Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is at the Shrine Bowl speaking to NFL teams, including being spotted dapping up New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. The handshake was caught on video, with the comfortability and familiar vibe of the encounter sparking speculation of the Giants’ interest in the talented quarterback.
Video Shows Potential Growing Relationship Between Giants, Shedeur Sanders
The quarterback-needy Giants look to have established a relationship with former Colorado quarterback Sanders, expected to be one of the highest-drafted players in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll, known for his offensive background, greeted Sanders with a comfortable-looking handshake during Shrine Bowl preparation. Alex Wilson, founder of Empire Sports Media, even went as far as to say “Lol Shedeur is a Giant… a dap like that is all I needed to see.”
Lol Shedeur is a Giant… a dap like that is all I needed to see. pic.twitter.com/Iw9RPSenWY
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) January 25, 2025
Decide for yourself, but that didn’t look like the first time Daboll and Sanders had met.
When the Giants held the No. 1 overall selection at the time in December, Sanders made waves on social media when custom Giants-colored cleats were found in his locker.
The Giants won their Week 17 game, dropping them to their current spot of holding the No. 3 pick. The two teams ahead of them, the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, have each expressed their need for a quarterback as well.
However, the opportunity still may be there for the Giants to select Sanders; there’s a growing belief that either the Titans or Browns could go with the best-player-available approach. That would essentially mean they’d draft the highest-graded player in their eyes, which may not be Sanders or the other top quarterback, the Miami Hurricanes’ Cam Ward.
A trade is also an option. Giants general manager Joe Schoen has endured two straight ugly-looking losing seasons — with his job potentially on the line, securing a long-term quarterback may be in his, and the franchise’s, best interest.
While Sanders isn’t participating in practices or competing in the East-West Shrine Bowl, he’s there speaking to NFL teams. Seemingly, he’s established a good, comfortable relationship with the Giants’ head coach.
Daboll’s background includes helping fast-track the development of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen — a large part of Daboll winning the AP’s NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2020 — and developing future NFL quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones, and Tua Tagovailoa as the Alabama Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.
It’s easy to forget that Daboll was named the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year — his first season with the franchise — while leading the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a Wild Card Round win on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. He was able to coax a career-high season from quarterback Daniel Jones in terms of efficiency throwing the football.
If the Giants can bring the seemingly already-formed connection of Daboll and Sanders together, the results have a chance to be great.
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