Not what you wanna hear the week of the draft…
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow, and there are plenty of storylines to follow leading up to the first round in Green Bay.
The Tennessee Titans have the first overall pick, and are expected to pick Miami quarterback Cam Ward as the #1 pick in the draft. But it’s another quarterback who seems to have dominated the headlines this offseason.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders has gotten the most attention in a quarterback class that doesn’t have any real superstars like it has in years past. Despite only leading the Buffaloes to a 13-11 during his two seasons at Colorado, Sanders recently had his number retired by the school and has been one of the most talked-about players in the draft.
Sanders is widely expected to be a first round draft pick, with teams like the Titans, the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Giants, the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers all in the market for a new quarterback. (At least I hope my Saints are in the market for a new QB after the mess with Derek Carr – I’m manifesting it at this point).
But the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders seemed to see if draft stock drop after the NFL Combine, when there were rumors that coaches saw him as “arrogant” and unprofessional during his interviews with teams.
And a recent quote from an anonymous NFL coach is only throwing fuel onto what may be turning into a dumpster fire for Sanders’ draft stock.
According to one assistant coach, Sanders had what he calls “the worst formal interview” he’d ever seen in his life. And he didn’t stop there with the harsh criticism:
“He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
Another anonymous exec from an AFC team also had some scathing criticism of the QB and his attitude:
“It didn’t go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
Of course the criticism isn’t exactly new, and it’s entirely possible that it’s just some gamesmanship from a team that wants to draft Sanders and is hoping that his stock will drop. But at this point it seems to be a common theme leading up to the draft, with teams questioning whether his attitude will translate in the NFL.
It’s not all bad though: Steelers QB Mike Tomlin had some praise for Sanders and his talent:
“There’s a toughness there that doesn’t get talked about enough. There’s a competitive spirit there; it doesn’t get talked about enough. I know he’s very talented and made a lot of plays for his university and his team, but the intangible qualities displayed on tape were impressive to me.”
And Sanders may have even dropped a hint that the plan is for him to end up with Tomlin in Pittsburgh. When asked about his favorite quarterback/wide receiver combos, Sanders mentioned two Steelers receivers – and an unnamed QB:
“Whoever going to be the quarterback for DK Metcalf and George PIckens. Whoever that is.”
So ultimately, it may not matter what other coaches think of Sanders if he’s already got his landing spot. But if enough teams have the same concerns, it may be a sign that the QB could fall farther than expected tomorrow when the picks start coming off the board.
