During the draft process, especially near the end, the Pittsburgh Steelers were often a team linked to drafting former Colorado Buffalo quarterback Shedeur Sanders as high as the first round.
However, Sanders ended up plummeting in the draft and not getting picked until the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns, with the Steelers passing him up three different times. Now, head coach Mike Tomlin is breaking his silence on the pre-draft process with the young quarterback.
Mike Tomlin Breaks Silence on Shedeur Sanders Interview and What Stood Out to Steelers
There has been a lot of speculation around how Sanders did not perform well in his pre-draft interviews. However, despite the Steelers not selecting him, it seems like Tomlin was a fan of the former Colorado Buffaloes.
In a recent press conference Tomlin only had positive things to say about sanders. “There’s a toughness there that doesn’t get talked about enough, there’s a competitive spirit there that doesn’t get talked about enough, I know he’s very talented and made a lot of plays for for the university and team.”
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So, if Tomlin was a fan of Sanders, why did the Steelers not select him?
It seems like Tomlin wasn’t the one calling the shots necessarily. He clearly thinks that the young quarterback is talented, tough, and competitive. Yet, the Steelers passed on him not once, not twice, but three times.
Perhaps the Steelers brass and front office felt differently from Tomlin and decided to go in a different direction. What makes this whole situation even weirder is that the Steelers are in desperate need of a quarterback and didn’t end up taking one in Will Howard until the fifth round.
Regardless of the reason, it would appear that despite the rumours about Sanders rubbing coaches the wrong way in his pre-draft interviews was not the case in Pittsburgh.
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Sanders’ fall in the draft was shocking, and Tomlin’s comments only make the situation more confusing rather than clearing anything up.
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