Shedeur Sanders, the standout quarterback from Colorado, was once considered a lock as a top-three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, his draft stock has unexpectedly taken a hit, sparking widespread debate about the reasons behind it.
While some analysts have attributed the drop to concerns over his performance, veteran sports commentator Bomani Jones has floated a different theory-one that suggests Sanders may be attempting to take control of his NFL future rather than leaving it to chance.
During a recent episode of The Right Time with Bomani Jones, the seasoned analyst shared his take on the situation. Rather than interpreting Sanders’ actions as a disregard for the draft process, Jones proposed that the young quarterback might be strategically positioning himself to land with a team of his choice.
A deliberate plan or just a misinterpretation?
Jones was quick to dismiss the notion that Sanders‘ approach stemmed from arrogance or an unwillingness to respect the draft system. Instead, he suggested that the quarterback might be taking cues from past players who have attempted to control their landing spots.
“I don’t think that it was a rebellion of, ‘I rebuke the process, and the process is beneath my respect.’ That’s unlikely to be what happened,” Jones explained. “The boy might be an orifice-I’m not saying he is-but that is possible. The people who were cutting him slack were saying that they wondered if he was doing it on purpose. It was either that off-putting, or it seemed to be calculated.”
What makes this theory plausible is Sanders‘ unique financial situation. Unlike many college athletes who enter the NFL eager to secure a lucrative rookie contract, Shedeur is not facing the same urgency.
With his father, Deion Sanders, having amassed wealth and influence in both football and media, Shedeur has the financial flexibility to prioritize fit over salary.
“If your dad’s Deion Sanders, you don’t necessarily need to get the money that comes from going early and everything else,” Jones pointed out. “I think that would be, rather than showing a disrespect for the process, that would be attempting to manipulate the process to get to the place that you want to go.”
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