One of the most shocking developments of the 2025 NFL Draft so far is nothing the Denver Broncos have done, in particular, but something all 32 teams have done: Pass on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
There were more discussions over the last six months about how high in the first round Shedeur Sanders would go, as opposed to him dropping out of the first two days of the draft entirely. It's clear that the NFL is doing Sanders dirty at this point and it'll be fascinating to find out why.
The issue is, there are 32 teams and 32 franchises with different reasons for operating the way that they do. For the Broncos, it's nothing to do with Sanders' personality and everything to do with the fact that they already have their franchise quarterback and backup in place with Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham.
When he was asked about it after Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Broncos head coach Sean Payton sent a clear message about his thoughts on Sanders' surprising fall out of the second day of the draft.
Broncos HC Sean Payton thinks draft fall will motivate Shedeur Sanders
"I think we all were surprised and yet the talent, holy cow. I think if you’re a team that needs a quarterback, and we kind of know at the start of the draft who those teams are. Again I saw him when he was in junior high, and then I saw him when he was in high school, and then I saw him when he was a sophomore in high school come practice on their way to Florida.
So I’ve had the chance, I know [Colorado Head Coach] Deion [Sanders], I felt like I grew up watching him play. There’ll be a chip on his shoulder, and beware because this guy’s going to play in this league. I think it’s hard for any of us to explain what other people are looking for. We focus on what we’re looking for, and yes, I think it’s surprising.”
- Broncos HC Sean Payton (via team PR)
It would be a major shock if the NFL passed on Sanders completely throughout the NFL Draft, but I would have said that about the first two days of the NFL Draft as well.
The reality is, the guy is being blacklisted by the league and there are some valid reasons for it. But if you really want to get into the weeds, Sanders was considered a top 30 talent by just about every NFL Draft analyst out there and we've seen guys with sexual misconduct allegations already picked in this draft. It's a bit of hypocrisy by the league and very frustrating overall.
Regardless of your personal opinion about Shedeur Sanders and the Sanders family, this is an egregious fall.