Despite emerging as a candidate for the No. overall 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft throughout the college season, former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders ultimately slipped all the way out of the first round on Thursday. That fall will drastically change the value of his rookie contract, depending on where he winds up being selected.
The second and third rounds of the draft are set to take place Friday — but, regardless of where Sanders lands, he’s doing just fine financially thanks to his abundance of NIL deals.
What Will Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Salary Be?
Sanders’ eventual NFL salary depends on when he gets scooped up on Day 2 of the draft.
Second-rounders get paid between $6 million and $9.6 million in total value, with a signing bonus that ranges from $1.4 million to $3.9 million (for the first pick of the round).
Now, there’s a real chance that Sanders is the first guy off the board on Friday, as the Cleveland Browns own the No. 33 pick and need a quarterback of the future.
Not long ago, many mock drafts had Sanders going to the Browns at No. 2 overall, but his stock tanked significantly in recent weeks. His perceived arrogance during team interviews was reportedly a significant factor in the tumble.
The Colorado QB openly stated that he was interviewing teams just as much as they were interviewing him, and he acknowledged that some executives didn’t appreciate this and were “offended.”
The Browns have a gaping hole at quarterback due to Deshaun Watson’s torn Achilles and inconsistent play when healthy, along with Jameis Winston’s departure to the New York Giants in free agency. The team added Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett this offseason, but neither is a long-term solution under center.
If Sanders goes at No. 33 as predicted, he will earn over $5 million between his rookie salary ($1.97 million, according to Spotrac via USA Today) and aforementioned signing bonus. Sanders’ draft-day slide has cost him more than $30 million.
Sanders’ NIL Deals and Valuation
Heading into the NFL Draft, Sanders already had quite the financial profile, with a number of high-value NIL deals under his belt.
Nike, Beats by Dre, Mercedes-Benz, and Gatorade are among the notable companies that have partnered with Sanders.
On3.com has calculated his NIL valuation to be $6.5 million. That’s good for the second highest in the NCAA, just narrowly behind Texas QB Arch Manning’s $6.6 million valuation. Sanders is well above Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg, who sits in third at $4.8 million.
Sanders’ massive social media presence — which can be partially attributed to being NFL legend Deion Sanders’ son — certainly helps.
He has more than 3 million followers across his social media platforms and he has become a household name before taking his first NFL snap.