The S2 cognitive test could go the way of the Wonderlic. According to a report from sports outlet The Athletic One is ordering its NFL Draft prospects not to participate in any cognitive testing in their pre-draft process this year. The organization, Athletes First, sent an email to NFL teams last month informing them of the decision.
“After numerous internal discussions, Athletes First agents have asked our potential prospects to respectfully not participate in any cognitive or psychological testing during the pre-draft process (e.g. AIQ, S2, etc.),” reads -on in the email, according to The Athletic.
“We understand that many of your teams use these tests or protocols as part of your prospect evaluation process, but our recent experience with these reviews has been far from positive,” the email continues. “Specifically, the fact that some results and performances were publicly disclosed last year demonstrates that there really is no confidentiality in these tests. It’s not fair for a player’s intelligence, skills or mental processing to be subject to public debate and ridicule – no other job interview is subject to the same scrutiny.
The Athletic was unable to reach several Athletes First agents for comment, while a representative for S2 declined to comment. According to The Athletic, two other agents from major agencies have confirmed that they have not issued similar blanket bans on cognitive testing.
Athletes First represents over 100 Pro Bowlers and over 100 first round draft picks, according to the Athletes First website. According to The Athletic, the agency also currently represents 29 prospects in the 2024 draft class. They represent major NFL names like Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Jalen Ramsey and – most notably for this story – Houston quarterback Texans and Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud.
The NFL phased out the Wonderlic test – a 12-minute, 50-question cognitive assessment used in the NFL Combine – in 2022 because the test was considered obsolete. However, that hasn’t stopped owners from finding new ways to test their supposed mental skills. Fifteen teams now use the S2 test. First used by teams in 2016, it measures instant information processing and response speed against general intelligence.
Stroud’s S2 test was a major red flag in his pre-draft process. Bob McGinn, Go Long reporter got a handful of S2 scores for the 2023 rookie quarterback class. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young had the highest score in the class with 98%, while Ohio State’s Stroud had a score of 18 %.
“Stroud scored an 18,” an executive told McGinn at the time of writing the report. “It’s like a red alert, a red alert, you can’t take a guy like that. That’s why I have Stroud as a bust. This, in conjunction with naming an Ohio State quarterback who has already done it in the league.
One of the biggest believers in the S2 program: Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper. Multiple sources have reported how the hedge fund billionaire believed in the data point. Given the information that Tepper canceled then-head coach Frank Reich in drafting Bryce Young over CJ Stroud, testing may have played a role in the decision.
What happened? Stroud led the Texans to their first playoff victory since 2019 and earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Young finished the season with 62 sacks – second behind Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell – finished tied for the worst completion rate in the league and posted the third-worst QBR in the league behind Zach Wilson and Will Levis .
The founders of S2 have played a damage control role regarding their results since the scores leaked. Co-founder Brandon Ally appeared on Pro Football Focus before McGinn’s article, but after some scores were leaked online. He asked people to take all leaked scores with a “grain of salt.”
“We saw, ‘Hey, so-and-so got the highest score in the class, or the highest ever, and so-and-so got a low score,'” Ally said. “And it’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s not true,'” Ally continued. “That being said, this class as a whole – all the guys in the discussion – performed really, really well.”
Ally then made an appearance on Pable Torre Discovers Out several months later, citing positive correlation results for the test.
“It’s a matter of math,” Ally said Torre, who took the test before Ally arrived. “When people write about Brock Purdy – who passed the test – the last player taken, who is playing very well. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, all these people came out, they kept saying, “Oh, we need more data, this isn’t real.” But when CJ takes it, now we get a test.
Ally went on to claim that Stroud’s results took a toll on her mental health.
“It’s not good for my mental health,” said the neuroscientist and co-founder. “CJ is a phenomenal quarterback. He reads defenses very well. He is ready. It’s super precise. We’re not allowed to talk about what CJ specifically scored.
He added that because the testing data belongs to an NFL consortium team, the company cannot discuss the testing results or share the results. He noted, however, that some of the leaks “occurred intentionally for a specific narrative” and advocated for more public access to the data.