What Does the Media Think of Shadeur Sanders Today?

Before starting my piece today I need to give credit to my dad. Him and I were chatting via text yesterday about the very idea that will be the point of my blog this afternoon. Thank you for the idea you gave me, and if you end up reading this, I hope you find it well done. The idea is, why did the narrative shift so many times on Shadeur Sanders during his last season at Colorado, during the lead up to the draft and now that teams are in OTA's. With each different scenario, the media changed their tune on the kid as if they had whiplash.

I do want to say, from my own perspective, I think Sanders has the tools to be a solid NFL QB. Would I have taken him first overall? Nope. Cam Ward is a superior prospect. But I fully thought he was going to be the second QB taken in the last draft. I didn't know if he was going to a late first or early second round pick. And for him to fall to the fifth round, and have guys like Tyler Shough, Jaxson Dart and Dillon Gabriel all taken before him, that is crazy. He needs to check his ego a bit, but as far as the intangibles go, Sanders has the tools to make a career for himself in the NFL.

Going into his last season at Colorado, the pundits seemed to agree. He was always talked about as a first round prospect. Before the season started, he and Ward were the two guys. But Ward really separated himself pretty quickly into the year. Sanders kept putting up numbers and Colorado played better than expected. But when the lights were brightest, their bowl game and a few big games against ranked opponents, he struggled. The bowl game was about as bad as I had seen him play. Sure, he had no real help from his o line, but still, that game was tough. His stock took a hit, but not as bad as some thought. After that bowl game, the media kind of placed him as the 3rd or 4th best QB prospect. That isn't bad, but a first round guarantee was almost out the door.

The process leading up to the draft is where the media turned. He was labeled arrogant. According to reports he showed up late or uninterested to team meetings. He had this air about him during interviews. He didn't perform at the combine. All these little things that mean so much to the front office, Sanders seemed to think he was too big for them. The media was out for blood at this point. He disappeared from first round mock drafts. The headlines on him were always negative. People started to buy into the fact that maybe they had to "teach him a lesson" come draft day.

When draft day came, boy oh boy did the powers that be try to send a message. When he fell out of the first round, I was surprised, but not shocked. Everything that led to this day that he needed to show strengths, he had shown weakness. But when he kept tumbling down and down and down, I did become stunned. But, outside of Mel Kiper, the people covering the draft seemed to relish this. They didn't talk about his teammate, Heisman winning corner/receiver Travis Hunter being the number 2 overall pick. They let it slide how much better of a prospect Cam Ward was, unless it meant they could show video of the two of them working out that painted Sanders in a bad light. They let it go that other stud players were going to situations perfect for them. The coverage only seemed to focus on the draft slide of Shadeur Sanders, and what it meant to him and his dad. This kid was unfairly ripped to shreds by the media all because the NFL didn't like the way he handled himself in the pre draft process. And even after he was picked, in the fifth round, it became apparent that he was sent to the NFL equivalent of hell, the Cleveland Browns, because that was what he "deserved".

Now with OTA's going on, the narrative has shifted once again. I see headlines about how he could start. I see videos of him making really good throws in practice. Media people say he is the first to show up and the last to leave. Apparently he stays and signs a ton of autographs for fans. The other QBs on the Browns roster don't get this coverage. Dillon Gabriel is already considered a career backup. Kenny Pickett blew his one shot he had in Pittsburgh. And Joe Flacco is just keeping the seat warm until Sanders is ready. The whole idea that surrounded Sanders before the draft, that came from many of the same people covering him now has completely taken a 180.

I'm not here to say people cannot change. I love it when someone turns it around for the better. But the same media people who viciously attacked him the draft, the same people who relished his poor play in the bowl game, the same people that loved his draft slide, now all they can do is talk about how great a fifth round pick who hasn't taken on NFL snap looks in OTA's. It's baffling to me. Shadeur Sanders is getting the same coverage that superstars get. And while he can be great, he has to prove it first before he is the talk of every website on the planet. And to me, this constant shift in narrative is indicative of the ADHD society we live in now. Everyone wants to drag someone down when they are down, and build them back up when they show their worth. They hang onto that until they get tired of it, and then they drag them down again.

I'm sure the second downfall will come soon for Sanders from the media. He will have a rough showing in the preseason and the same people will be ready to write him off until he shows his skills during a different preseason game. It's tough, and it has to be even tougher for these kids to be constantly picked apart by the media. Unfortunately that is the day and age we live in. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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