By now, we've seen the headlines.
Former Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders was reportedly cited for driving over 100 miles per hour early Tuesday morning in Strongsville, Ohio. According to police records obtained by Cleveland’s Fox 8 News, Sanders was pulled over just after midnight on Interstate 71 for allegedly driving 41 mph over the posted limit.
It’s his first off-field incident, even since arriving at Colorado over two years ago, but while it’s technically just a citation, the timing isn't good.
Not for a rookie quarterback still learning the system. Not during OTAs. And certainly not for a player fighting for credibility in a room that includes two playoff-tested veterans like Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, plus Gabriel, who’s reportedly looked sharp in early drills.
So the question has to be asked: what was Sanders doing out past midnight during a critical offseason period?
No, it’s not a felony. It’s a citation. But it’s also not nothing. And not to mention, Shedeur has made it clear he wants to lead—not just on the field but in the locker room and the community—so this feels like a step backwards.
This week was supposed to be about Shedeur closing the gap. Letting the playbook sink in. Learning tempo. Earning trust. Now the story of why he isn't receiving first-team reps is going to grow.
It’s frustrating because, up to this point, Sanders has handled the transition to the NFL with maturity. In Boulder, there wasn’t a hint of off-field drama. He was all business, breaking over 100 school records while taking more hits than any quarterback in college football.
But in the NFL, there’s no grace period for distractions. You’re either progressing or you’re a problem. Even something like this—a late-night speeding citation—can change perception in a quarterback room.
This week, I cautioned fans not to overreact to Gabriel getting more first-team looks. But, when you’re a rookie quarterback, especially one with all the attention tied to Shedeur, your perception is being built day by day—every rep, every interview, every decision.
You don’t get to cut corners. You certainly don’t get allowed to have off-field storylines when you're not even in the top tier of the depth chart yet.
We all want Shedeur to succeed. He brought Colorado football back into national relevance. But this does not feel like a good look.
The best response Shedeur can give isn’t a press conference or a tweet. He's going to have to work even harder to stack clean, sharp days on the field. And work even harder on being the first one in the building and the last one out.
Because right now, we're no longer talking about why he isn't getting first-team reps—they’re about a citation on I-71. That’s a problem.
This wasn’t the way the offseason needed to go for Shedeur Sanders, especially this early. But the book isn’t closed—not by a long shot.
Let’s just hope this is the wake-up call that puts him back on track.
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