Now that the Super Bowl is over, the next focus becomes on the offseason. While free agency is around the corner, NFL Draft prospects are currently getting prepared for the NFL Scouting Combine, which is set to begin on February 26.
Related: Former Super Bowl-winning head coach suggests Michael Penix Jr. is a rare NFL Draft talent
A year ago, one of the biggest talking points that emerged when trying to separate the best quarterback prospects was the S2 Cognitive test, aimed at evaluating how signal-callers process information.
Yet, after C.J. Stroud bombed the test, with an 18/100, then dominated by NFL rookie QB standards, some can’t help but question the correlation between the S2 test and being a good player. It looks like Athletes First, a popular California sports agency, agrees.
Related: See where C.J. Stroud lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings
Athletes First learned from C.J. Stroud’s story, but it may not impact 2024 NFL Draft
As prospects prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft, Athletes First has informed all NFL teams that their clients won’t participate in cognitive testing during the pre-draft evaluation process. This means NFL Draft prospects represented by Athletes First won’t do the S2 Cognitive test, or the AIQ, or any other cognitive tests.
On the surface, one might think this means we’ll avoid a similar controversy to C.J. Stroud from last season, yet that may not be true. Athletes First does not represent any of the top QB prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Athletes First’s current roster includes players like edge rusher Dallas Turner, wide receiver Brian Thomas, offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga, and cornerback Cooper DeJean.
We’ll see if any other agencies representing the likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix Jr. join Athletes First in their 2024 boycott of the S2 test. The S2 was first used in 2016, and the sports analytics company currently has a contract with 16 out of 32 NFL teams, according to The Athletic.
