Veteran analyst drops his verdict on Shedeur Sanders' patting the ball controversy with latest post

NFL insider Brian Baldinger shared his thoughts on the criticism of Shedeur Sanders's patting the football before he throws. The former Colorado Buffaloes star participated in the program's pro day before the 2025 NFL draft. Fans and analysts noticed his habit and shared mixed reactions about whether it would affect his performance in the NFL.

On Monday, Baldinger posted a video on X of Sanders patting the football during a Buffaloes game before completing a throw. The NFL insider pointed out that other quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class, like Cam Ward, have a similar habit.

"I heard a lot of people talking about Shedeur Sanders and how he pats the ball before he throws it, which he does," Baldinger said. "Now, there it is (Baldinger is watching a play where Sanders is patting a football before throwing). Pat and throw. But almost every quarterback does it."

"Like you watch Cam Ward here (Baldinger shows a play of Ward patting the ball before throwing). Alright, Cam Ward has got a little ball pat to him. Some are a little more pronounced than others, but almost everybody has it. Especially if it's not an RPO."

The NFL insider also shows footage of QBs Jaxson Dart, Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe patting the football before completing a pass. He noted that the former Colorado fan-favorite habit could be more noticeable than them, but it's not unusual than other quarterbacks.

"Like almost every quarterback does it to some degree," Baldinger added (1:33 onwards). "Maybe Shedeur is a little more pronounced than others, but I see every quarterback do it."

Shedeur Sanders' passing accuracy compared to other quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft

Although Shedeur Sanders has received criticism for his habit, he showed that it didn't affect his accuracy in his senior year of college football.

The former Colorado star finished last season with a 74% completion percentage, which is better than other top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class. He was also fourth in the league in passing yards with 353 completed passes for 4,134 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Ward had a 67.2 % completion percentage last season and is expected to be the first pick in the upcoming draft. Will Howard, the closest top QB to Sanders in the draft, had great accuracy as well. The 2025 national champion finished his senior year with a 73.1 completion percentage.

Sanders is projected to be among the top ten picks in the 2025 draft.