If you thought it was difficult watching Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders fall to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, one fan claims it was so distressing that he filed a lawsuit against the NFL over it.
According to a lawsuit first reported by MSNBC legal blogger Jordan Rubin, an anonymous fan—referred to in court filings as “John Doe”—is suing the NFL for $100 million in emotional damages. Sanders, who many projected as a first-round pick, wasn’t chosen until pick No. 144 by the Browns.
The fan, a Georgia resident and devoted follower of the University of Colorado football team and its affiliated media outlet “Well Off Media” (run by Colorado head coach Deion Sanders), claims to have suffered extreme emotional distress over the situation.
The complaint alleges that negative reports from NFL executives—that Sanders deliberately underperformed in interviews and came across as arrogant—led to coordinated efforts to drop his draft stock. Doe claims this amounted to collusion aimed at keeping Sanders from being selected earlier.
According to the lawsuit, “The NFL’s conduct and the spread of defamatory remarks caused the plaintiff significant emotional suffering, including distress, disappointment, and mental trauma as a fan.”
As of now, the NFL has not issued a comment to NJ Advance Media regarding the lawsuit.
Doe further alleges that racial bias may have played a role in the league’s handling of Sanders and argues that his civil rights were violated.
Along with the $100 million in damages, Doe is seeking a public acknowledgment of the emotional toll, an apology and retraction of the remarks about Sanders, reforms to ensure draft decisions are based on player merit, and any other remedies the court finds appropriate.
Although teams like the Giants and Eagles reportedly showed strong interest in Sanders—attending private workouts and considering him in the fifth round—the Browns traded up to secure him before those teams had a chance.
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