As the ultimate day of the 2025 NFL Draft beckons, one query dominates all of them.
The place will Shedeur Sanders be heading?
At one level throughout this draft cycle the Colorado quarterback was within the dialogue for QB1, however having slipped out of the primary three rounds Sanders nonetheless waits to listen to his identify referred to as within the 2025 NFL Draft. Within the meantime, 5 quarterbacks — Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, and Dillon Gabriel — have been drafted and the questions over Sanders’ touchdown spot have given approach to an outside-the-box subquestion.
Might he return to school?
That was the dialogue floated on the NFL Community throughout their protection on Friday evening. In any case, Sanders does have one 12 months of school eligibility remaining.
Nonetheless, if that is the route he needs to pursue, it will not come with out a battle. A authorized battle, that’s.
Underneath NFL and NCAA eligibility guidelines, as soon as a participant declares for the NFL Draft, they’ve waived their remaining faculty eligibility. As set forth right here by the league:
The NFL encourages most underclassmen to complete their faculty eligibility and earn a level whereas maturing as an expert prospect. Collaborating within the Draft signifies that an underclassman loses his remaining eligibility: If he isn’t chosen by an NFL group, he won’t be able to play one other faculty season and he won’t be able to enhance his draft standing for the next 12 months’s draft.
Different skilled leagues, such because the NBA, enable a participant to return to highschool after declaring for the draft, offered they haven’t retained an agent. Whereas Sanders and his camp have dealt with his illustration with out hiring an agent, the NFL doesn’t have this similar provision.
Now, that may very well be challenged in court docket. As set forth by Mike Florio in Professional Soccer Speak on Friday evening, Sanders may look to problem that rule:
However we’ve realized one essential factor about faculty soccer lately. Most, if not all, NCAA guidelines violate federal antitrust legal guidelines. And with gamers now making tens of millions in NIL cash, why shouldn’t a participant with remaining eligibility be allowed to return?
Nobody has examined it. Shedeur may. If it fails, he may then signal a rookie deal and be part of whichever group ultimately drafts him.
There may be additionally an interesting monetary facet to a possible problem. Having fallen to Day Three, Sanders would doubtless earn more cash by way of a possible NIL deal, than he would by a rookie contract.
Then there may be this potential argument. Maybe heading again to school, to a unique faculty, may present the NFL what the league is hoping to see from Sanders:
Right here’s one other twist that he ought to think about. Don’t return to Colorado. His 2026 draft inventory may very well be enhanced by discovering a brand new group, and by proving that he can play at a excessive stage away from his father/coach, Deion.
There may be additionally the small matter of Colorado having already retired his jersey.
The authorized obstacles would possibly stop this from being a real possibility for Sanders, and who is aware of how the league would view him subsequent 12 months if he opted to battle to move again to highschool relatively than show his price in coaching camp after being a late-round decide. There may be an “old fashioned” facet to the analysis sport, and it isn’t arduous to consider that Sanders’ strategy of minimal exercises and conferences rubbed the league the flawed manner. Would heading again to highschool enhance that mindset?
We are going to see what occurs immediately, however the easy reply is that this: Sanders can’t head again to highschool, no less than with out a authorized battle.
