ESPN insider questions motives of 'arrogant' Shedeur Sanders accusations

ESPN NFL insider Kimberly Martin has heard all the recent criticisms circulating about Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders coming out of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Not that she’s buying into any of it.

In the days immediately following last week’s Combine in Indianapolis, damning media reports began circulating citing anonymous NFL personnel that came away with troubling opinions of the potential Top 10 pick after meeting with Sanders — the son of NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

Fellow NFL insider Josina Anderson took to X/Twitter to blast an anonymous NFL quarterback coach’s assessment that Shedeur Sanders came off “brash” and “arrogant.”

That’s where Martin drew the line.

“I’ve heard some people feel like he’s arrogant, he’s a little too confident,” Martin said on Wednesday’s First Take. “However, most of the feedback I’ve heard on Shedeur has been positive. And there’s one quote from a NFL exec that really stood out to me. He told me, ‘I can see how someone would think Shedeur is arrogant if he or she doesn’t take the time to get to know him.’ He’s a thoughtful young man, he’s not a BSer, he’s not somebody that’s going to tell you what you want to hear. He’s going to tell you what he thinks, but he’s going to think about his answer before he speaks to you.”

Martin then called into question the motives of these Shedeur dissenters, comparing Sanders’ confidence to that of similarly bold white QBs such as former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers, who famously fell to the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

“Now what bothers me about the Shedeur conversation right now is that now that ‘brash’ and ‘arrogant’ are out there and have been assigned to him, now it’s like, ‘You see? This guy can’t lead a football team.’ My question is, why does it matter that he’s confident when Baker Mayfield was planting flags coming into the draft and he was considered arrogant by some?’ Aaron Rodgers was the same guy who as a young player was talking about aliens and all these things and had this very unique personality, and it didn’t matter because he could play football,” Martin said. “Being a nice kid, being quiet, that doesn’t equate to winning games. The only thing I want to hear about Shedeur from league people is do you think he can turn around your franchise? Do you think he’s the best quarterback? And if you don’t, that’s fine. But when we attach these labels, especially to Black quarterbacks, then I’ve got to do a little more digging, I’ve got to ask what’s really behind it.

“He’s Deion Sanders’ son, you thought this kid was really going to come in here and say, ‘Yeah, I think I can do it?’ No, he’s going to tell you, ‘I’ve done it and I think I can do it.’ And I like that confidence.”

Stephen A. Smith: Shedeur Sanders critics rooted in hatred of Deion Sanders

There are two quarterbacks sitting atop most NFL Draft boards, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. However, Sanders is now facing criticism, largely due to a perceived attitude that he has given off in meetings with teams.

Amid that criticism of Shedeur Sanders, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith came to Shedeur’s defense. He argued on First Take that it’s best for a young quarterback to be confident and pointed out that Shedeur doesn’t have off-field issues. Instead, he believes this issue is that critics simply don’t like his father, Deion Sanders.

“I’m trying to remain composed and not really be as angry as I want to be,” Stephen A. Smith said. “I’m fuming inside right now. What is he supposed to be as a quarterback entering the NFL? You can’t be insecure and still succeed. You can’t have doubts about your abilities and be successful as a quarterback in the NFL. If I know that, every single executive knows you have to have confidence. He has a resume that validates and backs up his confidence.”

In his college career, Shedeur Sanders followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado. He’d spend two seasons with the Buffaloes, becoming one of the best-known and most discussed quarterbacks in the country. He’d finish the 2024 season completing 74 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

“So, I’m getting angry because a young black man, highly successful, highly accomplished, and incomparable and incredible pedigree is entering the NFL, is considered easily one of the top two quarterbacks entering the NFL Draft,” Smith said.

On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this report.