Broncos HC Sean Payton Issues Warning Amid Shedeur Sanders' Draft Plummet

The Denver Broncos head coach warned the NFL as Shedeur Sanders' plummet extends to Day 3.

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) warms up before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The astonishing draft slide of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has marked the 2025 NFL draft. It's been impossible to escape the never-ending media deluge of Sanders' plummet. 

It's a trending topic that even the single-minded and team-focused Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton took time to comment on following Day 2's proceedings, issuing a warning of sorts to teams passing on him.

"I saw him when he was in junior high, and then I saw him when he was in high school, and then I saw him when he was a sophomore in high school come practice on their way to Florida," Payton said. "So I’ve had the chance, I know [Colorado head coach] Deion [Sanders], I felt like I grew up watching him play. There’ll be a chip on his shoulder and beware because this guy’s going to play in this league. I think it’s hard for any of us to explain what other people are looking for. We focus on what we’re looking for and yes, I think it’s surprising.”

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Payton's assertion that Sanders can play in the NFL might be true, but he's still on the outside looking in. Surely, the final day of the draft can finally end Sanders' humiliation and torment. 

Teams have reportedly been skeptical of the influence the Sanders family could have Shedeur's young team if he were to be drafted. And the buzz is that he rubbed teams the wrong way during his interviews at the NFL Combine and through some of his pre-draft antics and decisions.

It's hard to gaze into the crystal ball and envision a scenario where Payton would be interested in Sanders, because the Broncos already have a young franchise quarterback, Bo Nix, firmly in place. 

That being said, Payton has done his background work on Sanders and knows the family. Payton is obviously on good terms with Shedeur's father, Deion. 

These connections put Payton in a more unique position than some of his peers in the coaching and front office game when it comes to offering a balanced scouting report. 

"Listen, we sat there, I watched right behind him throwing and watching the receivers. He had an outstanding pro-day," Payton called it like he saw it with Sanders. "This thing is surprising. There's nothing that ever takes place during this period of time that surprises you. Last year, you know, we had a Plan B quarterback, and shoot, we thought second round and he went, I think we were all surprised in the end, the talent, Holy cow. I mean, I think if you're a team that needs a quarterback and we kind of know at the start of the draft who those teams are, but you're getting."

When Sanders finally lands with a team, the impact will reverberate throughout the league. Much like the circus that attached itself to former Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, any team will have to be brave to accept the baggage and media attention that'll come with drafting Sanders.

While the Sanders brand has been unceremoniously dragged through the mud in grand style, it's curious that Payton highlighted the positive upside he brings as a player. When Sanders finally arrives in an NFL training camp this summer, he'll do so as a day-three draft pick, at best, with everything to prove. 

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From his early days spent with dad at Jackson State to helping regalvanize the Colorado Buffaloes' faded brand, perhaps the only thing Sanders hasn't proved is that he can escape his father's Hall-of-Fame shadow. 

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