Cue the collective gasp from Boulder to Bristol: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado’s record-shattering QB (4,134 yards, 37 TDs in ‘24), is slipping from top-10 lock to late-first roulette. Why? Scouts whisper he’s “not a great athlete” and lacks that Mahomes-esque “wow” factor. Add his combine no-show and Deion Sanders’ shadow — “I didn’t know parents wanting the best for you is a problem,” Shedeur clapped back — and you’ve got a draft slide juicier than Cena’s heel power grab.

“As you point out with Rodgers—he was team-dependent, scheme-dependent, general manager-dependent… someone willing to work with a guy who might not be starting or winning right now,” host Rich Eisen said as he teed up the conversation. “So I’m wondering, where do you stand on Shedeur Sanders now that he’s done with his workouts and we’re 17 days away from finding out an answer to that question, Mike, as we stare this draft in the face?”

NFL analyst Mike Mayock didn’t flinch. “We can go through the top eight or nine teams if you want and kind of talk about where their heads are. But for me, I look at Shedeur—and the pro day really changed nothing. I think that’s true for most people around the league. He throws a beautiful deep ball. He can drop it in the bucket. That was the highlight for him. But there were no major red flags nor was there any major advancement. We didn’t come out of it saying, ‘Oh, he’s the savior.’”

Let’s rewind the tape. Shedeur’s résumé glitters: 14,347 career passing yards, a 74% completion rate in ‘24, and a Hail Mary vs. Baylor that broke TikTok. But NFL GMs are nitpicking like Chopped judges. No Combine workouts? “Red flag!” Arm strength? “Not elite!” Meanwhile, Pittsburgh — fresh off a very awkward Russell Wilson/Justin Fields breakup — is lurking at pick No. 21.

“Here’s my concern, Rich,” Mayock continued. “I think sometimes we let draft position trump the correct fit. The irony with someone like Aaron Rodgers is that he ended up in the right place—even with all the Brett Favre stuff. He had to sit for a while, he learned his craft… and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Andy Reid traded up to 10 to get Patrick Mahomes—right place. The Ravens traded up to 32 to get Lamar Jackson. Think of that—Lamar at 32! They’d already taken a tight end earlier.”

“Let’s be honest—just about every quarterback coming from college to the NFL is not ready for prime time,” Mayock said. “They’re just not. There’s so much they have to learn. Trying to force-feed them into Day One starting roles is tough.” And then, the gut punch from Eisen: “Okay, so—couple follow-ups… Twenty-one is a long way to drop. That is for sure.”

Still, the fit may outweigh the fall. “We can get into all the minutiae we want… but I just want the right fit for the kid. I like the kid. I like his dad. And I want him to end up in the right place—regardless of what the number is, or what round he goes in,” Mayock concluded.

Shedeur Sanders: From Boulder to black & gold? 

But here’s the twist: Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, the NFL’s zen master of sideline stoicism, might be cooking up a QB rehab project for the ages. With Mason Rudolph currently QB1 and Aaron Rodgers flirting with the Steelers, Tomlin’s reportedly eyeing Shedeur as a pupil under the four-time MVP.

“So with Shedeur… I think he might slide a bit, Rich,” Mayock admitted. “I don’t think he’s going in the first nine. And I have a concern beyond that—how far it’ll go. And then you start talking about fit. I think Pittsburgh is a really intriguing fit for him. I like Mike Tomlin. I like Arthur Smith. They need a young quarterback—even with Aaron Rodgers, it’d be an awesome fit for the kid to come in and learn.”

Translation: Shedeur could go from draft-day tumble to Rodgers’ clipboard heir — if he survives the AFC North gauntlet.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is playing chess. Fresh off his Jets implosion, he’s weighing a Steelers deal that’d let him mentor Shedeur and chase Ring No. 2. Imagine the irony: a QB who sat behind Brett Favre now tutoring Deion’s son. But Shedeur’s no ordinary rookie. His NIL empire ($6.5M deals with Nike, Beats) proves he’s brand-savvy, and his “I’m the most guaranteed risk” swagger is pure Kool-Aid for a Steelers team craving post-Ben identity.

So, will Shedeur Sanders sink or swim? If history’s a guide, Pittsburgh’s the place for second acts. From Hines Ward’s smile to TJ Watt’s sack dances, the Steelers craft legends from underdogs. And Shedeur? He’s got the arm, the lineage, and a chip bigger than ‘Primanti’s’ sammies. As Rodgers once said before a Hail Mary: “Why not us?” Why not indeed. “Mic drop.”