Colorado Buffaloes' Shedeur Sanders Compared To NFL Pro Bowl Quarterack Joe Burrow

Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is no stranger to lofty comparisons. Although he played a different position, his father, Colorado coach Deion “Primetime” Sanders, has often been the standard that Shedeur has had to live up to. Deion is a Hall of Famer and widely considered one of the greatest individual athletes in North American sports history. Living in the shadow of that weight can be difficult, but Sanders has handled it in stride, all things considered.

As for Sanders' outlook in the NFL, he’s received one lofty comparison that seems to stick with the people who know the sport best from the professional level. For his accuracy, demeanor, and even physical attributes, Shedeur has commonly received a comparison to Cincinnati Bengals two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow, who famously led the 2019 LSU Tigers to an undefeated season and went No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) looks to make a pass at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images | Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

"I think that's a great fit," his trainer Darrell Colbert said. "Joe Burrow is always confident, always calm, Shedeur is always this. He's one of the guys who's literally always that. He never gets too high, never gets too low. Joe does a great job of being accurate and understanding the system.

"And then I think where the comparison really works, is the year that Joe and them went to the Super Bowl, he was sacked a lot. He was the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL and was still productive, that's who Shedeur was last year being sacked over 50-something times and still being productive, still at the top of all the quarterback statistics," Colbert continued.

This isn’t entirely a new take as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr made a similar comparison during the 2024 college football season. Kiper Jr noted that Sanders and Burrow, amongst other well established NFL quarterbacks, have similar attributes and strengths especially when it comes to accuracy and their ability to navigate the pocket in less than ideal pass protection from their offensive lines. Durability after taking a beating was also a highlighted topic.

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"I will say Shedeur will remind people a little bit of Joe Burrow, little of Jared Goff, little Tom Brady," Kiper Jr said. "And I say that with Brady coming out of Michigan, not what he became, the greatest of all-time, but coming out. What did you see? Pocket awareness, okay. Pocket instincts. Accuracy throwing the ball. Incredible toughness, taking so many hits at Colorado it's amazing he's still standing today. … Mind, the great mind for the game, unflappable…There's elements of all three that he possesses.”

From his personal quarterback trainer to a renowned NFL draft analyst, Sanders has been likened to Joe Burrow. What about NFL coaches, though? Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan, who coached Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, also made the comparison. More specifically, about the shared concern people had about Burrow’s arm strength coming out of LSU.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) takes the field for the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"People had questions about Burrow's arm strength in general coming out. One of the things that makes Joe so unique, and I think you can probably put Shedeur in the same conversation. . . . They anticipate when they throw it, they have the timing and accuracy on top of it. That makes up for the arm strength. . . . Those things are how you make up for maybe not having the biggest arm. If you're throwing on time and putting a ball when and where you're supposed to go, you're not going to have too many problems," said Callahan.

If Sanders indeed turns out to be as good as or even close to Burrow, any franchise would be lucky to have him for the next decade.

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