The Pittsburgh Steelers have not given any hints as to when their quarterback issue is going to be resolved. Aaron Rodgers could sign with the team any day now, but he can also opt to retire or wait until the season begins to see if a new job opens elsewhere. Depending on what takes place over the next couple of weeks, the organization could find itself using a premium pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on the quarterback position. The franchise has spent extensive time with Jaxson Dart and are meeting with Shedeur Sanders this week, and one of them could certainly be on the board at the 21st overall pick.
Troy Taormina / Stephanie Amador Blondet / Imagn Images
Both Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart are considered to be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
For most of the pre-draft process, it seemed like Sanders would be one of the top three players taken off the board in 2025, however that idea has certainly changed. There is now a decent chance he will begin to slide down the draft board, possibly all the way to 21 - or at least to a spot where Pittsburgh would feel comfortable trading up. If Sanders is on the board while Pittsburgh is picking, many believe he will be the selection, including some of the league's top insiders and analysts.
Sanders has made headlines ever since his Pro Day at the start of April. He put on a great performance and looked comfortable on the field, but there has been some controversy surrounding him patting the ball before throwing it. Some think it doesn't matter, while others believe it gives a strong advantage to the defense. Cam Heyward weighed in on the subject on the most recent episode of Not Just Football.
"It does matter," Heyward said. "You're providing more time, for one, the defender on the line to get a strip sack. If you're bringing it down to just coil the ball just a little bit, that's more time for us to really get after it. Ben [Roethlisberger] was always really good at the pump fakes. But to pat the ball with two hands, you're never going to throw with two hands, you're just providing more time. And, I've seen a lot of corners jump routes that way."
The ball-patting debate seems to pop up every year ahead of the draft. There is always a prospect or two that does it, and players and fans everywhere debate whether it means anything. The consensus seems to be that it depends who the quarterback is doing the patting, but regardless of who the player is, it certainly adds some unnecessary risks to playing the position.
George Walker IV / AP Photo
Collegiate quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders speaks to members of the media during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Sanders certainly solidified himself as a first-round pick during his Pro Day. He had just five incompletions on the day, with three of them being attributed to drops. Despite his good performance, all anyone was able to talk about was the way he was patting the ball prior to each pass. It seems to be a part of his throwing motion, and it is something that will be difficult to coach out of him.
Andre Cisco had this to say after watching Shedeur Sanders pro day 👀
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 5, 2025
Does Shedeur need to stop patting the ball? pic.twitter.com/umYcvzOhm3
This isn't something that has to be coached out of him immediately. Some great quarterbacks have had this habit throughout the history of the NFL. The concerning issue is that Sanders does not have the strongest arm, and when his patting of the ball could be tipping defenders off to where he is going to throw, he needs to be sure he has the arm to beat the defender.
Associated Press
Shedeur Sanders talks with his father Deion Sanders during a college game.
Steelers Should Not Be Overly Concerned With Shedeur Sanders' Habit
Patting the football is no reason not to draft a quarterback. Heyward's concerns are fair, but patting the football is not the end of the world. Some of the best players to ever take snaps from under center have had this habit, including Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, and Dan Marino. The common denominator amongst those players is that they all had rocket arms, which has as mentioned, been one of the concerns for Sanders.
.@danorlovsky7 explains why some of the greatest QBs in NFL history 'patted' the football before throwing it.
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 7, 2025
Will it help or hurt Shedeur Sanders in the NFL? 👀 pic.twitter.com/8QiZiRnG6d
Pittsburgh or whichever franchise selects Sanders, can work with the young player on getting this tick out of his game, but it is not the end of the world. He is a decent athlete who was forced to develop a good pocket presence while playing behind a horrific offensive line at Colorado, so he should be able to get out of a good amount of bad situations where he is holding the ball for too long.
What do you think about Heyward's remarks? Comment below!
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