Former Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman slammed NFL teams for not drafting University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was not selected in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL draft, claiming race played a factor in their decision.
Sanders, the son of hall of fame NFL cornerback Deion Sanders, was hyped was one of the top NFL draft prospects by many analysts. Bowman, who lost his House seat last year after a primary challenge, ranted about his draft slide in a post on X Friday morning.
‘America continues to fear strong black men’
“The NFL doesn’t like Shaduer 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,” Bowman said.
The NFL doesn’t like Shaduer 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.
He’s entitled but Eli Manning wasn’t entitled when he refused to… pic.twitter.com/EzIbDmyZRJ
— Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (@JamaalBowmanNY) April 25, 2025
Bowman also referred to former Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, also from a famous football family, refusing to play for the then-San Diego Chargers in 2004, eventually forcing a trade to the New York Giants, in claiming a double standard.
“He’s entitled but Eli Manning wasn’t entitled when he refused to be drafted by San Diego? He’s not athletic, but that didn’t stop Joe Montana, Drew Brees or Tom Brady. America continues to fear strong black men who come from means and have a strong sense of themselves without submitting to the ‘dominant’ culture,” he added.
Why is Shedeur Sanders not getting drafted?
While some have pointed to race as a determining factor, others have expressed skepticism about such claims. The first overall pick in the draft, and first QB selected, was Cameron Ward — an African-American quarterback from the University of Miami. University of Alabama’s black signal caller Jalen Milroe was also selected ahead of Sanders.
Every QB-needy team that passed up on Sanders currently or recently rostered or drafted a black quarterback.
Sanders has been criticized as a prospect for lacking elite arm strength, taking too many sacks due to poor pocket presence and holding onto the ball too long, an average win-loss record at Colorado, and a lack of maturity. While he has been touted as one of the more accurate passers in the draft, his completion percentage has been inflated by the large number of short screen passes his team’s offense ran.
Questions about his maturity were put in the national spotlight when he publicly blamed his offensive line after a loss to Nebraska in 2024, and they were amplified shortly before the draft when scouts leaked how terrible his team interviews during the NFL combine allegedly went.
One NFL assistant coach said his interview with Sanders was “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life. He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates… But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
In addition to questions about the player, there are also concerns about his father creating unnecessary distractions. The outspoken hall of famer made a number of controversial comments prior to the draft, leading some to speculate whether that would lead to problems with team chemistry or negative headlines.
What others are saying: ‘STUPID’ … ‘Kaepernick all over again’
ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith blasted Sanders not being picked in the first three rounds as a “damn disgrace” and claimed it was similar to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick not being signed after protesting the national anthem — although Kaepernick’s playing ability had noticeably declined prior to the protests.
This is a damn disgrace. How in the hell is @Shedeur not off the board, not drafted yet. Y’all still think this doesn’t have anything to do with teams hatin on @DeionSanders. This kid is a first rounder. In a different way, this is Kaepernick all over again…..being kept out. A…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 26, 2025
“This is a damn disgrace. How in the hell is @Shedeur not off the board, not drafted yet. Y’all still think this doesn’t have anything to do with teams hatin on @DeionSanders. This kid is a first rounder. In a different way, this is Kaepernick all over again… being kept out. A damn disgrace. I don’t care what anyone says!” Smith said.
Bowman and Smith have an unlikely ally in their frustration with Sanders not being drafted, as President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to call the NFL owners “STUPID” for not drafting Sanders, who he claimed “is all set for Greatness.”
TRUMP SLAMS NFL OWNERS FOR SNUBBING SHEDEUR SANDERS IN DRAFT: ‘ARE THEY STUPID?’
“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness. He should be ‘picked’ IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!” Trump said.
Sanders is likely to be drafted in one of the later rounds as the NFL draft concludes Saturday with rounds 4-7 on Saturday beginning at noon.
