Quarterback coach Darrell Colbert Jr. was asked who Shedeur Sanders most closely resembles in the NFL. His answer came without hesitation: Joe Burrow. And that wasn’t the first time he’d thought about it.
The comparison doesn’t stop at personality. Colbert pointed out that Burrow and Sanders share on-field similarities, particularly their ability to stay productive under relentless pressure.
“Joe Burrow,” Colbert replied immediately during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“Just the way Joe Burrow is always confident, always calm-Shedeur is exactly like that. He’s one of those guys who never gets too high, never gets too low.
“Joe does a great job of being accurate, understanding the system, and where the comparison really holds up is this: remember that year when Joe went to the Super Bowl? He was sacked a lot-he was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL-and he was still productive. That’s who Shedeur [Sanders] is.”
The 2024 season was a rough one for Sanders’ offensive line-defenders hit him over 50 times and sacked him 42 times. Yet, Sanders still posted elite-level numbers: 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns. Like Burrow, he didn’t just survive pressure-he thrived in it.
This resilience is exactly why Sanders continues to rise in draft stock, with analysts and scouts keeping a close eye on his development. The Cincinnati Bengals’ own star quarterback, Joe Burrow, faced similar questions entering the league-particularly about his arm strength.
That criticism didn’t last long, and now Burrow has a 70-yard touchdown pass to his name and is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top passers.
Callahan’s take on the comparison
Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan also weighed in on the Burrow-Sanders comparison.
“I think you can probably put Shedeur in the same conversation. They anticipate when they throw it, they have the timing and accuracy on top of it. That makes up for the arm strength,” Callahan noted.
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