Coach Prime, don’t let your son grow up to be a Carolina Panther.

If the season ended after a 28-14 rout of the helpless and hapless Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High, the Broncos would be a playoff team — the No. 5 seed in the AFC.

With baby steps on offense and big sticks on defense, Bo Nix and the boys look the part.

“I can see this team is definitely on the rise to compete at the next level… which is the playoffs,” star cornerback Pat Surtain II said on a Sunday soaked in sunshine and good vibes.

And if their season ended today, the Panthers would tell you that God is merciful. There have been some doozies, including the home team, but that’s the worst team I’ve seen at Mile High.

Mile High brought the holiday spirit, with Halloween costumes ranging from Barney the purple dinosaur to a ringer for Donald Trump. The scariest thing was the Panthers. Carolina (1-7, limping toward 1-16) right now would hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

And there’s a 22-year-old in Boulder who should be the No. 1 pick: Shedeur Sanders, the best quarterback in college ball and in Colorado.

The Sanders fam knows fit is everything for a young quarterback. When a can’t-miss prospect enters the draft and doesn’t like what he sees, it’s usually Papa Bear who steps in: Thanks, but my son will be playing elsewhere.

Jack Elway refused to let his son play for the Baltimore Colts. So the Colts traded John Elway to the Broncos. Eli Manning refused to play for the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers front office said then it was Archie Manning, his father, behind the decision. Dads know best.

Would Deion Sanders voice his preference and steer Shedeur in a different direction?

“I know where I want them to go. So it’s certain cities that ain’t gonna happen,” Coach Prime said on a podcast earlier this season. “… It’s gonna be an Eli (Manning situation).”

It’s hard to believe and beautiful to see: Colorado has a pair of football revivals going on.

The Buffs won Saturday to become bowl-eligible in a full season for the first time since 2016. The Broncos won Sunday and are kicking butt with five wins in six games.

And while there is reason for optimism Nix can solve the Broncos’ quarterback problem after his best game so far as a pro, the future superstar who calls Colorado home is Shedeur Sanders.

No. 2 in black and gold has the body, arm and swag to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL — if he goes to the right franchise. After seeing former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young slump his shoulders and run for his life at quarterback for the Panthers, it would be a crying shame if Shedeur is drafted by a team that can’t get out of its own way.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky is a connected dude who said the other day: “There is a 0% chance Deion lets Shedeur get drafted by Cleveland. Cleveland or Carolina will not happen.”

This is not to take away from Nix’s breakout game for the Broncos. The rookie is settling in on the field, where he passed for a career-high 284 yards, and off the field, where he’s accepted coaching to expound an answers during his high-profile press conferences.

Was it just me, or did Nix give off Jake Plummer vibes with those rollouts that caught pass-catchers perfectly in stride? Ten Broncos caught passes from Nix, who dished out a career-best three touchdown passes.

Next up? Only Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, who combine for four of the past six NFL MVP awards.

Sean Payton took a stern tone after the game. His message permeated the locker room, player after player lamenting their mistakes more often than their cool plays.

“We’ve got to figure that out,” tight end Adam Trautman said of another slow start and 7-0 deficit.

“We need a little more attention to detail,” Surtain added.

The Broncos are writing one cool comeback story. The Buffs are a can’t-miss show.

So where do you want to see Shedeur in the NFL?

The New York Jets? Talk about a box-office hit on Broadway.

The Tennessee Titans? Lord knows the Sanders appreciate a good cowboy hat.

The Las Vegas Raiders? Sorry to say, Shedeur has swag that would play on the Strip.

Sanders’ national rankings preview a future NFL star: fourth in completion percentage (73.3), third in touchdowns (21), seventh in passing yards per game (323.8).

Thanks to Shedeur, the Buffs are back, baby.

But Young and the Panthers are a cautionary tale for the Sanders fam. Don’t like the state of a franchise that holds a top pick in the NFL draft? Just say no.