I’ve got a Shedeur Sanders available, if anyone is interested. I’ll even give him away for a fourth-round pick at this point. Anyone?
Apparently, I’m not going to have any takers on that discounted offer. The 2025 NFL Draft slide heard ’round the world has continued into Day 3, and once the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on the quarterback (again!) with the 83rd overall pick, it became clear that Sanders’ draft free fall has no obvious bottom.
The slide has been so precipitous that NFL legends are openly wondering if the league is actively colluding against Sanders and his father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
As the quarterback continues to wait to hear his name called, at least one prominent NFL analyst has begun encouraging Sanders to accept the doomsday scenario and return to college.
Mike Florio Suggests Shedeur Sanders Should Return To Colorado With Coach Prime
NFL insider Mike Florio of NBC’s Pro Football Talk has never been one to offer “safe” takes, but his suggestion for Sanders may be his craziest yet. As Sanders slipped into the third round, Florio wrote an article encouraging the quarterback to test the rigidity of the league’s rules and attempt to return to the collegiate level.
“Yes, the NCAA’s rules prevent it. He entered the draft. He accepted benefits via the NFL’s invitation to the Scouting Combine,” Florio conceded.
“But we’ve learned one very important thing about college football in recent years. Most, if not all, NCAA rules violate federal antitrust laws. And with players now making millions in NIL money, why shouldn’t a player with remaining eligibility be allowed to return?”
Florio noted that Sanders can make more money (via NIL) and put together more convincing game tape with another season in college. And he made one final recommendation to Sanders that may be the most absurd of them all — that Sanders should transfer schools and play for someone other than his father.
At this point, five quarterbacks have already come off the board: Cam Ward (No. 1 overall), Jaxson Dart (No. 25), Tyler Shough (No. 40), Jalen Milroe (No. 92), and Dillon Gabriel (No. 94). It’s hard to understand why Sanders is falling so far in the draft, behind quarterbacks rated far lower than him among experts in the industry.
It would be practically impossible for Sanders to return to college football, but before the draft, most would have said it would be impossible for Sanders to fall to Day 3.
Possible Landing Spots For Sanders
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are the only team remaining in the draft with a clear need at quarterback. Sanders visited the Steelers during his pre-draft visits, and many reports had Pittsburgh at No. 21 as the furthest the quarterback would fall. However, the Steelers picked Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, and Sanders continued to fall.
Pittsburgh is still looking for a QB. With Mason Rudolph brought back in free agency, and Aaron Rodgers still a possibility, Sanders could be the long-term quarterback the organization desperately needs. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Sanders “remains an option” for Pittsburgh even though the team didn’t draft him in the third round.
The Steelers are picking 123rd overall in the fourth round, and given Sanders’ free fall so far, he is likely to be available by then. If Pittsburgh selects him, Sanders would walk into a stable organization, giving them both a starter and a potential franchise quarterback.
Las Vegas Raiders
With a new minority owner in Tom Brady and a new head coach in Pete Carroll, the Las Vegas Raiders want to build an instant playoff contender. Bringing in Geno Smith off his career-best season in which he recorded 4,320 passing yards (fourth in the league) and led the Seattle Seahawks to a 10-7 finish, gives Vegas a solid veteran for the job.
But if the Raiders are thinking long-term, finding Smith’s successor might be the smart move, and it would be cheaper on Day 3. Las Vegas picked up Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick and used their second and third round picks on a guard and WR, respectively. Pairing them with Sanders could be the start of long-term success for the Raiders.
Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford returns to the Los Angeles Rams after a weird beginning to the offseason. The team permitted him to find a trade, which would have reportedly netted the Rams over $45 million in dead money. The two sides eventually agreed to a new contract and Stafford is back in Los Angeles, but he’s not a long-term solution since he’s 37 years old and on a year-to-year basis.
Because of this, there has been some buzz that the Rams could look to draft Stafford’s successor in 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders could be that guy.
Los Angeles is another potential landing spot where he wouldn’t have to start right away, and his draft-day fall could actually be for the best if it allows him to play for an offensive mastermind like Sean McVay in a huge market like L.A.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are secure for the near future with Dak Prescott under center — the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. However, they have struggled whenever he has missed games due to injuries, and Cooper Rush is now gone after signing with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
Jerry Jones expressed interest in adding a young quarterback in the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft. Dallas acquired Joe Milton III in a trade with the New England Patriots after he flashed immense potential in Week 18 of the 2024 season.
However, Sanders is a better prospect than Milton, and given that he is available in the fourth round and potentially beyond, Jones might be tempted to add a high-upside security blanket behind Prescott who could eventually take the reins.
Also, Jones is a businessman, so he has to be thinking about the money and attention that Sanders would generate in Dallas.
Sanders’ NFL Draft Scouting Report
How highly one values Sanders likely depends on how much one prioritizes positional value when putting together a draft board. If you put a premium on the quarterback position, it’s pretty clear Sanders is a first-round value. If not, though, the decision is not so simple.
Sanders is an accurate and tough quarterback with a well-built frame and plenty of throws, hitting his targets in stride from each deep third of the field. He has a good enough arm to execute throws to targets in tight windows, and there’s a natural sense of timing that tells him where to place the ball right where only his receivers can get it.
That said, there’s some mental development that needs to take place for Sanders. He’s shown that he’s capable of making full-field reads, but he tends to play Superman when he doesn’t have the raw physical talent to make that work.
His arm, though acceptable, isn’t particularly special. He’s not a statue in the pocket, but his athleticism is average. These issues can see him try too hard to extend plays that he simply can’t make, resulting in sacks or poor throws.
Compared to the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, I would argue Sanders would come in seventh as a prospect, ranking behind each of the six quarterbacks selected in the first round.
Sanders arguably has the highest floor of any quarterback in the class, and he has the tools to become a solid starter in the NFL. In the right system, he could lead a team to a playoff run.
Because of average physical tools, the ceiling likely does not go much further than that. There are also concerns about his attitude, as some teams view him as arrogant and didn’t appreciate how Sanders carried himself throughout the pre-draft process.
However, a respectable starting quarterback is a valuable asset in today’s game, which should see him selected at some point early in Day 3.
Some nerves to suggest that Shedeur Sanders return to college to play football is an insult. Tell us when any media outlet has suggested that a white athlete return to college when it looked like he wasn’t going to get drafted?
🙂