Shedeur Sanders was labeled as “brash” and “arrogant” by an NFL quarterbacks coach (from a team that owns a top-7 pick in this year’s draft) after his interview at the NFL Combine, as reported by Josina Anderson. Surprisingly, former players like Marcellus Wiley aren’t shocked by the criticism. Wiley argues that it would be foolish to think Shedeur isn’t a bit entitled due to his upbringing while also noting that young athletes today are different from those in the past.
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But why the backlash? Shedeur did make some eye-grabbing statements, like when he said, “There should be no question why a franchise should pick me.” That quote rubbed some scouts the wrong way, it seems.
Wiley wasn’t surprised that the media was already picking apart Shedeur. He believes Shedeur has been living a life up until now, that very few get to experience, which can lead to a sense of entitlement.
So when Shedeur answers questions, Wiley says, he’s going to do so on his own terms—without tailoring his words to please others. That, in part, comes with being Deion Sanders’ son.
“He’s entitled… His daddy is Deion Sanders, he’s been in a world that 0.01% has lived in, right? He’s Deion’s son, y’all. So when he answers a question, let’s just say he’s not answering it hoping that you like it. He’s answering the questions like, ‘This is how I like it, how I feel, how I’m going to respond.’ And that’s different.”
On the surface, the quotes may seem like harsh criticism of Shedeur’s personality. But upon listening to Wiley further, he clarified that this is simply the new way of showing reverence and respect among kids today—and that NFL coaches need to adapt. He even pointed out how his own nine-year-old son displays a similar sense of entitlement, much like Shedeur.
“These kids don’t look you in the eye when you speak to some of them. My son doesn’t, and he’s nine! He ain’t cocky, but he’s entitled… He doesn’t even look his buddies in the eyes. And look, he’s not Shedeur, but I’m trying to tell you that I’m around a lot of kids and they have re-coded what we think respect is. And this (QB) coach doesn’t sound like he gets it.”
Furthermore, Wiley pointed out that people tried to tear down Peyton Manning in debates between him and Ryan Leaf. And look how that turned out.
Then, Wiley concluded by saying if Shedeur is arrogant, cocky, and brash — so what? He wouldn’t be the first. He also noted that if the media covered a player like Brett Favre like they cover athletes today, people would say the same things about him.
Deion’s Response
Deion Sanders didn’t directly respond to the comments about his son’s Combine appeal. However, he did tweet a video of FS1 reporter Mark Schlereth discussing the topic from the Combine, making it clear where he stood.
“Show me a quarterback who’s not arrogant,” Said Schlereth. “You ever sit with a guy who’s going to be a star quarterback? Most of them are arrogant. Most of them have a lot of belief in what they do.”
Deion simply shared Schlereth’s video and captioned it, “Repost.”
The FS1 reporter also went on to point out an interesting connection between Shedeur and a quarterback from last year who kept falling pre-draft.
“I just remember last year at this time, Bo Nix falling. People saying, ‘Hey, Bo Nix is going to be a second-rounder.’ And Bo Nix is not (an NFL QB). By the way, that guy was one of the best quarterbacks in this rookie class last year.”
All in all, it’s an interesting situation that has unfolded since the end of the 2024 NFL season. Shedeur was once the clear-cut number-one overall draft pick, but pre-draft analysts and Combine scouts have seemingly diminished his value by labeling him a cocky personality. It also didn’t help that he chose not to throw at the Combine to showcase his arm.
Now, depending on who you ask, Shedeur is projected to go anywhere from the top three to the end of the first round. Where do you think he should go?
