When people thought of dual-threat quarterbacks 10 to 15 years ago, they typically pictured black athletes. People labeled them as elite athletes, great at running with the ball, but not seen as polished passers.
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Players like Michael Vick and Cam Newton helped shift that narrative, and over time, more black athletes began playing the position. Still, the stereotype lingered. Even today, when many QBs are dual-threat by default, the assumption persists: If a quarterback is Black, he must be fast, athletic, and dangerous on the ground. But Shedeur Sanders breaks that mold.
Shedeur Sanders is a polished passer with a high football IQ. He’s accurate, poised in the pocket, and displays traits traditionally associated with classic pocket passers — qualities often, albeit unfairly, linked to white quarterbacks. What he isn’t, however, is a blazing athlete or a prototypical dual-threat QB known for racking up rushing yards.
That’s why it wasn’t too surprising when Cam Newton gave him a speed rating of 60 in Madden. And that number didn’t sit well with rapper Wale. To be fair to Cam, Sanders never ran a 40-yard dash, leaving little evidence of his speed.
Still, Wale wasn’t buying it. The rapper argued that a 60 rating is usually reserved for offensive linemen. He pointed out that even Tom Brady — famously one of the slowest QBs ever — was rated around that number. He believed a 75 would be far more appropriate for Sanders. Cam, however, stood his ground.
“Speed has to be like 60. What did he run in 40? What would you say he runs in 40? IQ 90,” said Newton.
“What was Brady’s? Brady was like 32. So give him 60. His IQ is second to none. He has the most IQ of any QB. I think both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, they both have the ability to be dual-threat. But understand- Are you scrambling to run, or are you scrambling to extend the play? I never see Shedeur as a person to run. I see him as a person to scramble to extend play,” he added.
Wale pushed back, saying he had seen Sanders play in college and believed he moved better than critics gave him credit for. He pointed out that Shedeur was quick enough to escape the pocket and get out of bounds. The former Buffs star is perhaps not elite speed, but enough to justify a 74 rating for a pocket passer with mobility.
That said, Shedeur doesn’t need blazing speed or elite athleticism to succeed in the NFL. He doesn’t even need to be a traditional dual-threat quarterback to carve out a role.
There’s still plenty of room in the league for true pocket passers — a skill set that remains the foundation of quarterback play. Legends like Brady and Peyton Manning built Hall of Fame careers by operating efficiently from the pocket.
Sanders has the football IQ and accuracy to thrive as a pure passer. If that’s the style he wants to stick with, he simply needs to keep honing his mechanics, decision-making, and timing.
A strong offensive line and a reliable run game will certainly make his transition easier. But even without those luxuries, he’s shown that he can deliver under pressure.
And if Shedeur does want to add a dual-threat element to his game, he doesn’t have to become the next Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. He could follow the path of Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes — QBs who aren’t burners but use their mobility smartly to extend plays and make magic outside the pocket.
In today’s NFL, versatility is key, but there’s no one-size-fits-all blueprint for success. Sanders just needs to play to his strengths.
