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Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders Is Making More NIL Money Than You Think

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Adams | Last updated Nov 16, 2024 10:42 AM ET

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders may still be playing college football, but the star is already earning more money through NIL deals than some NFL players. Sanders' earning potential is about to rise once the quarterback enters the NFL draft.

The quarterback will eventually be able to turn many of these NIL deals into endorsements while also earning an NFL salary. Sanders became the first college player to sign with Nike.

The star's additional NIL deals include Beats by Dre, Google and the 5430 Alliance, a collective for Colorado athletics. On3's projections have Sanders earning the most money of any college athlete.

Sanders' NIL projection is $6.2 million, more than $2 million higher than LSU Tigers gymnast Livvy Dunne who is No. 2 on the list, per On3. It is worth noting that most NIL deals are not made public and these are projections based on On3's data.

This conversation with Shedeur and Shilo Sanders on the Pros and Cons of NIL, is worth 3 minutes of your time.

Shedeur on the cons of NIL,

“Love NIL, but there’s pros and cons to it though. The cons is you gotta don’t feel like you made it already.

When you are able to get… pic.twitter.com/8mhS7f9I2h
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 20, 2024

Depending on where he is drafted, Sanders may already be earning more than his eventual NFL salary. How much money will Sanders make if the quarterback becomes a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft?

For context, former Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

McCarthy signed a four-year, $21.8 million contract with the Vikings. The majority of this deal came via a signing bonus as McCarthy's base salary is $795,000, per Spotrac.

Nike has signed Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to an NIL deal pic.twitter.com/gELZobKUHM
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 28, 2024

The good news for Sanders is he will be able to sign his NFL contract and keep some of his endorsement deals at the next level to maximize the money the quarterback can earn.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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