Shedeur Sanders reacts to patting-the-football criticism: ‘They’ve got to find a way to tear me down’

After participating in Colorado’s “Ain’t Hard 2 Find” showcase in front of NFL scouts last week, a conversation started on social media about Shedeur Sanders. Complaints emerged about him patting the football before he threw and how that tendency would translate to the next level ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Thursday night, Sanders responded to the criticism. He pointed out the role those types of conversations play during the pre-draft process.

Sanders said he’s not worrying about what people say about whether he pats the football before he throws. He noted he’s dealt with criticism for most of his career, which is why he doesn’t dwell on it and stays focused on the task at hand.

“The same stuff that’s been going on through my head since I first stepped foot in college,” Sanders said on NFL Network’s The Insiders with Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. “It’s just normal. I don’t do anything negative, so they’ve got to find something negative to talk about.

“They’ve got to find a way to tear me down. When you know that type of stuff is coming, then you don’t really care.”

Sanders is considered one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft after a standout senior season at Colorado. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. continues to put Sanders as his top quarterback on his Big Board despite dropping him to the No. 9 overall pick in his Mock Draft 4.0. In fact, he offered a passionate defense of the QB after the patting-the-football conversation took off.

But as he navigates the pre-draft process, Shedeur Sanders said he’s looking forward to seeing what else comes up over the next two weeks before Draft Day. He also noted the latest discussion isn’t the first criticism he’s faced this offseason.

“It’s extremely fun,” Sanders said of navigating life before the draft. “It’s just funny to see what they come up with next. Because at first, it was the arm wasn’t as strong. I had a lot of touchdowns in my career. Then, it was, I pat the ball. That wasn’t a thing before Pro Day, was it?

“I don’t get in trouble off the field, so it’s kind of hard for them to create storylines for the media, keep that algorithm going. It’s going to be fun with the next story.”

Sanders’ landing spot will be one of the biggest storylines when the league heads to Green Bay later this month. The 2025 NFL Draft will get underway April 24.

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