Dan Patrick makes feelings clear on Shedeur Sanders' "braggadocious" attitude as multiple NFL teams reportedly take issue with Colorado QB
Shedeur Sanders may be the most polarizing prospect in the 2025 NFL draft. He has the talent to transform a franchise, but brings with him a spotlight that stems from being the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
During the Combine, the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback drew much media attention despite not working out. Reports emerged of the player having unproductive meetings with teams, with an anonymous quarterback coach labeling Shedeur Sanders as "brash" and "arrogant", as per Josina Anderson.
NBC's Dan Patrick compared the situation to when Muhammad Ali was establishing himself as boxing's hottest prospect.
"I'm fine with it," Patrick said on his eponymous show. "You gotta back it up there. What happens when you have somebody who's braggadocious? They're waiting for you to fall... 'Hey, he's cocky. He's confident. He's Deion's kid.' Whatever he says is going to garner some headline."
He continued:
"If Cam Ward said this, we wouldn't react. Media wouldn't react. It's very formulaic, but Cam Ward should feel that way. I want a quarterback who wants to change, you know, the culture that we are going to be a competitive team."
Warren Sapp defends Shedeur Sanders over skipping NFL Combine drills
Detractors have criticized Shedeur Sanders' decision to skip the Combine drills, especially the throwing ones, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Warren Sapp disagrees.
The Hall-of-Fame defensive tackle, who is currently Colorado's pass rush coordinator, reiterated to Thee Pregame Network's Christopher "Uncle" Neely last Wednesday that the quarterback did not need to showcase his throwing talent at the event (begins at 5:19 in the video below):
“I saw all this... and there’s this one lady who says, ‘You know the biggest thing is this is another opportunity to showcase your talent and, well, you know, his arm strength, which I feel is his biggest weakness.' And I’m like, yeah, you completed 75% of your passes with your weak arm. And then you did it with a (expletive) O-line.”
The NFL Draft will be held at Green Bay's Lambeau Field from April 24 to 26. Sanders is projected to be a top-five pick and is in a battle with Cam Ward to be the first quarterback off the board.