Football fan alleges discrimination, collusion in NFL draft against Shedeur Sanders: Lawsuit

Atlanta, GA – May 2025 — The NFL is facing a $100 million lawsuit from a football fan who alleges that the league conspired to damage quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ draft position, causing him “severe emotional distress,” according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

The suit, filed in federal court in Atlanta by an anonymous individual identified only as “John Doe,” claims that NFL teams intentionally collaborated to push Sanders into a lower draft round—a move the plaintiff argues violates antitrust, civil rights, and consumer protection laws.

Sanders, a standout quarterback from Colorado, was projected to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranking him as the second-best QB available. Sanders had an impressive 2024 season, completing 353 of 477 passes (74%) and leading the Buffaloes to their first nine-win season since 2014.

But expectations collapsed on draft weekend when Sanders fell to the fifth round, eventually selected 144th overall by the Cleveland Browns—a team that passed on him six times and even drafted Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round, despite Kiper ranking Gabriel just eighth among quarterbacks.

The surprise slide became one of the biggest storylines of draft weekend, drawing record viewership on Day 3. But for the fan behind the lawsuit, the experience was traumatic.

“The NFL’s actions and the spread of harmful statements about Sanders have caused me severe emotional distress and trauma,” Doe wrote in the lawsuit.

According to the filing, Doe is a Georgia resident and long-time Colorado football fan who attended the Buffaloes’ 2023 game vs. TCU—Sanders' debut, where he threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-42 win.

The lawsuit alleges that negative reports about Sanders’ pre-draft interviews unfairly damaged his image and cost him millions in potential earnings. It accuses the NFL of:

1. Violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by suggesting teams coordinated to suppress Sanders’ draft value.

Violating the Civil Rights Act by implying racial bias may have played a role in his drop.

Violating consumer protection laws by misleading fans about the fairness and transparency of the draft process.

As of now, the NFL has not issued a public response to the legal action.

This lawsuit adds yet another twist to the dramatic draft fall of Shedeur Sanders, who remains one of the most discussed players of the 2025 class—both for his on-field potential and the off-field controversy now surrounding his selection.