Colin Cowherd calls Deion Sanders “pageant mom" following Shedeur Sanders’ 5th-round debacle

Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd believes that Deion Sanders did his son, Shedeur Sanders, no favors by how he approached the NFL draft process for the Colorado quarterback.

According to Cowherd, the bravado Deion put in front of the cameras earlier in the year, telling teams in no uncertain terms that he would have a hand in his son's development, put off teams regarding Shedeur.

On a video released for his podcast on Sunday, in the aftermath of the NFL draft, Cowherd said this about Deion's part in Shedeur's fifth-round selection.

"I thought that it was really strange that all the draft coverage that I saw, as everybody was shocked, dismayed, that Shedeur Sanders had fallen in the draft," Cowherd said. "Nobody said, even mentioned, that maybe dad didn't help him out.

"I know, I know a lot of people know Deion Sanders and like him. But, go back. It wasn't until mid-March when Deion, probably somebody, got into his ear, or maybe he came to his senses. Where Deion Sanders said, 'OK, my son can be drafted by anybody.'"

Cowherd also highlighted that it seemed like Deion Sanders wanted to dictate terms to the owners and decision-makers of the NFL, that he tried to make them feel small, if you will. Exactly what reports from Shedeur's interviews said was the impression coaches and general managers had of the prospect.

"And nobody wants just to note that, acknowledge that, mention that," Cowherd said. "You know, I have said on my show before, quarterback dad has become pageant mom. Where the heart is in the right place, but sometimes they do a disservice to their kids."

Cowherd compared the situation to Nico Iamaleava's recent departure from Tennessee. According to his sources, the quarterback's dad was the one to push for his son to get more money. In the end, Iamaleava ended up moving to a lesser program at UCLA, with allegedly lower income and with the higher cost of living associated with Los Angeles.

What is Shedeur Sanders' situation at the Cleveland Browns now?

Shedeur Sanders is entering one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in football right now, with storied starters like Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco and three-time Pro-Bowler Deshaun Watson. Besides these veterans, the franchise also recently added former Pittsburgh starter Kenny Pickett through a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

To add insult to injury, Sanders not only dropped to the fifth round of the draft but was also the second quarterback picked by the Cleveland Browns. Big Ten MVP Dillon Gabriel also joined the franchise, being selected with the 94th pick in the third round.

For the time being, the backup quarterback job will be a three-way battle between Sanders, Gabriel and Pickett. Initially, conventional wisdom would say Sanders is the underdog here, as Gabriel is seemingly more valued, having been picked earlier. The Browns gave up a fifth-round pick and a quarterback to get Pickett from Philadelphia, which means he is worth more than Sanders, who's a fifth-round pick.

However, the situation is not as dire as it might seem. Deshaun Watson's injury woes make him an unreliable starter going forward, while Joe Flacco's age means he's not a long-term solution for the franchise. There's room to become the starter for the Browns in the next few years, but first, Shedeur Sanders has to beat Pickett and Gabriel for the backup job.