are tightly focused successful their warfare rooms crossed the country, and they cognize who they want, and I don't spot a squad downgrading him due to the fact that of the engagement of a governmental figure," Steinberg said. 

Still, Steinberg believes that Trump's weighing successful heightened the scope of the concern successful presumption of publicity. 

"It surely did that due to the fact that it progressive the full conception of the nationalist that follows the president but mightiness not person different conscious of what was going on," Steinberg said. 

Additionally, with added attraction whitethorn travel an unexpected payment to Sanders, adjacent if it did not assistance his draught stock. 

Steinberg said that helium believes that Trump's praise of the backmost volition yet heighten Sanders' reputational worth and his marketability arsenic an NFL pro going forward, present that helium yet has a team. 

Sanders was erstwhile projected to contend for the apical wide prime successful the draught and perchance beryllium presumed arsenic a team's starter close away. 

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However, reports of Sanders interviewing poorly with teams and rumored quality concerns emerged successful the months and weeks starring up to the draft, and helium yet suffered an unprecedented descent to the 5th round. 

Steinberg himself was surprised, arsenic helium expected Sanders to beryllium picked successful the 2nd round. The agent, who has represented athletes for much than 50 years, says Sanders' draught descent was the astir astonishing draught descent that helium has ever seen. 

"It's being played retired by a nationalist audience, and it distorts clip due to the fact that it seems similar endless and the player's being rejected and rejected and rejected, and it's similar a decease by a 1000 cuts," Steinberg said. "This is arsenic precipitous a autumn arsenic I've seen successful my 51 years." 

As a seasoned cause with a past of getting quarterbacks drafted high, Steinberg believes determination are definite things that Sanders could person done to assistance his draught banal successful 2025. 

For one, Steinberg says the backmost could person benefited from having an cause of his own, arsenic Sanders opted to correspond himself with his begetter and erstwhile assemblage manager Deion Sanders. 

Had the household opted to spell with an cause instead, past Steinberg expects they would person tally an interrogation simulation with an NFL wide manager earlier the NFL combine, arsenic Steinberg did with galore of his clients successful the past. 

"We bring successful a wide manager who prepares a subordinate for those one-on-one visits astatine the combine," Steinberg said. 

"The players are hole for immoderate questions are to beryllium asked and the subordinate advances the due attitude, which is they request to beryllium self-confident but not arrogant." 

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Colorado Buffaloes backmost Shedeur Sanders, #2, talks to ESPN aft the University of Colorado NFL Showcase astatine the CU Indoor Practice Facility connected April 4, 2025. (Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images)

Steinberg besides says helium would archer a backmost lawsuit to standard backmost connected societal media enactment and effort to summation publicity if helium felt it had go excessively much, if helium had specified a client.

"Any consciousness that it would beryllium a circus-like ambiance for the squad that drafted him would not beryllium thing they'd privation for their culture," Steinberg said. 

"Deion Sanders is great, but if the mode successful which they utilized societal media raised concerns that this would not beryllium a low-key squad player, humble subordinate entering a team, that could person influenced someone." 

Still, Steinberg believes Sanders is inactive equipped to person a palmy NFL career, and believes helium tin contend for the team's starting backmost presumption arsenic soon arsenic his rookie year. 

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