A $100M NFL Draft Lawsuit

Fan claims emotional distress over Shedeur Sanders falling in the NFL Draft 🏈

Author

Sideline Sports Law
May 08, 2025

Shedeur Sanders was once a projected Top 10 NFL Draft pick.

Leading up to the draft, the Colorado QB chose not to participate in certain workouts and was reportedly unprepared for team interviews.

Shedeur dropped to the 144th pick overall, and the historic slide to the fourth round dominated sports media headlines for weeks following the Draft.

But there’s someone who always takes things to the next level.

Last Thursday in Georgia, one NFL fan filed a lawsuit against the NFL seeking $100M in emotional distress damages.

Here’s the breakdown of the lawsuit:

The Complaint

Anonymous plaintiff John Doe filed a six-page complaint in Georgia federal court on May 1

Parties

  • Plaintiff (on offense): a Georgia resident, NFL consumer, and dedicated Colorado football fan

  • Defendant (on defense): the National Football League (NFL)

Jurisdiction

  • The Georgia federal court has jurisdiction because the matter involves claims arising under federal law, including the Sherman Antitrust Act and Civil Rights Act

Factual Background

  • Plaintiff closely followed QB Shedeur Sanders throughout his time at Colorado

  • Plaintiff attended the 2023 debut game for Shedeur and his father, Head Coach Deion Sanders

  • Plaintiff consumes media content related to Shedeur Sanders

  • Shedeur was selected with the 144th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

  • Negative media press suggested that Sanders “tanked interviews,” “wasn’t prepared,” and “was too cocky” which unjustly harmed his reputation as a player

  • The slanderous statements:

    • reflect bias in the NFL Draft process

    • caused emotional distress and trauma to plaintiff, as a fan and consumer

Claims for Relief

  • Violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act

    • NFL teams colluded to influence the draft process and Sanders’ selection constitutes a conspiracy to restrain trade and limit competition within the league

  • Violation of the Civil Rights Act

    • Decisions made against Sanders may have been influenced by racial discrimination, violating his rights as a player

  • Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

    • Fan suffered severe emotional distress, trauma, frustration, disappointment and psychological harm

  • Violation of Consumer Protection Laws

    • NFL engaged in unfair practices by misrepresenting the draft process

Relief Sought

  • A formal acknowledgment from the NFL regarding their slanderous statements and the emotional distress it caused

  • A retraction of the slanderous statements and an apology to Sanders

  • Implementing a more fair NFL Draft process to ensure players are selected based on merit

  • $100M in punitive damages for the harm caused to plaintiff’s well-being

Looking Ahead + My Thoughts

I think this lawsuit largely speaks for itself.

Sports fans are some of the most passionate people out there. And when things don’t go as planned, people feel some type of way about it.

I don’t think the NFL will have a problem dismissing this case. I don’t see how, for example, plaintiff can prove any damages, let alone $100M worth.

Perhaps plaintiff lost his fantasy football league and this was the punishment.

Either way, the hype for Shedeur Sanders is real and the NFL debut for some of these rookies can’t come soon enough.

Conversation Starters 🗣️

Diego Maradona’s Medical Records Seized at Argentinian Clinic 🏥

At a Buenos Aires health clinic, police seized Diego Maradona’s complete medical records as part of an overnight raid pursuant to a court order. The raid occurred amid a trial for seven health care professionals accused of negligence in the death of Maradona. The Argentinian soccer legend had surgery and remained in the ICU from November 4-11, 2020 before passing away on November 25 at the age of 60.

Cleveland Browns LB Devin Bush Arrested & Charged 🏈

Bush was arrested and charged with simple assault and harassment in Pennsylvania on Sunday. According to a criminal complaint, Bush and his girlfriend got into a heated argument. Bush’s girlfriend accused the NFL player of forcibly taking her phone and smashing it. Bush admitted throwing the phone, denied getting physical, and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 20.

Short edition this week as I’m still getting over last night’s loss to the Knicks. No further comment at this time.

Enjoy Mother’s Day this Sunday,

Duggs

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The Sideline’s work, including this article, is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. This article does not create an attorney-client relationship. The opinions expressed in the article belong solely to the author and do not express the views or opinions of the author’s employer.