The Shedeur Sanders slide could be the ultimate setback to an NFL career. However, it now falls on Sanders to turn the story around. Watching such a nightmare unfold inevitably leaves a lasting memory.
With the NFL Draft getting further in the rearview mirror, the attention is starting to turn toward how Sanders reacts after the fact in training camp. First, one close friend has revealed Sanders’ private reaction in May.
How Shedeur Sanders Reacted to Stunning NFL Draft Slide
Speaking on a recent edition of the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show” via JaKi on Twitter/X, Sanders’ friend Boogie Knight said what Sanders had told him about how he viewed his slide. He said money wasn’t an issue in the slightest.
🔥 Shedeur & Browns. Where He Belongs
"If I could go back and do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. I am where I belong. I just need the opportunity to go compete"
📽️ @ultCLEsports @Hboog32 pic.twitter.com/wS7JyectL7
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth)
“At dinner two nights ago, he sat at the table. He said, ‘Man, if I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.’ Sanders added, ‘The reason being because I feel like I am where I know I should have been in the beginning. Maybe I didn’t get here how I thought I would get here, but I’m where I belong,'” he said.
“And he said, ‘so I still got here, and at the end of the day, I’m not tripping on no money. He’s like, ‘man, I made north of $24 million since January, before the draft. So money wasn’t an issue.’ It was, ‘I just need the opportunity to be able to go compete,'” he added.
Sanders had entered the buildup to the NFL Draft as a star prospect that some said could go first overall. Instead, he slipped all the way to 144th overall, where he was selected by the Cleveland Browns. He had been mocked to join the team throughout the offseason, but at a much higher draft slot.
Now, he is a member of the Browns anyway, but in an underdog spot. That said, no matter what happens, it appears he will be just fine financially.
Sanders’ Slide Might Not Be as Consequential as First Appeared
Knight’s comments fly in the face of what many have said about the typical professional athlete’s earning pattern. Typically, it has been presented that players entering the NFL don’t have enough to coast for the rest of their lives.
However, Sanders’ alleged $24 million since the start of 2025 suggests he already has enough to keep a lifestyle for the rest of his life before his first NFL snap. Of course, for many college prospects, getting their second NFL contract is still the difference between needing to find a normal job or being able to put work aside after finishing their careers in their late 20s and early 30s.
That said, in Sanders’ case he has little to worry about from a financial standpoint, assuming he manages his funds correctly. Still, as a 23-year-old quarterback, he could still earn money from the NFL for the next 15 years or longer. That is truly what’s at stake for the quarterback.
Will Sanders settle into a home for the next decade-plus or is he already nearing the end of his football career?
