Shedeur Sanders was widely projected to be among the top overall picks in the 2025 NFL Draft after a strong final season with the Colorado Buffaloes. He threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while completing an NCAA-leading 74.0% of his passes and adding four rushing touchdowns.
Most projections predicted he would be one of the top two quarterbacks — along with eventual first overall pick Cam Ward — to come off the board. Instead, the son of Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders had to wait until Day 3 to hear his name called by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.
The younger Sanders signed his first NFL deal on Monday, and the details of his first pro contract reveal exactly just how much money he wound up missing out on due to his unexpected tumble.
Financial Details of Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Slide Revealed
Sanders became the latest rookie to put pen to paper on Monday as he signed his rookie contract with the Browns. Adam Schefter shared details of the deal signed by the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year:
Browns have signed QB Shedeur Sanders to a four-year, $4.6 million contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Sanders’ draft day slide wound up costing him over $30 million. Ashton Jeanty, who was selected sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, is the highest-drafted player to sign his rookie contract, thus far. His four-year contract is fully guaranteed and will pay him $35.89 million over that span. The former Boise State Broncos running back received a $22.74 million signing bonus.
Leading up to the draft, the Raiders had widely been viewed as the floor for Sanders – due to their need at quarterback and his relationship with minority owner Tom Brady and majority owner Mark Davis. That need was altered at the onset of free agency, as Las Vegas wound up sending a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith.
Following the move, many believed that Sanders would be headed to the New Orleans Saints, who held the ninth overall pick in the draft. Instead, they selected former Texas Longhorns offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. He received a fully guaranteed four-year, $27.73 million contract that includes a $16.81 million signing bonus.
While Sanders’ lost out on plenty of money due to his draft day slide, he will likely have the opportunity to compete for the starting job in Cleveland. If he is able to prove that he is an NFL-caliber quarterback, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to recoup the lost income.