Shedeur Sanders had a great final season for the Colorado Buffaloes as he threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He completed an NCAA-leading 74.0% of his passes while adding four rushing touchdowns.
The son of Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was widely projected to be a first-round pick leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, with many suggesting that he and Cam Ward would be the first two quarterbacks off the board. Yet, while Ward was selected No. 1 overall, Sanders had to wait until Day 3 to hear his name called when the Cleveland Browns finally stopped his unprecedented slide in the fifth round.
Sanders was the sixth QB selected and the second selected by the Browns. The slide cost him over $3 million than what he would have earned if he had been picked as high as he was initially projected. After the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year signed his rookie contract on Monday, May 19, here’s how the deal compares to Will Howard and Quinn Ewers, two other big-name college QBs who weren’t picked until the draft’s final day.
Comparing Shedeur Sanders’ Rookie Contract to Will Howard’s and Quinn Ewers’
Sanders officially put pen to paper by signing his rookie contract. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the news, tweeting, “Browns have signed QB Shedeur Sanders to a four-year, $4.6 million contract.”
Browns have signed QB Shedeur Sanders to a four-year, $4.6 million contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Sanders’ signing bonus is $447,380, which is also the entirety of the guaranteed money on the deal. Meanwhile, he will earn an average of $1,161,846 annually on the deal, which is worth a total of $4,647,384 over four years.
Howard, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round, signed his rookie deal on May 9. He is set to receive $4,448,100 over the next four years. However, just $248,100 of that amount is guaranteed. The former Ohio State Buckeyes national championship-winning QB will make an average of $1,112,025 over the course of the deal.
Finally, Ewers, who landed with the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round, signed his rookie contract on May 8. He will earn an average of $1,082,894 annually for a total of $4,331,576. The former Texas Longhorns star, the top overall recruit in 2021, received just $131,576 in guaranteed money.
While all three players leave the collegiate level with recognizable names, they will have plenty to prove at the next level. The lack of guarantees in their respective deals makes it easy for each franchise to move on if they don’t produce.