"How’d that work out for Colin Kaepernick?" - NFL fans take issue with Dr. Umar asking Shedeur Sanders' family to sue league for $40,000,000

NFL fans fired back at motivational speaker Dr. Umar Johnson after he called for Deion and Shedeur Sanders to sue the NFL for $40 million. This comes following the quarterback's unexpected slide to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

In a clip shared by "The Art Of Dialogue" on X on Wednesday, Dr. Umar urged the Sanders family to pursue legal action against the league.

"I stand in solidarity with the Sanders family over this because this is wrong," Dr. Umar said. "And whether it's Shannon Sharp or Carmelo Anthony or Shedeur Sanders, an attack on any black man is an attack on every black man.

"Do not let this go, Deion. Do not let this go, Shedeur. Do not let this go. Because guess what, Art? What better karma could Shedeur get from this than to sue the NFL and get all 40-plus million dollars back that they robbed from him on draft day?"

Fans responded with skepticism.

"How'd that work out for Colin Kaepernick?" one wrote.

In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. He accused team owners of colluding to keep him out of the league because of his protests.

"Keep race out of it. It wasn't his skin color. There were many factors, but that wasn't one of them," another wrote.

"Delusional at best," one said.

More reactions poured in:

"Moral of the story: if you fall in the draft just sue the league because why not," one fan commented.

"Click bait," another fan wrote.

"Oh settle down...so dramatic," a fan said.

Draft experts point to Shedeur Sanders' approach, not discrimination

NCAA Football: Colorado NFL Showcase - Source: Imagn

Multiple NFL insiders and former players presented alternative explanations for Shedeur Sanders' draft-day slide. According to The Athletic insider Dianna Russini, a team executive shared a revealing perspective.

"I believe Shedeur approached these visits with teams as a recruiting trip versus a job interview." Russini said on Thursday, via the "Scoop City" podcast.

The unnamed executive pointed to Sanders' decision not to hire an agent as a "critical mistake" that left him unprepared for how NFL teams evaluate quarterback prospects. His choice to skip both the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine also cost him valuable opportunities to showcase his skills before NFL decision-makers.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that Sanders "more or less sandbagged" interviews, particularly with teams he wasn't interested in joining.

The financial impact of Sanders' draft position is substantial. As the first overall pick, Cam Ward will reportedly earn $48.8 million, including a $32.2 million signing bonus. However, Sanders' fifth-round selection means a contract worth approximately $1 million per year with a signing bonus of just $446,553 (according to Spotrac) — a difference of $47 million.