Shedeur Sanders considers himself a program changer.
And that apparently turned off some NFL teams.
NFL Network insider Peter Schrager revealed that Sanders — the son of Colorado coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders — irked some franchises with those remarks during the combine.
“His point at the combine, and it rubbed people wrong, the way he had some bravado at it, is that he changes places when he gets there,” Schrager said on the “Bill Simmons Podcast” on Tuesday. “So Jackson State, obviously, went from this HBCU that had no resources to suddenly being a national name. And then he goes to Colorado and we had one week where ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ from Fox and ‘GameDay’ were there, Week 2, vying for real estate in Boulder. It happens.
“Shedeur has never wavered that he’s a leader and those guys do respect him.”
Sanders has come under the microscope leading into this year’s draft, where he’s hoping to be a top selection and possibly even No. 1.
The combine provided an opportunity for Sanders to meet with teams and also answer reporters’ questions.
He displayed an unwavering confidence that he expects he will galvanize his next team.
“We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed two programs back-to-back,” Sanders said, with the “we” referencing his father coaching him at both schools. “You don’t think I could come to an NFL franchise and change a program again? It’s history. It’s always going to repeat itself.”
That those remarks did not land with some teams come as multiple unflattering reports emerged in recent days regarding Sanders’ demeanor during the combine.
Veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson said a quarterbacks coach from a team drafting in the first seven slots said Sanders came across “brash” and “arrogant.”
However, she questioned this narrative.
“I’m just sharing that this coach’s personal assessment is the direct opposite from how Sanders came across to many reporters in his press conference with the media at the combine,” Anderson, formerly of ESPN, posted on X. “Sanders appeared to go out of his way to acknowledge multiple media members, regardless if they were recognizable or not. He seemed cordial, polite, witty, thoughtful along with being confident (as many athletes are). Alternately, these observations were distinctly different from how another QB prospect came off to some in the media last year in Indy.”
The “brash” and “arrogant” accusations carried a little different weight when NBC fantasy football expert Matthew Berry reported similar sentiments from two individuals from two different teams.
“They both said it was a bad meeting and that he came off as unprofessional and disinterested,” Berry wrote Tuesday. “Both also said that after the meeting they had a lesser opinion of him than prior. These same people both met with (Miami quarterback) Cam Ward as well, and both said they loved Ward, and it was a great meeting.
“When talking about the projected top two QB picks this year, every team I spoke to loves Ward. And I didn’t hear a ton of positive about Sanders.”
Schrager did note that Sanders is not viewed as a “diva” and has been praised for being tough while playing behind a porous offensive line for his father at Colorado.
“Not a diva. Don’t read any of that s–t. He’s not a diva,” Schrager said. “This guy chose to go to Jackson State.”
However, those negative reports could help explain why Sanders is seemingly now being classified as the No. 2 quarterback in this class behind Ward.
Ward owns -280 odds at FanDuel to be the No. 1 pick — which belongs to the Titans for now — and Sanders is now the fourth option behind Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter with 19/1 odds.
Schrager’s understanding is teams see Sanders closer to fringe first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss than Ward.
The 2025 NFL Draft begins April 24 in Green Bay, Wis.
“And then it’s a giant dropoff (from Ward) from what I can gather,” Schargers said, “and then just viewed as prospects, not necessarily how they turn out, Shedeur, Jaxson Dart and then a bunch of unknowns.”
Former NFL defensive back Pacman Jones was one of our favorite PFT Live guests during Super Bowl week. So was Colorado coac
One week away from the official start to the new league year, the NFL offseason is already buzzing.In the days following the NFL scouting combine in Indianapoli
This is arguably the biggest offseason in recent history for the Cincinnati Bengals with several large contract negotiations approaching and in the works. Th
Tim Tebow shares advice for incoming NFL rookie classTim Tebow shares some valuable advice for incoming rookies like Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.Sports Serious