NFL executive shares theory on why Raiders passed on Shedeur Sanders

Numerous stories linked the Las Vegas Raiders with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Raiders ultimately passed on him a handful of times before the Cleveland Browns traded up to get him at pick No. 144. 

For a piece published Thursday, one unnamed league executive spoke with Mike Sando of The Athletic about how the relationship between Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and veteran signal-caller Geno Smith may have impacted Carroll's decision to keep Sanders out of his quarterback room this offseason. 

"My guess is that Pete doesn’t want to do Geno the way [the Atlanta Falcons did Kirk Cousins]," that executive said. "Atlanta was able to do that to Cousins because they didn’t have a previous relationship. For Pete, let’s face it: How long is he going to coach that team? Does he really want to start his last chance by alienating the quarterback he just got?"

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed less than two full months before they shockingly made Michael Penix Jr. the eighth overall pick of the 2024 draft. Penix replaced Cousins in the Atlanta starting lineup this past December, and Cousins is now essentially stuck with the Falcons until further notice. 

Meanwhile, Smith previously played for Carroll from 2019-23 when Carroll was head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders acquired Smith from the Seahawks and then signed him to a two-year extension this offseason, but the fact that Vegas could escape that deal after the upcoming campaign caused some to wonder if the club could target Sanders at pick No. 6.

Sanders has a relationship with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, but Brady was seemingly unwilling or unable to stop Vegas from making Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty the draft's sixth choice. On Thursday, ESPN's Ryan McFadden noted that Carroll's work with Reggie Bush, Marshawn Lynch and Kenneth Walker III suggests that "Jeanty can make a solid impact" as a rookie. Additionally, NFL Media's Lance Zierlein listed Jeanty as the highest-graded overall prospect in the 2025 draft class. 

A different executive told Sando that drafting Jeanty "fits Pete’s philosophy." That's all well and good, but Raiders fans may eventually wish the club had taken a flier on Sanders after the polarizing prospect fell out of the draft's first few rounds.