Colorado fans were not happy about Shedeur Sanders’ slide into the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and one even decided to do something about it. In the wake of the Colorado QBs descent to the Cleveland Browns, an anonymous Colorado fan filed a lawsuit against the NFL for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Civil Rights Act, Consumer Protection Laws, and for the Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress and Trauma.
Now, this particularly litigious fan won’t give up the bit. On Monday, they filed an emergency motion for early and targeted discovery, citing “the urgency, public interest, and volume of evidence likely to be in the exclusive possession of the NFL.”
In the opinion of this writer, who is only slightly knowledgeable about the legal system but does have a solid grasp on common sense, this is a lawsuit with absolutely no chance of succeeding. But the plaintiff had to have known that going in. It was a joke that was only moderately humorous at the time, and certainly isn’t gaining steam. Like a classic Family Guy bit, John Doe will need to beat this into the ground for a long time for it to become funny again, and it’s unlikely the legal system will allow it to drag on.
The emergency motion for early and targeted discovery requests specific documents, including internal communications between NFL executives, league officials, team general managers, representatives, scouts, and owners relating to Sanders from January 1, 2024, through May 1, 2025.
If that wasn’t absurd enough, it also requests scouting reports, official draft boards, audio or video recordings of draft room communications, or NFL combine sessions involving Sanders, communications with third-party media outlets regarding the public portrayal and narrative of Sanders prior to the draft, and the real kicker: the 61 page arbitration report that found evidence of collusion against black quarterbacks. Needless to say, there's no chance the NFL is giving that up.
John Doe is swinging for the fences with this one, and maybe the end goal is to make any of this information public, but frankly, it’s time to give it up. Even Coach Prime and Shedeur himself have accepted their fate and gotten back to work rebuilding the young QB's image and battling for a roster spot in Cleveland. Keeping this story hovering over Shedeur while he attempts to move on from draft week isn’t the work of a true fan.