Shedeur Sanders will make his first NFL preseason start for the Browns, but he will be playing in a game without his dad, Deion Sanders, on the sideline.
Deion has coached Shedeur for much of his high school and college career, working as an offensive coordinator at his high school before becoming his head coach at Jackson State and Colorado. With Deion remaining in Colorado to coach at the college level, he will not be present to coach his son for the first time in a long time.
"It's gonna be a little weird, it's gonna be a little strange, it really is," Deion told reporters on Friday. "I've got to admit that."
“He’s gonna be a problem out there tonight,” - Coach Prime on Shedeur Sanders’ preseason debut 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/BBP4kDFNI4
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"We've already spoken three times today," Deion said. "We just got off the phone joking and clowning like crazy. It's gonna be strange for both of us. I was in the hospital the last time I missed three games, but this time I'm well. Me going out there taking that walk and him taking that walk, and he knows I'm not there. That's different, that's different for him."
While this start will be different for the Sanders family, Deion remains confident as ever in his son's preparation for his first NFL action.
"But he's so prepared right now," Deion said. "A lot of people approaching it like a preseason game, he's approaching it like a game. That's how he's always approached everything, to prepare and approach it like 'this is it.' He's thankful and appreciative of the opportunity. ... He's gonna be a problem out there tonight."
Sanders is expected to get extensive play time against the Panthers, and a shot to prove himself amid a five-man battle for the Browns' starting quarterback job. The fifth-round pick will get an opportunity to make a strong impression, and though Deion might not be present on the sideline on Friday, he is surely excited to watch and support his son play.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Deion Sanders Shares Honest Thoughts on Son Shedeur Making First Preseason Start.
