Shedeur Sanders continues to divide opinion in the build-up to the 2025 NFL Draft. After the player’s Colorado Pro Day, many came away impressed, while others noted flaws in the prospect’s game. After hearing some of the criticism aimed at Sanders, NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson leapt to the player’s defense.
NFL Stars React to Shedeur Sanders’s Pro Day Performance
On a recent episode of “Nightcap,” a podcast hosted by NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, the pair discussed Sanders’s Pro Day. The hosts defended Sanders after several current players publicly criticized his performance.
Sharpe began the segment by quoting the criticisms. One negative evaluation came from NFL Draft expert John Frascella, while another came from New York Jets safety Andre Cisco. Cisco shared a video from Sanders’s workout and sent a warning to the prospect.
“Bro better stop patting that ball, we breakin onnat earlyyyy.”
Cisco was suggesting that Sanders’s habit of tapping the ball before delivering each pass would give defenders an edge in the NFL. His evaluation was met with laughter from New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton. Slayton didn’t share Cisco’s post directly but appeared to reference it in a post of his own.
“I promise he can pat the ball and be just fine if DB’s was so good at breaking on ball pats they’d all have 8+ picks a year. Same guys that fall for a 2 man dagger concept and give up the dig on 3rd&long every season all season long talkin’ bout a ball pat what a joke.”
Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson Defend Sanders
After Sharpe declared his agreement with Slayton, Johnson also shot down Cisco’s words.
“Man, listen, they not driving on nothing. Man, stop playing,” he said. “This is a timing game; it’s always been a timing game.” Johnson then stated that Sanders’s technique is nothing new. “Quarterbacks have been patting the ball since the beginning of time. It’s just a part of rhythm.” He then continued, “Watch all 32 NFL quarterbacks on drop-back passes. You’ll see all of them take hitches; you’ll see all of them pat the ball. It’s a part of the game and always has been.”
Sharpe was also critical of what the hosts referred to as nitpicking. After claiming to understand why scouts and analysts point out the smallest of floors, the Hall of Famer gave a simple summation.
“At the end of the day, watch the tape,” he said. “Everybody has things that they could correct.”
The two hosts were adamant that Sanders’s “ball-patting” was nothing to be concerned about. As seems to be the case with every other aspect of the player’s game, though, there appears to be some considerable disagreement. It would seem that there will be no clear answers regarding Sanders’s NFL readiness until he takes to the field, be it in 2025 or later.