Giants' Rookie QB Jaxson Dart Appears to Throw Shade at Shedeur Sanders After Reports of Disastrous Private Meeting

Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, there were a couple of teams believed to be a possible destination for former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. One of the teams reportedly interested in drafting Sanders was the New York Giants, who selected former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart instead. 

Throughout the draft process, Sanders had a private meeting with Giants coach Brian Daboll and the team. There have been many anonymous reports regarding Sanders’ private meetings not going well due to his behavior. Following the first round of the draft, it was revealed the Giants were one of the teams that had a poor experience with Sanders. 

In a post-draft interview from Sports Illustrated, Dart discussed his pre-draft meetings with the team, which seemed to throw shade at Sanders’ lack of preparedness. 

Eat Rutherford, NJ -- May 9, 2025 -- Jaxson Dart waits to talk to the media following practice at Giants Rookie Minicamp. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Yeah, you better be prepared going to do a Daboll meeting, because it’s intense. He definitely wants to get the most out of you,” Dart said. 

“I would say, if you’re not prepared, don’t step into the meeting, because you’re going to get grilled,” Dart continued. “So they threw all that they could at me, and I was able to handle it the best way that I could.”

While it may not have been a direct shot at Sanders, with reports that the former Colorado quarterback messed up the meetings and did not hand it well, Dart could have indirectly thrown shade at him.

Ahead of the private meeting with the Giants, the team sent quarterbacks a binder to prepare. Per SI.Com’s Albert Breer, Sanders did not catch mistakes in the install that was given to him and the Giants called him out on it. Sanders did not like being called out, and the Giants in return, did not like how the former Colorado quarterback reacted. 

NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay reported a similar story regarding Sanders not doing well in the Giants meeting on “The Todd McShay Show.” Following the first round of the draft, McShay said he heard from two teams that Sanders’ lack of preparation is what hurt his draft stock.

“Shedeur didn’t have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit,” McShay said. “An install package came in, preparation wasn’t there for it. Got called out on it, didn’t like that. Brian didn’t appreciate him not liking it.”

Dart was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft with the No. 25 overall pick. The Giants traded back into the first round with their eyes set on Dart and now he is set to be the quarterback of the future for New York, while Sanders fell to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. 

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) jokes about his signing bonus during a press conference before day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite his draft fall, Sanders has just as much of a chance to start in 2025 as any other quarterback on the roster. The Giants and Browns do not have a game scheduled for 2025, but if the two take over as the starters, it will be a future matchup to look forward to.

In 2024, Sanders passed for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. He is an accurate passer, throwing just 10 interceptions and finishing the season with a 74.0 completion percentage.

OTA’s for the Cleveland Browns will take place May 27-29 and June 3-5. The mandatory veteran minicamp is set for June 10-12. While Sanders will have to work hard to prove himself, the Browns are keeping the competition for starting quarterback wide open.