Cowboys Legend Confirms Humiliating Run-In With Ex-GM as Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Fall Exposes Dark NFL History

A distasteful question is disrespectful, no matter the intention behind it. But lately, everything happening to Shedeur Sanders has been a topic of conversation across the league. His dramatic fall in draft position has apparently revealed some uncomfortable truths about how things work behind the scenes.

His draft fall took us back to a humiliating incident involving former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant in 2010. Garrett Bush, host of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, took to X to recall the incident and wrote: “People rejoiced while Shedeur fell in the draft because he was allegedly immature, arrogant, and unprofessional. But we allow team executives to ask inflammatory sick questions to prospects. Former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland asked Dez Bryant if his mother was a pros—ute. #Browns.” Bryant’s reply to this tweet?

Just a word: “Fact” on Garrett’s post. The man in question here is Jeff Ireland, who asked the player this distasteful question. At the time, Ireland was serving as the Dolphins’ GM. But how did Bryant respond back then? In an interview with Yahoo Sports!, Dez shared that despite feeling extremely angry, he didn’t show it. He said, “I got a lot of questions like that: Does she still do drugs? I sat and answered all of them.”

When the incident was revealed publicly, Jeff Ireland, in his defense, said that it was his job to find as much information as possible about a player his team was thinking of drafting. “Sometimes that leads to asking in-depth questions.” He later added, “I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him. I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him.” However, the hurt still echoes.

Fact. https://t.co/B3CygzDpd5

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 28, 2025

Well, these incidents put a huge question mark on the draft process. At times, executives and teams cross the line in their pursuit of ‘getting to know’ potential prospects.

Shedeur Sanders’ draft fall: Uncovering NFL draft practices

Much like Bryant, Shedeur Sanders’s draft fall also raises concerns about how far some teams are willing to go in their evaluations of players. While Bryant faced intrusive and distasteful questions, Sanders was criticized for being “brash” and “arrogant.” But is this scrutiny only based on his character? Or does it have something to do with his last name as well? A lot of people are of the view that the league is indifferent toward Sanders because he is Deion Sanders’s son.

When Shedeur wasn’t drafted in the first round, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took to X to express his frustration with the teams. He called the situation a “damn disgrace,” questioning how Sanders, a highly talented QB, was still available. “How in the hell is @Shedeur not off the board, not drafted yet. Y’all still think this doesn’t have anything to do with teams hating on @DeionSanders,” he wrote.

Smith then compared Shedeur’s situation to Colin Kaepernick’s, stating, “This kid is a first-rounder. In a different way, this is Kaepernick all over again… being kept out. A damn disgrace. I don’t care what anyone says!” Former Niners QB and now a civil rights activist, Colin Kaepernick, went through somewhat similar treatment from the league in 2016.

NCAA, College League, USA Football: East-West Shrine Bowl Jan 30, 2025 Arlington, TX, USA West quarterback Shedeur Sanders of Colorado 2 looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the East at AT&T Stadium. Arlington AT&T Stadium TX USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeromexMironx _JMA5466

After the former QB participated in a peaceful protest during the national anthem against racial injustice, the NFL essentially blackballed him. Kaepernick’s career ended shortly after that, and he accused NFL owners of collusion to keep him out of the league.

All in all, these incidents highlight how personal biases, both subtle and overt, may influence the draft process. At the end of the day, the questions surrounding players’ futures shouldn’t be about who they are off the field, but about their skills, work ethic, and what they can bring to the game. What do you think?

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