Shedeur Sanders is expected to be one of the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2025 NFL draft later this month in Green Bay.
In his latest mock draft a few weeks ago, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had Sanders going to the New York Jets at the No. 7 pick. This week Kiper was asked to give a player comparison to Sanders and he went with a former Jets QB—Chad Pennington.
"Chad Pennington would probably be my comp for Shedeur," Kiper said during an appearance on UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio. "I loved Chad coming out (in 2000). I even had him top-five on the big board. He ended up going 18. He went 18 to the Jets. Ended up playing in Miami. Had a really great career. Was he a Hall of Famer? No. But could you get to a Super Bowl with Chad Pennington? Yeah, you could have if you had a supporting cast around him."
1:02 - @MelKiperESPN's comp for Shedeur Sanders? Chad Pennington. https://t.co/c3aziAkc0b
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) April 2, 2025
Pennington spent his first eight seasons in the NFL with the Jets and was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2006 when he led them to a 10-6 record. He then spent that last three years of his career with the Dolphins. He finished with a career record of 44-37 as a starter.
Is he the first name that would pop up in the heads of most football fans when asked for a comparison to Sanders? Probably not. But Kiper is pretty good at this stuff and it's definitely an interesting take.