Pat McAfee found himself in the middle of a heated disagreement with Colorado coach Warren Sapp following the NFL Scouting Combine.
At the center of the debate? Shedeur Sanders’ decision not to throw in Indianapolis. Sapp took issue with McAfee’s criticism of the Colorado quarterback while also calling out the popular host for allegedly lying about Ohio State prospect Will Howard.
‘Come Compete’ — Pat McAfee Calls Out Prospects for Opting Out of Combine
Following the NFL Combine, much of the quarterback conversation focused on Sanders and his reported attitude during team interviews.
But before those reports surfaced, McAfee was already questioning why some quarterbacks, including Sanders, declined to throw at the event.
McAfee urged prospects to embrace competition, echoing a message from Jim Harbaugh. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, he referenced Harbaugh’s comments about quarterbacks needing to prove themselves on the field.
“Jim Harbaugh said the other day, on our program, to start this entire week of us down here at the Combine, ‘All these guys say they like to compete, well here’s an opportunity—come compete,'” McAfee recalled.
He then shared a striking story about Howard.
“Some of these guys can really do it. Will Howard, OK, my sources are telling me that last night, 11 p.m. at night, some people from Indianapolis were walking around downtown. And they look into a hotel parking lot — it’s a little chilly out here in Indianapolis — and there’s one guy taking drop-backs and throwing a football.”
Will Howard got some throws in at 11PM in a hotel parking lot at the NFL Combine 😤
“Will Howard is ready to come out here and make a big impression.” —@PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/LE6FYOxSKw
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) February 28, 2025
McAfee, always the entertainer, built up the suspense before delivering the punchline:
“It was Will Howard.”
Warren Sapp Calls Out McAfee: ‘Stop the Lies’
Not everyone is buying McAfee’s story.
Speaking on “Thee Pregame Show,” Warren Sapp pushed back on McAfee’s claim about Howard and blasted the media for what he sees as unfair treatment of Sanders. On reports that Sanders came across as “brash” and “arrogant” during team interviews, Sapp didn’t hold back.
“I’m telling you, it is the most diabolical thing you could go into.”
Sapp also challenged the idea that Sanders should have participated in drills at the Combine, noting that many top prospects opt out every year.
“Then they [want to] make a big stink about Shedeur not throwing. But what about the running back not running? What are we talking about here?”
Then, he turned his attention to McAfee’s Will Howard story: “Then you hear these wild stories about the quarterback from Ohio State, out in the parking lot, throwing the ball over the — stop it. Just stop it. Stop the lies, stop the fallacy. Ain’t nobody out at 11 o’clock, throwing no ball in Indianapolis, it’s freezing cold.”
Sapp, clearly frustrated, dismissed McAfee’s claim outright.
“We’ve all been there in the beginning of February. Ain’t no throwing outside in no parking lot, Pat McAfee — stop the lies.”
Unimpressed with the media’s portrayal of Sanders, Sapp’s comments seemed to reflect a deeper frustration with the narrative surrounding Colorado’s top prospects.
But no matter how heated the debate gets, April’s NFL Draft will be the real test — and NFL teams will ultimately decide whether Sanders’ decision to skip throwing at the Combine helps or hurts his stock.
Sapp Frustrated With Sanders Double Standards
This isn’t the only time Sapp has made headlines in defense of his former quarterback at Colorado. On March 6, a video was posted from “Thee Pregame Show” of Sapp talking about anonymous reports about Sanders’ character ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft
“We’re talking about a quarterback coach who’s not a decision-maker, wants to make that call about our quarterback,” Sapp said.
READ MORE: Sapp Furiously Trying To Track Down Name of NFL QB Coach Who Ripped Shedeur Sanders
“I’ve been working for the last 48 hours to get his name. If I get his name, oh buddy, we gonna do a deep dive into his life,” Sapp continued regarding the anonymous QB coach who spoke out about Sanders.
This came in response to a post on X from reporter Josina Anderson, who said that “[Sanders] seemed cordial, polite, witty, thoughtful along with being confident (as many athletes are).”
This came in response to a report that an anonymous QB coach called Sanders “brash” and “arrogant” — in an article revealing his takeaways from the 2025 NFL Combine, NFL Draft expert Todd McShay wrote something similar.
McShay cited one high-ranking team official who said that Shedeur “wasn’t taking it all that seriously,” while another claimed he lacked a “professional approach.” Both sources noted that Sanders seemed unbothered by how they saw him. McShay said these sources were from QB-needy teams picking early in the draft.
Regardless, Sanders has seemingly impressed those who matter the most, including winning over the Cleveland Browns’ brass. McAfee said that the Browns are big fans of Sanders, and head coach Kevin Stefanski praised him at the NFL Combine.