Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) heads on to the field during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Star College QB Signs Rookie NFL Contract Worth Far Less than NIL Deals

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated May 20, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The biggest story of last month's NFL draft was undoubtedly the massive slide former Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders underwent. Viewed by many as a consensus top 10 pick leading up to the draft, Sanders ultimately fell to the 114th pick in the fifth round.

Sanders, who the Cleveland Browns selected at pick 114, suffered perhaps the worst draft day slide of any prospect in NFL history. As a result, the rookie deal he recently signed also took a massive hit as well.

Per NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, Sanders and the Browns recently agreed to a four-year, $4.6 million rookie contract with a $447,380 signing bonus. On its own, this looks like a very solid deal for a fifth-round draft pick, even with the massive slide factored in.

However, this perception shifts a bit when comparing Sanders' rookie deal to what he was making in NIL just last season. Per On3 Sports, Sanders raked in an estimated $6.5 million in NIL deals in 2024 alone.

This means that he earned almost $2 million more in his final year at Colorado than his entire four-year rookie contract is worth.

Shedeur Sanders' rookie NFL contract compared to his NIL deal at Colorado

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— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 19, 2025

It's pretty astonishing that star college athletes are making such large amounts in NIL, but it's become part of the sport. It's also added another wrinkle for athletes to consider as they mull over whether or not to turn pro.

Former Texas Longhorns star quarterback Quinn Ewers also dealt with a similar situation. He reportedly turned down millions in NIL deals to declare for the NFL draft, and like Sanders, was selected in the later rounds, suffering a pretty large pay cut in the process.

Granted, this isn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, as Sanders was always viewed as a surefire lock to go in the first round at the very least. Still, the overarching point about star players now having to weigh potential NIL earnings against turning pro remains.

As NIL spending continues to skyrocket, more players will have to start considering this. It's just another one of the many ways that NIL has changed college sports.

This article first appeared on NIL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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