Earlier in the week, football analyst Jason McIntyre discussed the potential Shedeur Sanders fallout of the Las Vegas Raiders winning in Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Speaking on his popular “Straight Fire” podcast, McIntyre explained that the surprising win may have been extremely costly in the Raiders’ pursuit of an elite QB in the 2025 NFL Draft, namely the Colorado Buffaloes star Sanders.
What Did Jason McIntyre Say About the Raiders and Shedeur Sanders?
On his podcast, McIntyre explained how the Raiders may have just lost their ability to draft Sanders due to their position in the NFL‘s draft standings increasing as a result of the win, dropping from the second to the sixth pick.
“Raiders get the win. They fall from first in the draft to six. Does that take them out of the Shedeur Sanders rankings? I know, listen, Antonio Pierce got asked about after the game, and he’s just grinning ear to ear, he’s like, I don’t care. You got to ask Tom Telesco, the GM, I don’t care about that stuff. I want to win games,” he stated.
However, he also explained how the fallout may be felt in the future, as his favorite team, the New York Jets, won a game a few seasons ago near the end of the year that cost them a chance at drafting Trevor Lawrence. This resulted in the Jets taking Zach Wilson instead. Wilson struggled his entire career with the Jets before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2024.
“And the owners all geeked. They were fired up, but they dropped in the draft from first to sixth. And as a Jets fan, trust me, I know we had a big win over the [Los Angeles Rams] many moons ago that cost us Trevor Lawrence,” he detailed.
Does Sanders Still Have a Chance of Being Drafted by the Raiders?
There is still a long way to go in the NFL regular season and postseason, and numerous different standings changes can still occur. Furthermore, key team needs impact the ways that NFL teams draft, something that may slightly alter the draft order even more.
Although drafting Sanders is still possible, it is clear that the win yesterday may have cost the Raiders the ability to have everyone available to them at the time they are selecting on draft night.
“Talk to Tom Telesco.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce responds to talk of potentially losing out on the no.1 overall pick after beating the Jaguars.
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— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) December 23, 2024
With the Week 16 win, the Raiders improved their record to 3-12, something that sees them remain in fourth place in the AFC West and improving to tie for the 27th-best record in the NFL. Following the matchup, Raiders head coach Pierce had some direct criticism and comments toward the fans and analysts who want them to lose to gain a better position in next April’s draft.
Following the win, Pierce explained, “We don’t do this to lose. We don’t do this for anybody’s fantasy football team. We don’t do this for anybody’s draft projections.”
“Only thing that matters to us is winning, and that’s all we want to do,” Pierce continued.