Every year, at least one highly touted prospect gets labeled by anonymous sources as “someone with an attitude problem.” This year’s version is Shedeur Sanders, who’s been tagged by some NFL coaches and execs as brash and arrogant.
Sanders skipped the NFL combine and threw in front of scouts at Colorado’s pro day. That may have led one NFL coach to claim Sanders doesn’t have a professional approach because he supposedly doesn’t care what teams think of him.
Is Shedeur Sanders Cocky and Arrogant or Just a Confident Leader?
Sanders has been a lightning rod. Depending on who you ask, he’s either a top-five pick or someone who could slide out of the first round entirely. Eric Galko, director of football operations for the East-West Shrine Bowl, told Ari Meirov he thinks the whole “attitude problem” narrative is off base.
Anonymous sources questioning Shedeur Sanders' attitude is one of the most overblown and fabricated narratives of this draft cycle, says @EricGalko — who’s spent time with Shedeur and spoken to many people about what makes him unique and special. https://t.co/Pv0fYUWcYO pic.twitter.com/JJFQzmumR4
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 8, 2025
Galko disputed the idea that Sanders’ character concerns are legitimate, calling the label lazy and unfair.
“There’s often a catchall where we’re talking about a guy’s character, and everyone immediately defaults to ‘there’s a problem.’ It’s bad,” Galko said.
To reinforce his point, Galko highlighted Sanders’ connection to Tom Brady and the praise he gets from teammates and coaches behind the scenes.
“Tom Brady is a mentor and a friend of his,” Galko added. “If you spend a day at Colorado’s practice or talk to his teammates off the record, they’ll tell you how much of a leader he is — how he can shift from leader mode at quarterback to friend, to ally, to resource.”
Galko also emphasized Sanders’s maturity throughout the draft process, especially given the attention he has received.
“The way he’s been able to handle and navigate being probably the most famous draft prospect since Johnny Manziel or Tim Tebow — and still be the same guy at the end of the draft process that he was at the start, a humble, excited, confident leader of men as a quarterback — is really impressive too,” Galko said.
Galko isn’t the only one defending Sanders. Former NFL linebacker and current Fox Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho offered his take, suggesting the criticism says more about the evaluators than it does about Sanders.
“Shedeur Sanders has realized, wait a second, who are you to dictate to me how I should feel, how I should think, how I should act, how I should move?” Acho said.
Acho went further, pointing to Shedeur’s upbringing and his father Deion Sanders as context for his confidence.
“Furthermore — apple, tree. Who do you think his dad was?” he added. “So when Shedeur Sanders comes off as confident, comes off as secure, comes off as knowing who he is — you insecure. You take his security as an issue.”
Shedeur Sanders security makes a lot of people around him insecure. As a result we’re about to hear many slander his character and it’s a shame. pic.twitter.com/atiXVhTD8m
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) March 4, 2025
Narratives about a player’s attitude toward coaches or talent evaluators aren’t new. And neither is the way those narratives can affect draft stock — and rookie contracts.
Soon, we’ll get to see how the Sanders narrative plays out.