ESPN analyst suggests Shedeur Sanders is facing criticism because of his skin color

Shedeur Sanders is possibly the astir fashionable sanction successful this year's NFL Draft, but helium isn't precisely the astir fashionable subordinate to spell No. 1.

After a agelong portion of being the 1B to Cam Ward's 1A, Sanders has continued to autumn successful astir scouts' eyes. In fact, it's not excessively hard to find immoderate adjacent saying that Jaxson Dart is up of Sanders successful the backmost rankings.

There is nary question that Sanders is polarizing, and ESPN's Ryan Clark noted that he's heard the word "arrogant" floating astir the quarterback.

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Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders speaks during a property league astatine the NFL Scouting Combine connected Feb. 28, 2025, successful Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

"They works these definite reports, and you bash perceive these definite things, and you perceive the connection ‘arrogant.’ Why is helium arrogant? Because helium won't locomotion into the gathering and crook the knee, oregon helium won't beryllium successful the gathering and question himself oregon his abilities oregon his cognition and acquisition successful the game. I don't judge that's arrogance – I privation a backmost that's self-assured. I privation a backmost that tin chopped the movie on, and erstwhile you inquire him a definite question astir ‘why did you marque this mistake’ oregon ‘why did you marque this throw’ oregon ‘why was this the close read,’ I privation him to beryllium capable to regurgitate that to maine similar he's successful the play astatine the infinitesimal the aforesaid mode a manager oregon violative coordinator would, due to the fact that that's what he's gonna person helium to do. I've had conversations with Shedeur Sanders, and helium tin bash that," Clark said connected Wednesday's variation of "First Take."

Of course, immoderate of Sanders' popularity stems from being the lad of Hall of Famer Deion, who coached him passim assemblage astatine some Jackson State and Colorado. In immoderate circles, that whitethorn beryllium a detriment to his draught stock.

Colorado Buffaloes backmost Shedeur Sanders warms up earlier the crippled against the Brigham Young Cougars astatine Alamodome. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

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But Clark added that his tegument colour whitethorn besides beryllium a interest to NFL teams.

"It's not conscionable astir him being Deion Sanders' son. It's astir the bravado helium carries. It's astir the information that helium looks a definite way. It is astir the information that the colour of his tegument sometimes astatine the presumption tin beryllium questioned. And I judge Shedeur Sanders is going to person to woody with that until helium gets connected the field," Clark said.

Sanders exuded assurance astatine the NFL Scouting Combine past month, saying that past would "repeat itself" with him.

"We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed 2 programs back-to-back. You don't deliberation I could travel to an NFL franchise and alteration a programme again? It's history, it's ever going to repetition itself," Sanders said. 

Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders passes against the Kansas Jayhawks and astatine GEHA Field astatine Arrowhead Stadium. (Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images)

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"If you ain’t trying to alteration the franchise oregon the culture, don’t get me. So, you should cognize past repeats itself implicit and implicit and over, and I’ve done it implicit and over, truthful it should beryllium nary question wherefore NFL franchises should prime me."

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