Most people were stunned at how long it took for Shedeur Sanders to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but one fan says the experience was downright devastating for him. That fan is now suing the NFL.
An unidentified fan who used the pseudonym John Doe filed a lawsuit against the NFL in a Georgia federal court on Friday seeking $100 million in punitive damages over the “emotional distress and trauma” that was inflicted on him when Sanders fell to the fifth round of the draft. The fan described himself in the complaint as a “dedicated fan of Colorado football.”
The lawsuit accuses NFL team owners of engaging in “collusive practices” that resulted in Sanders not being drafted until the Cleveland Browns took the quarterback in the fifth round. The plaintiff spoke with Justin Rohlrich of The Independent about his motivation behind the lawsuit.
“It was immediate frustration,” the Georgia man said. “This guy was projected to be the first or second pick, no later than the top five, and to watch mediocre players be chosen before him … it was frustrating.”
The 55-year-old, who insists he has no personal connection to Sanders, said the NFL and team owners need to be held accountable for what they did to the former Colorado star.
“And to have all the NFL owners collude and not draft him, it was mentally frustrating and debilitating,” the man said. “For them to believe that they can just do this and there’s no recourse, it has to stop.”
The man claims the NFL violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and accuses team owners of working together to “influence the drafting process.”
While the lawsuit stands virtually no chance of succeeding, there are even prominent members of the media who have accused the NFL of colluding against Sanders.
In reality, it seems like Sanders made some huge mistakes leading up to the draft that resulted in some teams removing him from their boards altogether. Many fans have chosen not to hold him accountable for that, but only one has filed a $100 million lawsuit over it.
