Shedeur Sanders sends strong message to Malik Nabers amid Giants’ QB draft buzz

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders showed support for New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers at the NFL Combine on Friday.

Sanders, the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, is commonly regarded as one of the premier quarterback prospects of the 2025 NFL Draft. Nabers recently wrapped up a memorable rookie campaign for the Giants, who possess the No. 3 pick due to their 3-14 finish.

At his combined press conference, Sanders discussed his relationship with Nabers. He spoke about how he counseled the Giants receiver to deal with media attention:

"It was truly just getting to know him. Because, like I said, we have relatability because the media painted him a certain way when he said that. So I went through scrutiny also. So I told him, bro, you can't, certain things you can't, you can't say, cause they wanna paint a certain type of picture of you, and don't let that happen."

"So since then, he's been good, he's been smiling, he's been fun, even when he's frustrated. And I just said, just take it day by day. But I was able to understand him." added Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders' words seemingly follow Nabers being criticized for a series of remarks during earlier games in his first season. After the 28-3 home loss to the Eagles in October, Nabers complained about not getting to play much. He stated:

"First, second quarter, I don't get the ball... What do you want me to do?"

He also called the team's performance "soft" after a 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers in November. These created media controversy over his attitude.

Similarly, Shedeur Sanders has had to navigate increased expectations as the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer while directing Colorado's program.

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Earlier this month, Malik Nabers expressed his admiration for Shedeur Sanders in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio before Super Bowl LIX.

"He's been around a long time," Nabers said on February 6. "He's been a part of maybe the best NFL player (Deion Sanders) in the world when he was playing. He has a football background. I've been watching him for a long time. Me and him been in the same recruiting class, so I didn't bump heads with him at camp... He has another crazy arm talent. He gives his guys the opportunity to go make plays. He's not scared. He wants to win, and he's a leader."

Shedeur Sanders' numbers support Nabers' evaluation. During his last year at Colorado, Sanders went 353-of-477 passing (71.8 percentile) for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He contributed four rushing touchdowns, too, setting himself up as ESPN's highest-rated quarterback prospect in the class of 2025.

The Giants' quarterback position became an issue after going through Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito throughout Nabers' rookie season. Even with the instability, Nabers put up huge numbers with 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven scores, getting his first Pro Bowl invitation.

The 2025 NFL Draft occurs April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and there, the near futures of Sanders and possibly of the Giants organization will be decided.