Shedeur Sanders Issues Defiant Message to NFL Teams Thinking of Drafting Him

Screengrab on Twitter/ @SNYGiants
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders was among the top prospects at his position taking questions from the press during the fourth day of the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, and made it abundantly clear that whatever you think of his game, he will not be lacking confidence at the next level.

Sanders fielded a wide range of topics on Friday—from how he plans to handle criticism to what NFL teams can expect from him once he enters the league—and the 23-year-old handled every question with his signature swagger and self-assurance.

At one point, Sanders delivered an unashamedly bold message to teams that were thinking of drafting him in April:

“If you’re not trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t get me,” Sanders said matter-of-factly. 

Several quarterback-needy teams with top-ten picks, including the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, could indeed be itching for a drastic culture change after their disastrous 2024 seasons.

In his final year at Colorado, Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 finish and racked up over 4,000 passing yards and 37 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the top quarterbacks of the 2025 draft class alongside Miami’s Cam Ward. But, does he truly have what it takes to turn a franchise around? Sanders had an answer for that, too.

“We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed two programs back to back. You don't think I could come to an NFL franchise and change a program again? It's history, it's always going to repeat itself,” said Sanders.

Sanders added that he wasn’t at all worried about his critics since he’s already seen first-hand how his dad, Deion, has been able to handle the heat. 

Only time will tell whether the young buck will live up to his talk.


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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.