Shedeur Sanders returned to familiar territory Thursday night, showing up to support his former Colorado Buffaloes teammates and his father, Deion Sanders.
For Shedeur, it was a chance to reconnect with the program that helped shape his career while backing his father from the sideline. The team also wrapped up a narrow 14-13 win over Georgia Tech, capping off an eventful evening that ended with Coach Prime making a few things clear.
Deion Sanders Gets Emotional Talking About Shedeur Sanders’ Sideline Appearance
When Coach Prime stepped into the post-game conference, reporters naturally brought up Shedeur’s visit to the sideline.
He explained that this reunion hit him differently from how the outside world might see it. The media often sees him as the head coach of the Buffaloes, but he is a loving father too.
“I’m a father; I think y’all forget that,” he said. “Y’all see a coach, you subscribe. You see someone that has dabbled with success in certain areas of life. Some of them have gotten made up, and they’ve made up a few mistakes as well. But y’all forget I’m a real loving, caring father, and that’s my son, so I feel it.”
The Colorado head coach said that’s why the gesture from Shedeur carried more weight for him personally.
“For him to get out of practice and make it to this game, I think he’s going to fly back to Washington to stay a couple of days. Like, I love that,” he added. “I love fatherhood. I really do.”
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Coach Prime’s perspective also carries extra weight, as Shedeur’s return quickly became a meme. The timing made the scene amusing for fans because Shedeur now belongs to the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room.
Cleveland recently announced that Shedeur would begin the season as the primary backup to Deshaun Watson. This decision also drew criticism from fans who wanted the former Colorado star to earn the QB1 role. Coach Prime also weighed in on this situation.
Speaking to reporters on August 26, Deion Sanders suggested his son has earned a bigger chance with the Browns.
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“We all know what’s transpiring with Shedeur, although he’s playing extremely well,” he said. The comment added another layer to the ongoing discussion around his son’s role.
Although Sanders stopped short of directly calling out Cleveland, his message raised questions about the quarterback competition.
The Browns’ head coach, Todd Monken, named Watson the starter after evaluating the offseason, training camp, joint practices, and two preseason games.
Watson completed 16 of 27 passes for 162 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Shedeur completed 15 of 22 throws for 153 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
However, he looked more comfortable against the Buffalo Bills, going 9-of-11 for 74 yards and a touchdown. Still, Shedeur’s past production remains part of the conversation.
In his rookie season, his 63.0 PFN QB Impact grade ranked 37th among 38 qualifying quarterbacks in 2025. That mark sat well below the 75.0 average-starter benchmark.
