Why is Shedeur Sanders fan suing NFL? $100M lawsuit explained

Shedeur Sanders was picked in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. The late pick of University of Colorado’s Sanders came as a shock for many fans of NFL, as he is widely projected as a top quarterback prospect. One of Shedeur Sanders’ fans has taken the matter to the court.

As per The Independent, the fan who is being referred to by the pseudonym John Doe, has filed a lawsuit against NFL, claiming damages worth $100 million.

According to the court documents obtained by the newspaper, Sanders’ fan John Doe has claimed that the quarterback’s poor performance in the NFL draft has caused him "emotional distress." The fan, in his court filing, has further claimed that collusion among various NFL team owners is the reason why Sanders did not do well during the NFL draft.

In conversation with The Independent, John Doe explained why he chose to sue the league, and said,

“This guy was projected to be the first or second pick, no later than the top five, and to watch mediocre players be chosen before him… it was frustrating… And to have all the NFL owners collude and not draft him, it was mentally frustrating and debilitating.”

John Doe also claimed that the team owners could go about with their discriminatory and damaging actions against Shedeur Sanders as they felt confident that there would be no legal action taken against them. The fan claimed that he filed the lawsuit as he wanted to challenge this attitude of the NFL team owners. As per The Independent, John Doe, in his lawsuit, alleges,

“Reports and leaked statements suggested that Sanders ‘'tanked interviews,’ ‘wasn't prepared,’ and ‘was too cocky,’ which contributed to a narrative that has unjustly harmed his reputation and potential as a player. These slanderous statements reflect biases that influenced the NFL’s decision-making process, causing emotional distress and trauma to the Plaintiff as a fan and consumer.”

The fan in his legal filing has accused NFL and the team owners of using unfair trade practices, and to augment his accusation, the court filing makes reference to NFL’s alleged violation of the Sherman Antirust Act.

Shedeur Sanders’ reacts to his draft pick

Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, has focussed on the positive side of his draft pick. As per USA Today, Sanders expressed his gratitude for being picked by Cleveland Browns in a conference call with Cleveland media, and said,

“I don’t ever focus on the negative or even think about the negative, because the positive happened so fast… It’s just understanding faith and that God really has me.”

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According to Marca, Shedeur Sanders will earn $4.6 million as per the deal struck in the fifth round of the NFL draft. The reports mentions that the figure would have been much higher had Sanders been drafted in the earlier rounds.

A report by The Daily Mail discussed a different setback that Sanders faces. According to the report, Sanders has been denied jersey No. 2, a number that he has been wearing ever since he has been playing football from his high school days. The report mentions that Sanders will begin the offseason for Cleveland Browns with jersey no. 12.

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