Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders suffered fractured back Week 12 against Washington State

Shedeur Sanders took a beating throughout his first season with Colorado, and it eventually led to him fracturing his back against Washington State in Week 12.

When Sanders missed the Buffaloes’ finale against Utah over the weekend, many wondered what the reason why could be. Evidently, it’s been revealed by Deion Sanders Jr. through a video posted by Well Off Media on YouTube, a channel run by the quarterback’s brother, per Sports Illustrated.

“Before the season finale against Utah, the two brothers were walking onto the field together, and Deion Jr. could be heard asking Shedeur if the team was going to disclose his injury and he said, ‘I don’t think so.’ Deion Jr. went on to say that he wants people to know what Shedeur is going through before the quarterback walked away,” wrote Joseph Salvador of Sports Illustrated.

At the bottom of the screen, the text reads, ‘He has a fracture in his back.'”

Alas, there you have it. While Colorado themselves never fully disclosed the extend of Sanders’ injury, we now know what was ailing the Buffaloes quarterback.

In his stead, Ryan Staub took the field for Colorado against against the Utes. He passed for for 195 yards and a touchdown in their 23–17 loss, marking Colorado’s sixth loss in a row.

Deion Sanders discusses Shedeur Sanders injury, decision to sit out

In the Colorado Buffaloes final game of the season, they were without star quarterback Shedeur Sanders. In what contest, the Buffaloes came up short on the road against Utah, falling 23-16. After the game, in the postgame press conference, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders addressed the absence of his starting quarterback and son and revealed additional information about his status.

“Shedeur is hurt. I don’t know about a procedure; Shedeur has been hurting for a while. And just prolonging that, and prolonging, and prolonging that. You guys understand what time it is,” said Sanders.

This season provided a ton of firsts for Sanders as Colorado’s head coach. But unexpectedly, it provided a first time experience he wasn’t particularly fond of. According to the Buffaloes headman, Saturday’s contest against Utah was the first time he coached without Shedeur Sanders playing. That experience was a difficult one for him.

“Ironically, that was my first time playing without my son, Shedeur. I played without Shilo [Sanders] a few times because he went on to South Carolina. But that was my first time that I was available, and he wasn’t. He played when I was in the hospital for a month in Jackson, but that was my first time playing without him. And it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy; picturing him and understanding him after we take our walk and now it’s time to get down. That wasn’t easy at all. [Ryan] Staub did a wonderful job.”