Shedeur Sanders‘ stunning fall down the draft board was quickly attributed to a questionable skill set and/or a perceived lack of maturity. ESPN’s Stephen Holder points to another concern among teams: the “circus” that would accompany a Sanders selection.
“As the Shedeur Sanders saga played out Friday, I was reminded of the days when Tim Tebow was a free agent and there were claims his outward displays of faith were being held against him. What actually happened was more nuanced. Teams were reluctant to sign him because of the circus related to his celebrity (on a level similar to Sanders IMO), esp as a likely backup. Some of that is happening here. Thursday’s fall was mostly about talent. Last night was about something else.
“Problem is, this issue becomes more pronounced the further he falls. Any team that picks him at this point will be doing so with the intent of having Sanders as a backup. That is going to be an interesting situation to have to manage.”
Holder is adamant that Sanders’ first-round snub was about talent, but he believes his Day 2 absence was “about something else.” The reporter references Tim Tebow‘s free agency, noting that teams were wary of the attention that naturally follows a “celebrity” athlete. Sanders obviously isn’t an exact equivalent to Tebow, but the popular Colorado star will now attract even more attention after suddenly dropping out of the first two days of the draft.
There’s been a popular sentiment that the reward now outweighs any risk, but that would likely only apply to teams that don’t have a future answer at QB. When it comes to teams that would only consider Sanders as a backup, Holder warns that the concerns would only become “more pronounced.”
It’s still assumed that Sanders will hear his name called at some point, but potential landing spots continue to dry up. The Giants were once a key suitor for Sanders, but they clearly removed themselves from that sweepstakes when they traded back into the first to select Jaxson Dart. We later heard reports that a meeting between Sanders and Giants head coach Brian Daboll had not gone well, and the organization’s interest in the prospect cooled as the coaching staff became more involved in the evaluation process. Concerns about maturity appear to extend beyond the Giants.
The Browns were also mentioned as a Sanders suitor, but they used a third-round selection on Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. The Saints also seemingly confirmed a report that they wouldn’t be pursuing the Colorado product, as New Orleans used a second-round pick on Louisville’s Tyler Shough.
There is one clear QB-needy squad that could still select Sanders. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers remain an option for the prospect, as the organization is confident Sanders could serve “as a distributing point guard in its offense.” Fowler adds that the Steelers have also done extensive work on Ohio State’s Will Howard.
The Steelers are still awaiting a resolution on Aaron Rodgers, but owner Art Rooney II said that the veteran free agent wants to play in Pittsburgh. Even if a signing comes to fruition, the Steelers would still be a natural landing spot for rookie QBs. The team’s current QB depth consists of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, so the front office could be seeking an upgrade for both now and the future.
