When Eli Manning dropped 5-word response to Deion Sanders' threat of replicating Giants legend’s draft approach with Shedeur Sanders

The 2025 NFL draft is on the way, and two of the Colorado Buffaloes' brightest candidates, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, will be among the top picks.

Shedeur was expected to be a top five selection last season. However, Shedeur’s father, Deion, didn’t want his son to join a team where he wouldn’t progress, suggesting that Shedeur might pull an "Eli" in the draft.

NY Giants legend and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning was excited upon hearing the news and responded with a five-word message, tweeting:

"I love me some Deion."

During an appearance on Barstool Sports in March 2024, Coach Prime said:

"Anywhere from one through four. One of them is going to be one. And the later one will not go behind four. Now, all this is subjective because I know where I want — kind of want them to go.

"But I know where I want them to go. So, there's certain cities that ain't going to happen. It's going to be, 'Sorry,' it's going to be an Eli."

The term refers to a move where a rookie refuses to show up for the team that drafts him. Although it was first done by Ernie Davis in 1962, John Elway became the first NFL player to do it in 1983.

However, the term gained popularity in modern times when Eli Manning refused to play for the San Diego Chargers, who had the No. 1 draft pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Manning and his father, Archie, made it clear before the draft that he did not want to play for the Chargers, who had a poor reputation as a struggling franchise at the time.

Despite this, the Chargers made an opportunistic move by drafting Manning anyway and later trading him to the NY Giants for the No. 4 draft pick, Philip Rivers, along with additional draft picks, including a first-round selection in 2005.

Eli Manning risks his career on the back of his NFL legacy

Since the NFL didn’t have a rule against the practice, it was highly criticized by fans. Although the move benefits players, it is considered risky for a rookie, who could lose their contract opportunity.

In Eli Manning’s case, he was a quarterback from the Manning family, so he didn’t suffer much. Perhaps ironically, Shedeur finds himself in a similar situation as the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders.