Share and Follow
It seems like Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan has some high expectations for Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders met with multiple members of the Titans staff last week, including Callahan and newly hired general manager Mike Borgonzi.
The Titans, who hold the first overall pick in the draft, are looking for a quarterback that could become the future face of the franchise.
Borgonzi told ESPN that Callahan possesses a high level of intelligence and attention to detail. He has gained valuable experience from working with top-tier quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Stafford. This exposure has equipped him with the ability to identify key aspects in a quarterback’s performance, such as footwork and scanning the field.
Both Callahan and Borgonzi have had success in finding franchise quarterbacks at their previous positions.
During his tenure as the Bengals’ general manager, Callahan selected Joe Burrow in the 2020 draft. Borgonzi, in his role as the director of player personnel for the Chiefs, also contributed to the strategic move of trading up in the draft to secure Patrick Mahomes.
Callahan elaborated on the specific qualities he seeks in quarterbacks, drawing on insights he gained from veteran quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp. Both Callahan and Knapp were part of the coaching staff for the Broncos from 2013 to 2015, where they honed their understanding of what makes a successful quarterback.
“[Knapp] always said these three things: decision-making, timing, and accuracy,” Callahan told ESPN. “Those three things are always going to be the first things you look for. If you look for those things, you’re going to see a lot of what good quarterbacking looks like.”
Callahan also mentioned how he sees some of Burrow’s traits in Sanders.
“People had questions about Burrow’s arm strength in general coming out,” Callahan told ESPN. “One of the things that makes Joe so unique, and I think you can probably put Shedeur in the same conversation. … They anticipate when they throw it, they have the timing and accuracy on top of it. That makes up for the arm strength.
Sanders finished his senior season at Colorado as the conference leader in passing yards and touchdowns, earning himself Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Sanders has consistently found himself just outside of the top-10 draft rankings as the No. 2 quarterback prospect behind Miami’s Cam Ward, who won Player of the Year honors in the ACC.