All eyes will be on Shedeur Sanders when he takes the field for his first NFL start against the Raiders on Sunday. Aa lot of firsts are expected for the Browns rookie quarterback, who took his first snaps (and his first sacks) in last week’s loss to the Ravens but is still hunting for his first touchdown and career win as Dillon Gabriel continues to recover from a concussion.
Like any good father, Deion Sanders obviously wants to be there at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to watch his son’s first full pro debut. But there's apparently one big thing holding him back: the potential distraction of it all.
“I don't know, I haven't made up my mind yet,” Deion said Thursday when asked whether he plans to fly in to catch Shedeur’s game on Sunday. “I’ve been urged to go, I’m pretty sure he wants me to go. But I kind of, you know how you want to be out of the way? You don't want to be his distraction. Not that I ever would be.
“But then you think, ‘You know he came all the way up here to see you?’ So that’s even a shorter trip to go see him. You start thinking that as a dad, because you know what it'll mean to him if he just catches a glimpse of you before he walks out.”
Coach Prime says he’s still undecided on flying in to watch Shedeur’s first NFL start: “You don’t want to be his distraction.”
— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) November 20, 2025
“But then you think, you know he came all the way up here to see you? So that’s even a shorter trip to go see him.”
“You start thinking that as a dad.” pic.twitter.com/mJO2WVLq7Y
Shedeur memorably surprised his dad with a sweet family visit in Boulder during the Browns’ bye week earlier this month. The Colorado product also stuck around to watch his former team play Arizona that weekend, dapping up his dad on the sidelines before the game just like old times.
Given that Vegas is just a short flight away from Boulder, it seems more likely than not that Deion would book the ticket for a historic and momentous occasion like this, or else forever regret missing his son's first ever NFL start.
If Deion does end up making the trip out there, expect him to lay low away from the press, as he insisted he won't bring attention to himself on Shedeur's special day.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Deion Sanders May Not Attend His Son Shedeur’s First NFL Start for Browns.
