A quarterback’s success in the NFL isn’t entirely dependent on his own ability. They can slop, talent notwithstanding, if the franchise doesn’t provide a stable foundation for them to work with. No signal-caller would know how true this is more than John Elway. And the former Denver Broncos star spoke about Shedeur Sanders’ future and the importance of him landing in the right organization.
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On the Nick Ferg Show, Elway complimented the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback’s ability to “make all the throws” and pointed out his “great feel for the game”. Elway then expressed hope for Sanders to wind up in a spot that optimizes his skillset, akin to what the Broncos have done with rookie Bo Nix.
“Hopefully he gets in the right situation like Bo Nix has got into with the Denver Broncos and Sean Payton… [where] you can click with that offensive coordinator, quarterback coach [and] head coach [and have] someone that can bring him along and not rush him,” said Elway.
In the 1983 NFL Draft, Elway was selected No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Colts. However, he and his father were not convinced the Colts were worthy of his talents. Baltimore eventually traded him to the Broncos, where he played the entirety of his Hall of Fame career.
Elway’s intuition proved to be right. Less than a year after his draft, the Colts randomly moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night on March 28-29, 1984. Indy made just three playoff appearances during Elway’s career and didn’t reach 10 wins a single time throughout the period.
Shedeur isn’t the only high-end NFL prospect the Buffaloes have on their roster. Wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter — the Heisman Trophy favorite — will probably be selected with a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Elway on Hunter’s NFL future
Hunter wants to continue playing both his positions at the professional level. Whether he’ll get the opportunity to do so remains to be seen.
Elway said if he drafted Hunter, he’d give him a chance to make an impact on both sides of the ball.
“You’ve always gotta entertain that… when you look at his athletic ability, what he [has] done… I think he’s just gonna continue to get better. He [has] the tools to play… you wanna get your best athletes on the field, and the more times you can get them on the field, the better off you are,” added Elway.
Colorado won’t be appearing in the College Football Playoff but does have a bowl game on tap. They’ll know who their opponents would be tomorrow afternoon, when the CFP field is unveiled.
