Shannon Sharpe weighs in on Deion Sanders and Asante Samuel feud

Shannon Sharpe addresses Deion Sanders in debate with Asante Samuel over T-Step technique.

A public debate between NFL legends Deion Sanders and Asante Samuel over cornerback technique has intensified, with Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe now weighing in on the controversy.

The discussion centers on the "T-Step," a movement used by defensive backs that involves stepping forward before planting with the opposite foot to drive into a break. Sanders criticized the move at the Big 12 Pro Day, joking, “If one of my players do that, I’m ripping his facemask off.”

Samuel, a strong advocate of the technique, responded on social media, calling Sanders’ comments “foolishness.” He defended the T-Step as the most efficient way to reach the football and pointed to his own success using it. The former Patriots star compared his stats to Sanders’, highlighting that he recorded 51 interceptions—just two shy of Sanders’ 53—despite playing 35 fewer games. He also noted that he had two more postseason picks.

On the Nightcap podcast with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Sharpe addressed the feud. While acknowledging Samuel’s impressive career, he drew a clear line between the two players. “You’re not in [Prime] Time’s realm,” Sharpe said. “Nobody will ever say Asante Samuel and Deion Sanders in the same breath.” He dismissed the reliance on stats, adding, “I don’t look at stats, I watch tape,” and referenced Darrelle Revis as a prime example of greatness with fewer career interceptions.

Ochocinco took a more balanced stance, calling both players elite and noting that different techniques suit different skill sets.

While both Sanders and Samuel are two-time Super Bowl champions and respected cornerbacks in their own right, the debate highlights a broader truth in the NFL: there are many different paths to greatness—some defined by athleticism, others by precision.