NFL Exec Questions Shedeur Sanders' Leadership Style, 'It's Not About Being a Brand'

An anonymous NFL executive shed some additional light this week on why quarterback Shedeur Sanders may have slipped to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Speaking to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, a "high-ranking decision-maker" for a team that was in the market for a quarterback in the draft gave their take on why Sanders went from being viewed as a likely first-rounder to a Day 3 pick.

The decision-maker said: "We liked Shedeur, but you can't separate the other stuff from the physical abilities."

Sanders' "leadership style and a flashy persona" were an area of concern with the anonymous front office executive adding, "It's not about being a brand. It's about being a teammate and earning a job."

After beginning his college career at FCS Jackson State, Sanders transferred to Colorado and played his final two seasons with the Buffaloes after his father, Deion Sanders, was named head coach.

As a senior, Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 record, which was a 4.5-game improvement from the previous season. He also completed 74.0 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions en route to being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and finishing eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Sanders was initially in the conversation with Miami's Cam Ward as the top quarterback in the 2025 draft, but things changed during the pre-draft process, as Ward ended up going first overall to the Tennessee Titans, while Sanders dropped to the Cleveland Browns at No. 144 overall.

Several reports regarding Sanders came out before and after the draft, painting him in a negative light as far as his attitude is concerned.

NFL draft expert Todd McShay (h/t Dan Benton of USA Today) reported that Sanders "didn't have a great interview" with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll leading up to the draft.

Daboll reportedly felt Sanders was unprepared, Sanders didn't like it when Daboll called him out, and Daboll "didn't appreciate him not liking it."

McShay previously reported that some teams felt Sanders didn't take a professional approach" to his interviews, and NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that an NFL quarterbacks coach felt Sanders was "brash" and "arrogant" during team interviews.

While those reports may have impacted Sanders' draft stock, there is still time for him to change the perception that surrounds him.

Cleveland presents Sanders with a golden opportunity since the Browns don't have a clear starting quarterback ahead of training camp and the preseason.

Sanders figures to compete with Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel for the starting job, and if he performs well on the field and becomes someone his teammates are willing to rally around, he has a legitimate chance to be an immediate starter.