Real reason why Steelers refused to draft Shedeur Sanders revealed

The 2025 NFL Draft is firmly in the rearview mirror, but the conversation is still focused on Shedeur Sanders’ fall to the Cleveland Browns.

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark brought up why the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t take a chance on the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback this week on First Take. The former NFL standout knew there was no way Sanders was incorporated in the plans for Mike Tomlin and his staff.

“Here’s what I can tell you about this draft,” Clark said. “If he would’ve fallen to the 7th round, the Steelers weren’t drafting Shedeur Sanders. Whatever the evaluation was, whatever decision was made, he was not going to be the quarterback picked, drafted or called by Mike Tomlin.”

Sources say Sanders’ interview with the Steelers was a deciding factor for team officials. He was added late for an in-person meeting two weeks before the draft.

Despite getting passed on and eventually going No. 144 overall, Mel Kiper Jr. had Sanders at the top of his big board ahead of top pick Cam Ward. Many in the NFL community have been critical of Kiper and his defense of Sanders. Especially after Shedeur took a slide and all of the teams in the league passed on him. However, Kiper is no stranger to the backlash for his opinions.

For now, Sanders will look to make an impact in Cleveland. He was noted as the most accurate passer in the recent minicamp. Hopefully, the same momentum will carry over for ‘Grown’ in OTAs.

Real reason why Steelers refused to draft Shedeur Sanders revealed

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