Adam WellsJanuary 25, 2025
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Colorado star Shedeur Sanders will not be playing in the East-West Shrine Bowl after all.
It was announced on Saturday morning that Sanders will be an interview-only participant at the event, allowing him to meet with scouts and executives from NFL teams.
Sanders was set to be the headline prospect at the game, but his decision not to play will open things up for some of the other quarterbacks. Kyle McCord of Syracuse is the the other high-profile signal-caller after throwing for 4,779 yards this season.
There’s very little for Sanders to gain by participating in this type of setting. He’s already regarded as the top quarterback prospect in the 2025 class by some analysts.
B/R’s NFL scouting department has Sanders ranked as the No. 2 quarterback behind Miami’s Cam Ward.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan noted that New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll spent “significant time” with Sanders on Friday.
Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Sanders also met with the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns.
Jim Wyatt @jwyattsports.@ShedeurSanders, who spent over 30 minutes with @Titans officials on Friday, tackles a bunch of topics at the @ShrineBowl. pic.twitter.com/nrkl5t9OCk
The Titans, Browns and Giants own the top three picks in the draft. All three teams figure to add a quarterback this offseason, either via the draft, free agency or both.
Davenport noted Shedeur’s meeting with the Titans lasted about 45 minutes and included a “surprise FaceTime call” from Deion Sanders.
“He’s really poised and had mature way about him,” Titans coach Brian Callahan told Davenport. “You can tell he’s been in the spotlight and knows how to handle it.”
Saturday marked the first day of practices for the East-West Shrine Bowl. The game will be played on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
