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Pittsburgh Steelers: 2 Reasons Why Team Passed on Shedeur Sanders in 2025 NFL Draft Revealed

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 5:39 PM ET

Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, there were many questions regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers and who would be their starting quarterback for this upcoming season. Leading up to that point, many believed that they would draft Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders and/or sign Aaron Rodgers to be their starter. For their part, Pittsburgh stated numerous times that they were very comfortable going into the season with Mason Rudolph if it came to that.

Of course, now everyone knows that it will not. Rodgers did end up signing and the Steelers, along with every other NFL team, allowed Sanders to slide down the draft board until he was finally selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Pittsburgh took Ohio State’s Will Howard in the sixth.

During and after the draft, many speculated as to why Sanders, who was once considered a top-five pick, fell so far down the board. Earlier this week, the Steelers saw one team insider give two reasons as to why they passed on him.

The Pittsburgh Steelers Were Not High on Shedeur Sanders

Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) listens to a play call during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Recently, Sanders has made some less-than-stellar headlines due to his being pulled over multiple times for driving over 100 miles per hour. As talk surrounding the now-Browns quarterback has started to focus on what off field issues he may bring to Cleveland, Pittsburgh insider Ray Fittipaldo revealed why the Steelers passed on him in the draft.

“I think mostly, it had to do with [the Steelers] didn’t have a grade on him [Sanders] within the first five rounds,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo said Thursday on Cleveland’s 93.7 The Fan. “I think the second part of that equation, and this was never really discussed, you’ve seen some leaks with other teams across the NFL.

“Now, a lot of people just didn’t want to deal with Deion Sanders and what that might be down the road after he’s done at Colorado. So, I don’t know if the Steelers felt that same way, but they did not have a top-five grade. A top-five round grade on Shedeur Sanders, and that’s why they went the route they went.”

As one can see, Pittsburgh simply was not very high on Sanders in the first place, and the fact this his father, Deion Sanders, was attached to him is believed to have played a part in his fall.

Now the Steelers at least have a sure answer at their quarterback position. Sanders, meanwhile, is battling for a spot on the 53-man roster with Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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