Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is getting some recognition for his play on the field as the Carolina Panthers have put together a pretty good season so far.
On Monday Night Football, the Panthers, led by quarterback Bryce Young, have traveled to the West Coast for a clash against Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers. But with his last name, some people might wonder if he’s related to a particular football-centric family.
Is Ja’Tavion Sanders Related to Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders?
Yes, Ja’Tavion Sanders has the same last name as Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his father, Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders.
Are they related? No, Ja’Tavion is not part of that Sanders family tree. Shedeur Sanders has been getting plenty of headlines after his impressive first NFL start for the Browns.
Ja’Tavion is a Texas native, and his mother is Jennifer Smith. Beyond that, very little information about his family has been made public, as they have mostly kept their personal lives private.
As for the Panthers’ tight end, he’s going to try his best to get some highlight-reel catches and plays when Carolina gets the ball on offense. According to the PFSN NFL TE Impact metrics, Sanders has an impact score of 72.6 and grades out to a C-.
Sanders, though, was not on the field for the Panthers’ first offensive series as teammate Tommy Tremble was out there. Tremble, according to the PFSN NFL TE Impact metrics, has an impact score of 73.6 and grades out to a C.
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Sanders is in his second season with the Panthers. So far in his NFL career, he has 57 catches for 512 yards and one touchdown. He played in 16 games in his rookie season in 2024, starting eight of those. So far in 2025, Sanders has appeared in eight games with three starts.
He played his college football at the University of Texas when the Longhorns were part of the Big 12 Conference. Sanders was a fourth-round draft choice by Carolina in the 2024 NFL Draft. In Texas, Sanders totaled 99 catches for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns.
While Ja’Tavion Sanders looks to make news under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, Shedeur Sanders is getting ready for his second consecutive start in the NFL. On Monday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Sanders would start again for Cleveland.
There was a lot of angst online when Stefanski didn’t give Sanders a game ball or even name him the starting quarterback after Sunday’s game. For Monday night, though, all eyes will be on Ja’Tavion and how he can play on the field.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
