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University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders made headlines over the weekend when he said that he might advise his son Shedeur Sanders and fellow Colorado star Travis Hunter to “pull an Eli” if they get drafted by bad NFL franchises.
In typically boisterous Sanders fashion, Deion claimed that both Shedeur and Hunter will be top four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, with one of them going first overall.
If either of the pair are drafted by poorly-run NFL franchises, however, Deion said that he’ll have them pill “an Eli,” which is shorthand for refusing to play for the team that drafts you and forcing a trade away from them.
“Now, all of this is subjective because I know where I want them to go. And let’s not forget Shilo [his other, less talented son]. But I know where I want them to go. So there are certain cities that, it ain’t gonna happen. It’s gonna be an ‘Eli’,” Sanders said on the Million Dollars Worth of Game podcast.
In response to Deion’s comments, Eli certainly wasn’t bashful about the fact that his name was being used as a slang term for selfishly screwing over an NFL franchise, saying in a tweet that he “loves me some Deion.”
I love me some Deion. https://t.co/S3CSrw38ve
— Eli Manning (@EliManning) March 25, 2024
While both Shadeur and Hunter are currently expected to be first-round picks should they declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, the duo each going in the top four will be a tall task given the presence of other elite prospects such as Carson Beck (QB), Quinn Ewers (QB), Luther Burden III (wide receiver), James Pearce (pass rusher), Will Campbell (offensive tackle), Kelvin Banks (offensive tackle), and Will Johnson (cornerback).