Pat McAfee was all in on Will Howard. Like, all the way in. The ESPN showman wasn’t just hyping the Ohio State quarterback—he was borderline campaigning. If you didn’t know better, you’d think McAfee had found the next Joe Montana at a random hotel parking lot. But then came the NFL Combine. And let’s just say things didn’t exactly go as planned. The hype? On life support. The critics? Smelling blood. McAfee? Backpedaling like a corner getting torched on a deep route. And just when it seemed like the Will Howard bandwagon was about to get abandoned for good, Shedeur Sanders stepped in.
And at first, it was kinda funny and cute. Then it got weird. McAfee was tweeting, raving, dropping quotes like, “He’s a big s-n of a b—h” and “Is that not what we’re looking for in a quarterback?” The way he was talking, you’d think Will Howard was about to walk into the league and start slinging it like Patrick Mahomes. But then came the combine….and the illusion faded quickly.
Look, whatever Pat was preaching, nobody was low-key buying anymore. Howard’s numbers? Low-key trash. His 31.5” vertical jump and 9’4” broad jump were the lowest of any QB in the draft class. And let’s talk about the throwing session—because it was straight-up brutal. Draft analyst Chris Trapasso didn’t just criticize; he torched Howard, saying, “HE WAS NOTICEABLY INACCURATE AT ALL LEVELS OF THE FIELD DURING THE THROWING SESSION, MISSING HIGH AND BEHIND HIS TARGETS. IT WAS UGLY.” All in caps.
Man was missing throws left and right, sailing passes over wide-open targets like he was aiming for the nosebleeds. And just like that, the hype train crashed. The whispers started: Was McAfee running PR for Will Howard? Was he on the natty winning QB’s payroll? X was buzzing with theories. And McAfee? The man shut it down.
I don’t understand y’all hating on @whoward_ he just won a natty. It’s hard to throw to WR’s that you don’t know, everyone run routes different !
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) March 2, 2025
Live from the combine, McAfee ranted on his show, setting the record straight. “I have not talked to Will….don’t know them that well. A lot of people are asking like, ‘Hey, Pat, does Will Howard got you guys on the payroll?’ No.” Cool, so McAfee wasn’t getting paid. But that didn’t change the fact that his guy just face-planted in front of NFL scouts. Howard’s stock? Dropping faster than crypto in 2022. But then—out of nowhere—someone had his back.
Right when it seemed like Howard was lowkey left for dead, Shedeur Sanders pulled up to defend him. The Colorado star and projected QB2 in the 2025 NFL Draft hopped on X to set the record straight: “I don’t understand y’all hating on Will Howard he just won a natty. It’s hard to throw to WR’s that you don’t know; everyone run routes different!” Facts.
And listen—he’s got a point. The combine isn’t real-game football. You don’t build chemistry overnight with random receivers. But still, missing open throws is missing open throws. NFL scouts don’t care if you had a bad day; they care if you can thread the needle under pressure. Throwing at Combine doesn’t really make sense; that’s what Pro Days are for. Teams drop by and tell you to run a certain play: ‘You do or you do not.’ That’s how you evaluate a QB’s ability to run a certain type of scheme or offense; still, it doesn’t guarantee any success. And let’s be real, Howard didn’t show that at Combine. So now what?
Howard was creeping into that “Plan B” territory for teams like the Raiders after that Chip Kelly move, but after this? That might be a wrap. And speaking of the Raiders….
Sin City got their eyes on Shedeur Sanders
If there’s one team that’s down bad for a quarterback, it’s the Las Vegas Raiders. They’ve been eyeing their options for a minute now, and guess who’s been on their radar? Shedeur Sanders. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders met with Sanders at the combine. Shedeur even hinted he’d gladly take a visit if they asked. And honestly? It makes too much sense.
NCAA, College League, USA Football 2024: Valero Alamo Bowl BYU vs Colorado DEC 26 December 26, 2024: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders 2 of the University of Colorado pre-game Media press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at the NCAA Valero Alamo Bowl against BYU at the Alamodome. San Antonio, Texas. Mario Cantu/CSM/Sipa USACredit Image: Mario Cantu/Cal Media/Sipa USA San Antonio Texas United States of America NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xCalxSportxMediax Editorial use only
Last season, the Colorado star lit it up—74% completion rate, 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns. He won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Not to mention, he’s got a connection with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady with his NIL deal and Prime privilege. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The Raiders could still swing a trade or go the free-agency route. If they really want Shedeur, they might have to move up 2 or 3 spots. He’s not guaranteed to be sitting there at pick six while teams like Tennessee, Giants, and Cleveland are on top, desperately looking for a franchise guy. As for Will Howard?
Well, it’s looking like he’s going to need more than McAfee’s hype and Shedeur’s defense to bounce back. Because after that combine showing, the NFL ain’t feeling too generous.
The post Shedeur Sanders Comes to Will Howard’s Defense Over NFL Combine Debacle After Pat McAfee’s Effort Goes in Vain appeared first on EssentiallySports.
