NFC Executive, AFC coordinator express Shedeur Sanders concern, point at Deion Sanders

Shedeur Sanders was always going to be a polarizing prospect. That’s a product of being the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and then playing quarterback for him at the collegiate level.

Despite Shedeur Sanders’ success at Colorado, some within NFL circles have their doubts about his ceiling at the next level. NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero spoke with league executives, scouts and coaches, who gave their take on this year’s crop of quarterback prospects. As you can imagine, there was lots said about Shedeur Sanders — much to do about his environment in Boulder and playing under his dad.

“The dude’s only played for his dad. When things go wrong, it’s not his fault. He takes a sack, he blames the O-line,” an AFC coordinator told Pelissero. “He can make the throws. He’s got good accuracy. But does he lock on No. 1 and home in on him? And does the offense tailor for him to read it out?”

A veteran NFC executive added, “You can’t have your dad saying, ‘I’m going to come put a quarterback coach on blast who said you were arrogant.’ So, he can’t be criticized? It seems like his [teammates] like him. They back him, even with all the limelight stuff and going in a different car to the game. It seems like they back him more.”

Deion Sanders defends son Shedeur Sanders

This sort of criticism is nothing new. Shedeur Sanders has been dealing with it for years. Deion Sanders knew it would come. But Coach Prime is confident in his sons’ — Shedeur and Shilo — ability to handle it.

“At this point, we’re so darn blessed. We’re not stressed,” he said last month. “Do you see how I look right now? Do I look stressed? Let me take these glasses off so you can zoom in. Do I look stressed? No, I look blessed. Okay, so, you know, I don’t know what to expect from my kids. They daddy’s sons, man, please. We’re used to adversity. Used to ignorance and adolescence. We’re used to that. 

“So if anybody could handle it, I think they can, and I’m a proud father not for the stuff that you know about. I’m proud for the stuff that you don’t know about that they’ve gotten through, I am.”

NFL scout torches Shedeur Sanders

That being said, the NFL is a different game and a very different locker room. One NFC scouting director is concerned with how Shedeur Sanders will be received by his new teammates.

“When you hear all the anecdotal stories about the person, it’s not that he’s a bad kid. He has been so insulated,” the scouting director said. “It’s going to be a culture shock when he really learns how a locker room really operates and how it really works inside a building. He’s had so much input on the offensive game plan and who the coach is, and everything’s been catered to him. When you walk in one of these [NFL] buildings, no one’s going to give a s— about that. No one cares who your dad is. You’re going to have to end up fighting through some adversity. The plays aren’t going to be called to exactly what you want to run.

“Even last year with [Pat] Shurmur, a lot of the mistakes he made was stuff that he just decided to call at the line of scrimmage himself, and there’s no recourse of him making those decisions. Whereas, in a real locker room, you make a couple of those decisions, you get your a– ripped so bad that you never want to do it again.”