Deion Sanders sees scenario where Miami Dolphins draft his son to play quarterback

NFL legend Deion Sanders — the current head coach at the University of Colorado — seems to be keeping an eye on the Miami Dolphins and their quarterback situation this season.

Sanders, speaking with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, hinted at a scenario where the Dolphins could use his son Shedeur, the current starting quarterback at Colorado.

“See, I’m bein’ a father now — I’m not a coach,” he began. “Okay, so there’s a situation looming in Miami right now that, okay, Tua [Tagovailoa] out for, what, two more weeks after this? … Let’s say three more weeks. So, what would that record possibly look like in three weeks?

“And if he warrants another concussion, that’s got to be all she wrote. That, we prayin’ that don’t happen. Even right now, we’re like, ‘Hmm, I don’t know.’ What should he do or what should the Miami Dolphins do?”

The elder Sanders continued.

“What I’m saying is that if he sustains another concussion or he’s done period, what do you do?” he asked. “… I told you, I started this off by sayin’ I’m lookin’ at it as a father now. … What do you do businesswise if you the Dolphins?

“Do you go into the draft and take a quarterback, which (is) what I’m saying, or do you say, ‘Tua, let’s check this out. Let’s see what we gon’ do.’ Is his health more important than that?”

Johnson then realized that such a situation could open the door for the Dolphins to draft a player like the younger Sanders — which was the elder Sanders’ point all along.

“You just got that revelation, huh?” the elder Sanders teased. “… Don’t tell him — let him think he just thought of it.”

The Dolphins appear to have short-term and long-term questions at the quarterback position as Tagovailoa recovers from yet another concussion.

Last season, Tagovailoa did a fantastic job of staying on the field, starting all 17 regular-season games for the Dolphins and quieting concerns about his ability to stay healthy.

Unfortunately, those concerns have returned in a big way this season. Miami, now 1-3, hasn’t won a game since he suffered his last concussion. He won’t be eligible to return until Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, meaning the Dolphins will have to get through at least two more games without him.

In the short term, Miami is trying to save its 2024 season. In the long term, the team may be worrying about its future at the quarterback position. Concussions are clearly a major problem for Tagovailoa, and with each one that he suffers, more and more people grow concerned about his future both on and off the field.

That could lead to the Dolphins selecting a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft, especially because their options behind Tagovailoa haven’t gotten the job done this season.

The younger Sanders is enjoying a strong 2024 season at Colorado. His team is 4-1, and he has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,630 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.

While the Dolphins are certainly looking forward to seeing Tagovailoa healthy and back in action, it’s entirely possible that they’re evaluating their future at the quarterback position behind the scenes.