Shedeur Sanders lawsuit filed by Colorado Buffs football fan ‘unlikely to succeed,’ may be deemed ‘frivolous’

Every year, there’s a sports story that crosses into the “real world” and creates a headline so absurd, it’s stranger than fiction. A Colorado Buffaloes football fan suing the NFL for emotional distress after Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round of the NFL draft is May 2025’s version of that.

The lawsuit will seek a “formal acknowledgment from the NFL regarding the emotional distress caused by their actions and statements,” a “retraction of the slanderous statements made about Shedeur Sanders, along with an apology for any harm caused to his reputation” and implementation of “fairer practices in the drafting process to ensure that talented players are recognized and given opportunities based on merit.”

John Doe, the Georgia resident who is redacting his name, claims "the NFL's actions and the dissemination of slanderous statements have caused severe emotional distress and trauma."

Needless to say, MSNBC’s Jordan Rubin doesn’t take this suit very seriously and has a hunch it won’t be taken seriously by the jury either.

For starters, the plaintiff can’t even pay his court fees.

“Admittedly, it’s a little difficult to know where to start with this one, other than to sum things up by saying that it’s unlikely to succeed. Indeed, the Hail Mary comparison might be generous, because those prayerful throws still have a shot at scoring,” Rubin wrote.

“We may soon learn whether the court thinks the claim can even get on the field, so to speak. Doe filed it under what’s called ‘in forma pauperis,’ which is when someone says they can’t afford filing fees. When that happens, one of the things that courts look at is whether the suit is ‘frivolous.’ That determination could come soon and result in dismissal.”

It’s hard to truly understand where this fan is coming from. But he got his 15 minutes of fame, even if he won’t attach his name to it.