Former Dem congressman suggests Shedeur Sanders fell in NFL Draft because 'America fears strong black men'

Fox News ^ | 4/25/25 | Jackson Thompson

[Libloather]

After NFL quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders was not selected in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday, many critics debated why on social media.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman joined the debate Friday, suggesting the reason Sanders slid was because "America continues to fear strong black men." Bowman also compared the 23-year-old quarterback to former NFL star Eli Manning, who refused to play for the San Diego Chargers after being selected with the No. 1 pick in 2004.

"The NFL doesn’t like [Shedeur]Sanders because he wears gold chains and talks like a rapper. They don’t care that he’s a leader, intelligent, tough and completed 77% of his passes with no O-line and no running game. He’s entitled but Eli Manning wasn’t entitled when he refused to be drafted by San Diego?" Bowman wrote on X.

"He’s not athletic, but that didn’t stop Joe Montana, Drew Brees or Tom Brady. America continues to fear strong black men who come from means and have a strong sense of themselves without submitting to the 'dominant' culture."

Bowman added in the video that he expects the Cleveland Browns to select Sanders with the first pick of the second round Friday night.

"It's the way Shedeur dresses. It's the way he talks, and it's his culture, in my opinion. You see him at the draft last night. He's wearing all black. He got the L chain on, and he talks like a rapper," Bowman said.

[alternatives?]

Sanders isn’t running against McCain and Romney.

[Strict9]

NASA and Chess Champiinships REALLY fear the strong black mens.

[scrabblehack]

Ryan Leaf was even better.

[Racketeer]

They saw what the NBA got with that James’ boy and so just did not want to take a chance on the Sander’s boy!

[Racketeer]

They heard that the son told the father, “Dad, I do not want to play football. I just want to cross dress”!!

[pburiak]

Yep. It doesn’t matter your color, your college pedigree, or level of raw athleticism beyond a baseline level.

Lots of QB’s have shown that if you’re coachable, have a high football IQ, are cool under pressure, and can command the respect of your coaches and teammates you can have a good career in the NFL.

A rocket arm or running back speed can get you so far but if you’re a head case, can’t read a defense, or a locker room cancer, none of that matters.

Johnny Manziel, Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell etc. are all color-blind examples.

[MTBobcat]

More like the NFL fears weak-armed QBs on the shorter side. The clown show that comes with that family doesn’t help either, but it’s a talent issue in this instance. Cleveland signed a (alleged) serial rapist black QB to the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history a few years ago because Deshaun Watson has elite talent.

[dfwgator]

I note that of all the great quarterbacks who played for the Gators over the years, the one who has had the longest NFL career is Jacoby Brisette.

[EVO X]

The other question is, is he coachable?

Post 38 suggests he is not coachable..

[FlingWingFlyer]

Yeah. Jamaaal is having a hard time staying in his lane ever since he rang that fire alarm in House of Representative building.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The Disco Daze Quarterback. Always ready to take a knee.

[SunkenCiv]

With all the upheaval around NCAA rules in recent years, Mike Florio wonders if Shedeur Sanders could go back to school if he is upset with his draft slot... Mike Florio, creator of the industry-leading Profootballtalk.com, offers his NFL insight alongside regular guests, including former NFL athletes such as Chris Simms. Pro Football Talk informs and entertains with the most up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the topical NFL stories of the day.

Could Shedeur Sanders return to college after 2025 NFL Draft?
Pro Football Talk | 19:46
NFL on NBC | 327K subscribers | 4,661 views | April 26, 2025

[MrRelevant]

God these folks are insufferable. “Strong black
men” went 1-2-3.

What teams dont want is the other part of the package- Dad

[dfwgator]

Any coach worth his salt knows, that if his team gets off to a slow start fans will be calling for Deion to come in and take over as head coach.

[pburiak]

Exactly. He’s just the “type” I was referring to. He may never be a long term starter but he will be on an NFL roster as long as he’s physically capable.

Gardner Minshew, Josh Dobbs, Mason Rudolph, Tyrod Taylor, all cut from the same cloth.

[cnsmom]

Sometimes these legacy players are nothing but headaches aka Chad Kelly, not always a race thing.

[7thson]

Every black player in the NFL should take this as an insult.

[tnlibertarian]

Keep an eye on the UCLA twins (Madden and Nico) at UCLA to see if their dad screws up their career.

He already has. He cost Nico seven figures, and Arkansas is enforcing Madden’s buyout clause of about $200k.

[cnsmom]

He will go to the CFL with all the misfits.

[cnsmom]

Or another CO transplant like Chad Kelly. Who couldn’t even behave in the CFL.