It’s rare for the Pittsburgh Steelers to discuss the specifics of a player not on their roster. Then again, it’s rare for the team to have so much buzz about one player who may or may not even be on the board for them at No. 21. So when Mike Tomlin was asked to discuss his pre-draft meeting with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders earlier this month, he showed no hesitation revealing what happened behind closed doors.
Despite having the glitz of the “Sanders” surname with father Deion a Hall of Fame player and current college football head coach, Tomlin said the meeting had little to do with his family and everything to do with football.
“To be quite honest with you, we didn’t talk a whole lot about my relationship with his father,” Tomlin said Tuesday during the team’s annual pre-draft presser via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “It was a normal pre-draft visit to spend time with a young man. To talk ball, to get to know him as an individual, to get to see how he processes and sees the game and how he articulates his football experience. From that standpoint, it was a very normal visit and a very productive one.”
Pittsburgh brought Sanders in for a pre-draft visit earlier this month, an unexpected move but on the heels of him no longer being viewed as a top-five lock. His draft stock and NFL fits make him a true wild card, someone who could go as high as No. 3 overall to No. 9 to Pittsburgh at No. 21 to some speculating he’ll fall out of the first round entirely.
Viewed by many draftniks as a polarizing player, Tomlin seemed to appreciate Sanders’ personality and makeup.
“I think the things that stood out were evident in his video,” he told reporters. “There’s a toughness there that doesn’t get talked about enough. There’s a competitive spirit there that doesn’t get talked about enough. I know he is very talented, and he’s made a lot of plays for his university and his team. But the intangible qualities displayed on tape were impressive to me.”
Sanders played behind a less-than-stellar Colorado offensive line, taking plenty of hits as he helped turn the Buffaloes’ program around. The school won nine games in 2024, a feat achieved just one other time since 2002. Sanders had his jersey number retired last week.
Speaking with the media shortly after the meeting, Sanders had his own praise for Tomlin and his visit, calling it a “10” and believing he connected well with all of the Steelers’ coaches.
Reports indicate that Tomlin likes Sanders, and his comments today seem to support that (though Tomlin wouldn’t be expected to say anything negative about him or any prospect in a public forum like this). While every Steelers draft pick is presented through the scope of a team decision, one made by head coach, general manager, and ownership, if Sanders if the pick, it’s easy to see Tomlin driving the discussion to make him the Steelers’ quarterback of the future.
