To pull an Eli Manning. It’s a phrase that originated following the infamous events of the 2004 NFL Draft, basically meaning that a player could potentially refuse to play for certain teams. Like 2004’s No.1 pick Eli Manning was drafted by the Chargers and traded to the Giants less than an hour later, Coach Prime has suggested his son, Shedueur Sanders, could potentially ‘pull an Eli’ in the 2025 Draft. But the question is: Is the Buffaloes quarterback driven enough to want to join the NFL in the first place?

“I know where I want [Shedeur and Travis Hunter] to go,” Deion Sanders said on a podcast. “So, it’s certain cities that ain’t going to happen. It’s going to be an Eli.” This confidence that Coach Prime has in his star players is admirable, but Jake Plummer brought forth a different perspective. In an appearance on the Dumb Jock podcast with Nate Johnson, the former Broncos teammates discussed NIL valuations’ effect on a player’s motivation. And they focused on Shedeur Sanders.

Johnson said, “Shedeur Sanders is the highest-paid college quarterback. I think he makes over $4 million a year. He’s driving like crazy, crazy cars.” Per On3, the quarterback earns $4.6 million a year through NIL deals. Plummer chimed in, “Legendary. I think that’s what his necklace says.” Johnson couldn’t help but add and ask, “He’s already made it. How would that have affected your drive to get to the NFL and be the guy you ended up being?”

Describing all the best parts about being a quarterback and the pride of being one in the NFL, Jake Plummer revealed that’s what drove him to be the best version of himself, to strive to do better. He added, “Money came when I made it to the league. I don’t think it changed how I approached the game.” Coming back to the Shedeur situation, Plummer believes it would all boil down to how solely football-inclined his motivation is to play in the league. Does he want to be the best quarterback in the league, or is it just about the money for him?

“Some people are motivated differently, you know. I don’t know if he wants to be the greatest quarterback ever or if he wants to just make 500 to 600 million and become a billionaire. That could be what he wants. If he wants to be the greatest in the league, he’s got a long way to go,” Plummer opined. To achieve that, the former Broncos quarterback feels Shedeur needs to invest his earnings into establishments and things that would help him improve. “Money can change your viewpoint to where it can get distracting,” he added.

Seeing as Shedeur Sanders is preparing to enter the Draft in 2025 – and is expected to be a top-five pick, per Coach Prime – Jake Plummer’s question will likely get answered in a few years. But speaking of Coach Prime and the NIL, even he alluded to how Shedeur spends quite some money on material goods. On the Full Send podcast, he was discussing both Shedeur and Shilo. The Buffs head coach said, “They make real money. They have a multitude of vehicles and so forth – Shedeur more so than Shilo.” 

Explaining that Shilo is conservative in his spending, Deion added that Shedeur “don’t play.” While this age of NIL valuations that get college athletes great deals to earn money is something Coach Prime advocates for – considering how important personal branding is to him – it doesn’t quite sit right with Jake Plummer.

“Where is your drive to now go to the league? If you make $4 million now, what’s the point of the league?” Plummer asked. But he did send some advice Shedeur’s way. “Go to the league, make more money if you can. But my advice to him would be to work ’cause I think he’s got some room to improve.” As he and Nate Johnson dissected how having money becomes the ultimate challenge to keep the passion for playing alive, they stumbled upon Sheduer’s Vegas trip. And that brought up a must-have quality: discipline.

Shedeur Sanders’ impromptu trips are fine as long as he’s disciplined

A few days ago, Shedeur Sanders took a trip to Las Vegas with his brother, Deion Sanders Jr, where they both had everything luxurious. From gambling sprees to some vacations winning big money, the brothers didn’t hold back on breaking the bank. Alluding to this trip, Jake Plummer made up a conversation between Shedeur and Nate Johnson.

“Hey, Nate. You want to fly down to Vegas right now? Let’s go, I got money.” Speaking for his former teammate, Plummer continued, “We’re supposed to study, Shedeur,” to which he emulated Sanders and said, “Eh, I’ll do it on the jet on the way back.”  The former quarterback used this to establish the importance of discipline in the league.

“Maybe you do [study on the way back]. But if you’re not disciplined, it can take you out of that drive,” the former Broncos player said. “I don’t like it.” As someone who became successful by focusing on himself and not on the financial aspect of the league, Jake Plummer highlighted how having money – which Shedeur has plenty of right now – might change how the Buffaloes quarterback looks at the game.

When he joins the NFL next year, will it be his earnings that drive Shedeur, or will it be the motivation to become the best football-playing version of himself? The answer to this question can partly be judged based on his performance at Colorado this season, as it will be the first time Shedeur will step onto the gridiron as the highest-valued player in the NCAA. It’s safe to say that Shedeur Sanders has a lot at stake this season.