Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders feels a bulk of the criticism he receives may be carried over from what people have to say about a different Sanders.

The 2025 fifth-round pick spoke with reporters on Saturday and said that he believes "Ninety-nine percent" of the critiques he gets are more related to his father, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

"Ninety-nine percent of hatred is towards Pops," Sanders told reporters. "I'm just his son, so it really just comes from him and I told him that.

Sanders also said that he feels his critics tend to be older and mainly focused online.

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"It's the older generation that do it to me rather than the younger people," Sanders said. "When I come in person, there's no negativity I see but it's all over online."

Sanders was rated as No. 23 overall player and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. Despite these high rankings, he fell to the fifth-round and was even the second quarterback taken by the Cleveland Browns after the team selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round.

His fall was the story of the draft and it has been reported that Deion Sanders' presence may have impacted his son's draft stock. Shedeur Sanders has notably played for his father since he was in high school and followed him from Jackson State to Colorado.

The elder Sanders is an NFL Hall of Famer who won two Super Bowls and was an eight-time Pro Bowler. His flashy, "Prime Time" persona has been a major portion of his identity and the Buffaloes have consistently been a prominent topic in college football.

Shedeur Sanders is now with the Browns and joins a crowded quarterback room that consists of Gabriel, Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. He will contend for the starting job as he looks to prove himself without his father on the sideline.