NFL insider Nick Wright believes that the Las Vegas Raiders need to take a “huge swing” this offseason if they are to keep pace with their AFC West rivals in the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos. While discussing the future of the Raiders on the popular show “First Things First,” Wright explained how, as a Chiefs fan, he would not love the idea of both Deion and Shedeur Sanders heading to the Raiders.
The Raiders recently fired their head coach Antonio Pierce after a disappointing 4-13 season. As a result of this record, the Raiders now hold the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. With quarterback and coach now both being desired by the Raiders franchise, insiders and fans have quickly linked the famous Sanders duo to Las Vegas.
What Did Nick Wright Say About Deion and Shedeur Sanders?
Wright explained how he believed the AFC West would be a very difficult division for the next decade due to the successful quarterback-coach duos. Citing Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid, Justin Herbert/Jim Harbaugh, and Bo Nix/Sean Payton, Wright explained how the Raiders need to make a major move to stay relevant in this division.
“As a Chiefs fan, I wouldn’t love it.”
— @getnickwright on whether he could see Deion and Shedeur Sanders in Vegas after the Raiders fired HC Antonio Pierce: pic.twitter.com/dv5iMEUgfo
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) January 7, 2025
“You gotta take huge swings. I don’t know that I believe in Shedeur as a top-five pick. I’m not certain of that. I think there’s real pluses and minuses. And, I don’t know if what makes Deion so special as a college coach will work in the pros,” he stated.
He later added how he, as a Chiefs fan, “wouldn’t love it” if both Deion and Shedeur went to Las Vegas together.
While the Colorado QB certainly has promise, he would be entering a situation that was not ideal in 2024. The Raiders had the 29th-ranked offense this season (64.9, D), according to PFN’s Offense+ metric.
Deion and Shedeur Sanders’ Future Outlook
Though there are many rumors about him moving to the NFL, Coach Prime has not publicly stated that he is actively looking for the move this offseason. As a result, it appears as though it is pure speculation at this point.
For Shedeur, he is one of the top prospects in this year’s NFL Draft and has many analysts believing that he will be one of if not the top picks in the draft. In Reese Decker’s latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft for Pro Football Network, Decker projected that Sanders would be selected No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans.
While there is still a long way to go before the draft and things can change quickly in the NFL, it does appear to be less likely that Sanders drops all the way to No. 6 overall with the Raiders, given the various QB-needy franchises ahead of them.