Adam Schefter Explains Why Mike Tomlin Is the Ideal Coach to Draft Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders is one of the most unique quarterbacks to enter the NFL draft in some time, and it has little to do with his impressive play on the field.

The former Colorado signal caller will play for someone other than his father, NFL legend Deion Sanders, for the first time as a high-level football player when he enters the pros. Of course, after the Sanders' success with the Buffaloes in 2024, Coach Prime has been at the center of numerous rumors pertaining to his own potential jump to the big leagues.

That could be a source of tension for NFL coaches and teams, says ESPN insider Adam Schefter. Drafting Sanders will require a coach who is very confident and stable within his franchise. The coach currently most often attached to Sanders—longtime Pittsburgh Steelers boss Mike Tomlin—fits the bill, per Schefter, but it is unclear how many others do.

From Schefter's Monday "draft intel" column for ESPN:

Now, at the NFL level, he will be without his father's presence in football for the first time, and he will have to adapt to his new life the way some players do when they go from high school to college. This, in the eyes of some, will be an opportunity for Sanders to grow, continue to learn and take his game to an even higher level.

And then there's this: Short of Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, any other coach who drafts Sanders better be comfortable with his standing within the organization. Because if that team struggles and the fan base is calling for a coaching change, speculation will start to swirl about Sanders' father taking over.

Though Deion recently finalized a five-year, $54 million contract extension, his buyout is not overly restrictive. It starts at $12 million if he leaves before Dec. 31, 2025, then drops to $10 million if he leaves in 2026, $6 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028 and $3 million in 2029.

If Deion's progress at Colorado stalls out, or he gets the itch to take on a new challenge, a jump to the NFL is the most logical move. If a team uses its first-round pick on Shedeur, and the team falters early in his career, it is going to be near-impossible to keep the Coach Prime rumors at bay.