FRISCO, Texas — There may have never been a more clear main event in recent East-West Shrine Bowl history than Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
He’s CBS Sports’ No. 2 ranked quarterback prospect and No. 9 ranked overall prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft, and he chose to attend the Shrine Bowl in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to showcase himself to prospective NFL teams. However, Sanders isn’t practicing or playing in the game as he is only taking meetings with NFL teams.
“I love it here,” Sanders said on Saturday of being at the Shrine Bowl. “I definitely learned a lot of new information, and with this game and what it’s truly about, I’m excited, and I’m proud to be here to represent this game and bring more attention to it … It was definitely tough not being out there, but I came here for a purpose, for a reason: to meet with the teams so that they can understand me and know me.”
Given that quarterback is the most valuable position in football, Sanders and Miami quarterback Cam Ward are in the running to be selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans. The next two teams in the 2025 draft also have a need at QB with the Cleveland Browns picking second and the New York Giants picking third. Sanders doesn’t have a preference on where he goes, but he is certain he can be a face of the franchise quarterback.
“I’m just a player, so I’m just thankful for whatever situation, whoever drafts me,” Sanders said when asked about potentially being the first overall pick. “I know I’ll be able to change their program. … All the conversations have been positive and good. They’re surprised, finally able to meet me. It’s not what the media portrays it to be. I’m a smiling guy, and I’m always happy. It’s a lot of negativity out there, and the best thing that gets clicks is negativity. So we just know everything we do is positive.”
Both the Titans and Giants have a heavy presence at this year’s Shrine Bowl with their general managers present, and they both have met with Sanders.
“It was truly exciting that I was able to get [in] and meet everybody, and I was able to ask questions” Sanders said of his Friday meeting with Tennessee, the team with the first overall pick. “They were able to understand me also.”
However, he was unable to contain his excitement when detailing his relationship with the Giants. New York head coach Brian Daboll went over to chat with Sanders during the Shrine Bowl’s first practice on Saturday. Daboll, general manager Joe Schoen, assistant general manager Brandon Brown and assistant director of player personnel Dennis Hickey also made sure to catch up with Sanders in the lobby of the player hotel after practice Saturday afternoon as well.
“It was very exciting, and we have a great relationship,” Sanders said of seeing and meeting with the Giants this week. “They definitely showed up plenty of times even to practice. Just seeing the logos and seeing the scouts, it’s very exciting.”
Sanders also telegraphed his Giants’ interest by having cleats at his locker with the team’s logo on it at Colorado’s Alamo Bowl game against BYU, the final game of his collegiate career.
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Author: Garrett Podell
January 25, 2025 | 9:46 pm
