Shedeur Sanders confident he can shed biggest weakness in NFL

Shedeur Sanders has proven himself as a dynamic and talented quarterback, but as he prepares for the NFL, he acknowledges that one of his biggest areas for improvement is his ability to play from behind.

At Colorado, Sanders often showed poise under pressure, yet there were games where the team fell into early deficits, forcing him to take on too much responsibility late. His ability to engineer comeback drives is unquestionable, but he understands that in the NFL, consistently putting himself in those situations isn’t sustainable.

During his press conference at the 2025 NFL Combine, Sanders admitted that he needs to get himself going earlier in games. He recognized that at times he was hesitant to take the easy completions, instead trying to make a big play happen.

This approach often led to late-game heroics but also meant that Colorado’s offense struggled to establish early momentum. In the NFL, where defenses are faster and more disciplined, waiting until the second half to find rhythm can be costly.

“Going to the next level, I gotta find myself early,” Sanders said. “I gotta get ready mentally early. 'Cause I know early on some games I wasn't taking the completions coach was calling; sometimes I was trying to make too much happen.”

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His self-awareness is crucial. He’s not just acknowledging a weakness—he’s formulating a plan to address it. Sanders emphasized that he wants to work on developing a sharper pre-snap recognition of defenses, making quick decisions, and taking what the defense gives him from the opening drive. He’s studying the best quarterbacks in the league, analyzing how they start games efficiently rather than waiting for urgency to kick in.

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For a quarterback with Sanders’ confidence and talent, this adjustment could be the final piece that makes him an elite NFL signal-caller. He’s proven that he can lead, change a culture, and deliver in pressure situations. Now, his focus is on ensuring that he doesn’t always need to be a late-game hero—because he’s already put his team in position to win early.