Shedeur Sanders has a strong character and loves to put his personality on display. He’s confident and believes that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the draft, maybe one of the best in the NFL. Many players have the same drive to be the best, but Sanders stands out because he loves the spotlight.
Isaiah Stanback — a former Super Bowl champion for the New York Giants — believes the hate that Sanders gets is often unwarranted. Stanback thinks that Sanders being a quarterback has a role to play in the criticism he receives.
Isaiah Stanback Sounds Off on the Hate Shedeur
Sanders Receives
Stanback is not pleased with the immense hate that Sanders gets from fans and analysts. Because the 23-year-old is the leader of an offense as the starting quarterback, Stanback believes that subjects him to more hate than he deserves. Perhaps the fact that Deion Sanders is his father plays a role in that.
“The reality is, everybody would be okay with his confidence, everybody would be okay with how he speaks … if he wasn’t a quarterback,” Stanback said on NFL Network. “If he were a receiver, oh, he’s right on task. If he was a defensive back, oh, that’s how defensive backs are, they’re confident. Why is it a problem just because he’s a quarterback? This is something that is not of the norm and it’s ruffling people’s feathers.”
“Everybody would be okay with his confidence if he wasn’t a quarterback.”@IamSTANBACK believes that @SheduerSanders is receiving undeserved criticism. pic.twitter.com/aICSD5LVvw
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 7, 2025
Sanders comes from a father who was one of the best players in NFL history. Naturally, his name carries a lot of pressure, and he can handle it through his confidence. His starring role at the quarterback position puts a magnifying glass on his every move. According to Stanback, that is why people continue to put hate on his name.
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Winner at Colorado
Whether the hate is justified or not doesn’t matter. Sanders will be hearing his name called very early on. While Miami’s Cam Ward is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick, Sanders could still go as high as No. 1 and will likely be gone in the first 10 picks. His character might draw concerns because of his immense confidence but teams are going to want his talented abilities to change the direction of their franchise.
Sanders had a great season for the University of Colorado, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. He did throw 10 interceptions, but his completion percentage was 74% plus he was awarded the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award which is given to the best upperclassman quarterback.
Sanders was an integral part of Colorado’s team success and he’ll be a main factor in the success of whichever franchise drafts him in a few weeks. Sanders is going to be in the limelight for multiple reasons, including his draft position, family name, and the confidence that he has in himself. He’s going to be subject to unjustified scrutiny, but his confidence equips him to overcome the hate that he receives.