Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders met with the media Friday at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, though he won’t be participating in workouts. During his press conference, Sanders discussed his relationship with Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady.
The two have maintained a connection for several years, dating back to Sanders signing an NIL deal with Brady’s TB12 brand in 2022.
Sanders told reporters he regularly consults Brady with questions about the game.
Shedeur Sanders on his relationship with #Raiders owner Tom Brady pic.twitter.com/h2v5NEvyhg
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) February 28, 2025
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders explained in a 2023 interview that his son signed with TB12 in 2022, noting that Brady and Shedeur share a similar work ethic.
The partnership began while Sanders was still at Jackson State.
“I’m so excited to work with the Brady team,” Sanders said in a release announcing the partnership. “Tom has been a longtime mentor to me, both on and off the field and I’ve been a fan of his apparel brand since its inception, so this partnership feels like a natural next step. I couldn’t be more grateful and excited to join the list of world-class athletes that represent the brand.”
While Brady hasn’t spoken extensively about Sanders publicly, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported on Brady’s assessment:
From what I’ve been told about Brady’s opinion of Sanders — which he has shared with a handful of NFL coaches and executives over the past 18 months — there is a great amount of respect for Sanders’ focus on preparation … his ability to learn and adapt, his accuracy and determination in the pocket, and his toughness to take hits and still be resilient.
On-Field Training History
Brady and Sanders first trained together in June 2020, two years before the TB12 NIL deal was finalized.
Deion Sanders later revealed that Brady initiated the relationship.
“That’s an attribute to who Tom is,” Sanders said in an interview with podcast host Mark Bergin. “We were headed down to Florida to take care of some business and he said ‘dad, Tom wants me to come down such and such date to throw with him’ I said, ‘Tom who, Tom Brady wants you? Oh, we there!’
“So they struck up their own little thing.”
Raiders Draft Possibilities
The Raiders could target Sanders with their No. 6 overall pick for multiple reasons. Brady has been a minority owner with the team since 2023, giving him influence in organizational decisions.
Vegas desperately needs quarterback stability after struggling with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew last season. Both quarterbacks battled injuries as the Raiders finished 4-13, leading to head coach Antonio Pierce’s dismissal.
Several draft analysts project Sanders to Las Vegas at No. 6, including TSN’s Vinnie Iyer, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and The Athletic’s Dan Bruegler.
While Sanders won’t participate in combine workouts, he is meeting with teams in Indianapolis. He plans to showcase his skills at the Big 12’s Pro Day in Frisco, Texas next month.
