Could Shedeur Sanders have joined the New Orleans Saints? That’s certainly the path his famous father Deion Sanders wanted for him, but not because he saw New Orleans as a prime destination for the younger Sanders to start right away (which was what made backing up Lamar Jackson on the Baltimore Ravens a turnoff). He felt this was the right spot for Shedeur to learn from Derek Carr, a veteran quarterback Deion holds great respect for.
The elder Sanders sat down with David and Derek Carr on the Home Grown podcast, and he shared some insight to why he was pushing so hard for the Saints to draft his son Shedeur.
“I wanted my son to be on the same team that you were on because I know what you would pour into him,” Sanders said. “I really did want my son on the same team that you could guide him and lead him, I’m telling you, man.”
Carr’s perception among Saints fans didn’t exactly paint the portrait of a great leader; he was criticized for dodging accountability after bad games and was repeatedly seen bickering with coaches and teammates during games. But it’s clear that the elder Sanders respected him greatly, and saw a future where Carr mentored his son. But when news broke that Carr was retiring due to a career-threatening shoulder injury, Deion Sanders used the opportunity to push for the Saints to draft Shedeur anyway. Maybe he liked the idea of Shedeur wearing black and gold regardless of the other quarterbacks on the roster. Either way, the younger Sanders is slowly climbing the Cleveland Browns depth chart, and now he’s been named the No. 2 behind his fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel after the team traded Joe Flacco. Maybe he’ll end up starting some games this year eventually in Cleveland. We’re guessing Carr will be watching.
