With the 2025 NFL Draft set to take place on April 24 in the heart of Green Bay, the football world has returned to its annual tradition of overanalyzing each and every decision that is made by the members of the upcoming rookie class.
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In the case of former Colorado Buffalo, Shedeur Sanders, that means fielding opinions on the decision not to throw at the 2025 NFL Combine. The former Buffs QB has faced plenty of criticism for opting out of the Combine.
In a recent interview on the 2Legendary podcast, Shedeur explained his rationale.
“We want to be able to be consistent throwing the ball… [there’s] a lot of factors going into [it]… you just don’t roll out your bed and throw when it’s different areas you want to fix and critique… the date always been for the Pro Day, where we’ll have familiar faces… I want to focus more on interviews, on getting to meet these coaches and GMs… see if they like me overall as a person.”
So there are at least three NFL analysts who don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Opting to instead perform at Colorado’s pro day, some believe that this is his way of giving back to the university that gave him an opportunity to grow and prosper. After all, many greats before him have done the same.
Analyst and former Philadelphia Eagle, Keyshawn Johnson, highlighted this point above to back Sanders’ decision.
“Shedeur won’t be the first notable quarterback to not participate. Joe Burrow didn’t do it. Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, Caleb Daniels, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, they are all just notable guys who decided not to throw at the combine,” he said on SPEAK.
Citing that his pro day can help bring business and further the program’s awareness, in addition to the fact that several of Sanders’ predecessors abstained from the combine, Johnson believes that the second-generation talent is going to be “just fine.”
His Hall of Famer co-host, Michael Irvin, agreed. Suggesting that the Combine may not be the most welcoming of environments, the five-time pro bowler noted –
“Just for the technical side on the football field, it’s different when you’re throwing to a whole bunch of strangers that you never even knew, and you’re throwing on a football field that you’ve never went on… Whatever happens in Indy, they are only going to use to knock you down.”
Given the pedigree of Irvin’s experience, upcoming players may feel rather inclined to take his words a bit more seriously.
Believing that the 23-year-old signal caller made the right decision in trusting his film, Paul Pierce also believes that Sanders’ body of work in the Big 12 speaks for itself. With the consensus of the three retired athletes serving as a warning to future generations about the nature of the Combine, the former Boston Celtic maintained that Sanders has shown more than enough of his talents already.
“Over his college career, you’ve seen what this man is about… This is where they try to pick you apart. You know everything that you need to know from the seasons that he’s played.”
Considering the impact that the Sanders family has had on the Colorado program, this seems like a fitting end to the collegiate chapter of Shedeur’s career.
In a final display of passing accuracy that will retroactively bring exposure to his teammates, Sanders’ pro day serves as both a “goodbye” and a “thank you” to the program that helped him earn his way into becoming a top-three pick in the NFL Draft.
