There was a time when the G-Men were behind Daniel Jones. The heir to Eli. The face of the next chapter. But five years later? All New York got was a pricey reminder of what happens when you reach for a quarterback and hope for the best. Jones—once drafted No. 6 overall—left behind a trail of turnovers, injuries, and broken optimism. One winning season in five years. A $160 million contract that aged faster than milk. Now, he has left. Cut. Forgotten. More like the Colts’ problem. But there’s another problem for Big Blue.
The Giants still don’t have an answer under center. Despite a flashy weapon in Malik Nabers and an open runway to rebuild, they’re reportedly exploring trade downs instead of trade-ups—still playing QB roulette. And the Browns? They’re not much better. Trading for Kenny Pickett, re-signing Joe Flacco, maybe calling on Kirk Cousins…
Per the Athletic’s Diann Russini: “For now, I am told, the Giants want to be ready for anything… [As for the Browns] They could be involved in a trade involving Kirk Cousins.” Sounds more like quarterback hoarding than quarterback solving. That’s why Michael Irvin lost his patience. And understandably so.
The Hall of Famer didn’t hold back on FS1 when asked about the Giants and Browns sniffing around Shedeur Sanders… but not fully committing. “You will tell me that you were sold on Daniel Jones, but you ain’t sold on Shedeur Sanders?” Irvin scoffed. “That’s the craziness that I’m seeing here. That’s the ignorance. And I call these smart dummies.”
“You’re gonna tell me, you were sold on Daniel Jones, but you’re not sold on Shedeur Sanders?… I call these smart dummies.”@michaelirvin88 didn’t hold back on the Giants and Browns #NFLDraft #ShedeurSanders #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/GaCBXNRN6G
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) April 23, 2025
Seems too harsh of an assessment? But he wasn’t done. “You’re not going anywhere without the quarterback—and you don’t have one. I’ve seen that young man play in big spots. I want that on my team. Shame on the whole organization—on both parts, Giants and the Browns.”
Now, is Michael Irvin exaggerating? Maybe a little. Shedeur has yet to play a down in the NFL. He’s not a finished product. But Irvin’s core point hits: Both teams have spent years patching over the most important position in football with Band-Aids. They’ve tried half measures and bargain bin buys. And they’re still wondering why they’re stuck.
Jones finished his Giants run with a 24-44-1 record, a subpar 79.4 passer rating, and more turnovers (50 interceptions) than big moments. He took over 190 sacks and missed 19 games due to injuries, including a torn ACL. New York paid him $160 million in 2023—with $82 million guaranteed—only to bench him after a 2-8 start and watch the offense crumble.
This isn’t about hype. It’s about conviction. Whether it’s Sanders or someone else, both franchises are out of excuses. Because, like Michael Irvin said, “You don’t have [a QB] in the room.” And in today’s NFL, if you don’t have one, you’ve got nothing.
Shedeur Sanders: the 2025 draft protagonist?
There are first-round quarterbacks. And then there’s Shedeur Sanders—whose NFL Draft story plays out like it’s been directed by HBO and scored by NFL Films. You want a QB who people have been scrutinizing on every level? From footwork to fame, Shedeur’s getting the kind of attention usually reserved for playoff meltdowns or trade-deadline chaos. And it’s not just about how he throws the football—it’s how he walks into a room full of NFL execs like he already owns the moment.
At Colorado’s Pro Day—rebranded “WE AIN’T HARD 2 FIND”—Sanders wasn’t just throwing passes. He was performing in a production with a capital “P.” Think gold-lanyard credentials, custom cookies, and Sean Payton tossing out hugs like it was draft day already. As one NFL scout told ESPN, “I can’t think of a more difficult quarterback case study.” Why? Because the league knows Shedeur. They just don’t know if they can figure him out.
His tape? Scouts say he’s accurate, but slow to release. Mobile, but not electric. Confident, yet criticized. His combine interviews didn’t exactly smooth things over either. Sanders’ accuracy numbers in 2024 were solid — 73.8% overall, 84.9% to open windows. He doesn’t miss the gimmes, and he’s plenty smooth outside the pocket (61.4% accuracy there). He cleared the 50% bar when pressured (53.2%), which is a sneaky-big indicator for NFL translation.
But peel back the layers, and the tape tells a quieter story. 27% of his throws were behind the line of scrimmage. 11.2% required unnecessary adjustments by his receivers. 41.7% accuracy in tight windows — average. And here’s where it gets real: Sanders’ average time to throw was 3.19 seconds — third-slowest among Power Five QBs. That’s not just about a leaky O-line. It’s about processing, holding onto reads, and sometimes waiting too long for a guy to come wide open.
That delay? It turns clean pockets into chaos. You see it in his 14.3% pressure-to-sack rate — one of the worst marks in the country — and that’s on him, not the protection. He’s got the tools, no doubt. But NFL coaches will be asking: Can he speed up the mental clock?
One NFL source reportedly labeled him “brash,” while another claimed he came off as “disinterested.” But in the footage, Sanders looked straight into the camera and said, “Going to an NFL franchise is not going to change anything for me, it’s just another day in the life.” Bold? Sure. But also the kind of unfiltered self-awareness that either scares teams—or hooks them.
Those close to him push back against the noise. Colorado LB coach Andre’ Hart, who’s known Shedeur since grade school, put it bluntly: “It was honestly other people’s insecurities… Can I coach this guy?” That’s what some evaluators are wrestling with. Can they coach him? If they can, then can they handle the spotlight that comes with drafting Deion’s son? Maybe that’s the point going over Michael Irvin’s head. And that’s one factor, which is keeping the Browns or the Giants away. That’s just a theory.
The post “Shame”: Michael Irvin Rips Into ‘Dummies’ Giants & Browns With a Powerful Message on Shedeur Sanders appeared first on EssentiallySports.
