This is a deeply emotional week for Deion and Shedeur Sanders, a father and son navigating two separate storms simultaneously. Colorado still has two games left on its schedule, including a primetime matchup against Arizona State, yet Deion’s attention is being pulled in ways no coach ever prepares for.
Shedeur has been thrust into his first NFL start after stepping in for Dillon Gabriel, who suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. And he’s doing it all while processing something far more personal, his home was robbed while he was on the field taking his first NFL snaps. Friends and relatives may converge on Las Vegas this weekend, some to celebrate his debut, others simply to show love during a chaotic, unsettling stretch of days. For the Sanders family, football is still the job, but life has forced its way into the foreground.
Deion Sanders didn’t hide how much this moment means to him. When asked about Shedeur’s first NFL start, the coach disappeared and the father took over. “I want to see my baby play…I haven’t watched him play in a real game in a long time. I’ve coached him, I’ve lived every snap with him, but I haven’t sat back and just watched him go. I want that. I want to see him…I want to take that in as a father.”
The follow-up question was obvious, Is he traveling to Las Vegas? “You never know. You never know. I just want to see my baby…I don’t know where I’m gonna be this weekend.” Further pressed, Coach Prime added, “I do know that if he’s playing ball, I want to lay eyes on him…I might. I might. We’ll see. But you can probably guess where my heart is leaning.”
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While he stayed non-committal about going to the game, the reasoning felt clear. This may be less about logistics and more about not stepping into his son’s spotlight. Still, it’s hard to imagine any world where Deion Sanders could slip quietly into Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.
Shedeur himself, still processing his first NFL start and the break-in at his home, made clear he barely has time to sleep, let alone talk. When asked how his dad had reacted to the news of him starting, he said, “Quite honestly, right now…I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m so focused on what I’m doing. I don’t even be talking to many people right now…I talked to Shilo. Shilo called me. But I said, ‘bro, right now, if you want to talk, everybody just fly in and come see me, bro.’ I ain’t trying to be on my phone. I’m not trying to do any of that.”
The flood of texts, many asking if he was safe, didn’t help. “Too many people have been texting me ‘are you okay?’ Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t get robbed; my house did.”
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Through all the noise, both men appear to be bracing for a week that will test them in different ways. The Buffaloes are trying to finish a frustrating year with two strong showings while Shedeur is trying to steady himself before the biggest opportunity of his young career.
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