Shedeur Sanders’ slide from projected top-10 pick to the 144th selection in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft cost him tens of millions in guaranteed contract money. His four-year rookie deal paid him a slotted average annual salary of just $1.005 million, a fraction of what a first-round quarterback typically commands.
Sanders started his tenure in Cleveland as the Browns’ fourth-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett, but was able to play at the end of the season. However, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders found a different way to cash in on a significant amount during his rookie season.
Shedeur Sanders’ $17.7 Million Licensing Haul Nearly Doubles Tom Brady’s Record
According to the NFL Players Association annual report filed with the Department of Labor, as first reported by Front Office Sports’ Daniel Kaplan, Sanders “earned a record-shattering $17.7 million in group licensing income over the course of the season.”
“Sanders is listed under the name of his limited liability corporation, SS2Legendary, which is also his Instagram handle,” Kaplan wrote. “By comparison, in the 2024-2025 NFL season, J.J. McCarthy led all players with $4 million through his LLC Newberry Raised.”
The previous record was held by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who earned $9.5 million during the 2021-2022 season.
“Group licensing does not include individual deals like Sanders has with Gatorade, Delta Airlines, Beats by Dre and Ralph Lauren,” Kaplan added. “Taking into account his personal endorsement deals, Sanders likely pulled in well north of $20 million in off-the-field earnings, an incredible sum for a rookie fifth-round pick but perhaps not that surprising given his celebrity and the media attention showered on him.”
The commercial dominance stands in contrast to Sanders’ on-field production, which was a work in progress. He didn’t make his first career start until Week 12, after seeing his first NFL action in the previous week when Gabriel sustained a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders started seven games down the stretch, going 3-4 with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His breakout performance came in a Week 14 loss to the Tennessee Titans, where he threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown. The showing earned him enough attention to be named a Pro Bowl replacement.
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Heading into his second season under new head coach Todd Monken, Sanders is trending toward opening as the Browns’ QB2. Reporters covering OTAs have noted that Watson is taking first-team reps in two-minute drills and individual work, with Sanders slotting in behind him.
Monken has publicly maintained that the competition remains open, but the unofficial depth chart suggests Watson holds the edge heading into mandatory minicamp in June. If Watson struggles or suffers another setback with the twice-repaired Achilles, Sanders could get the opportunity to prove that the on-field production can match the off-field brand he’s already built.
