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Shedeur Sanders' NFL Salary With Browns Will Be Lower Than NIL Earnings at Colorado

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Dougherty | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 2:46 PM ET

Shedeur Sanders is likely taking a pay cut as he heads to the NFL.

The Colorado quarterback fell all the way to the fifth round of the NFL draft, where the Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 144 overall pick. While it's not clear yet where Sanders will fall on a depth chart that includes fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel and veterans Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and Kenny Pickett along with the injured Deshaun Watson, his NFL salary is close to set with his selection on Saturday.

As Sportrac noted, the total value of a contract for the 144th pick of the NFL draft is close to $4.6 million, which is less than Sanders earned in compensation from his NIL deal.

Sanders had deals with a number of major brands, including Gatorade, Nike, and Beats by Dre. On3 ranked him as the No. 2 college earner, estimating his NIL valuation at $6.5 million.

With the No. 144 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @Browns select Shedeur Sanders.

: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/59k0n94PXm
— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025

The Colorado quarterback was once projected as a Top 5 pick, which would have netted him a contract with a total value up to $40 million.

Sanders will likely have the chance to earn above his rookie contract with endorsements, but his freefall down the draft board put a major dent in his odds of earning a starting job. He will compete for the chance to earn the No. 1 spot in Cleveland, but DeShaun Watson could return to the starting role after he has recovered from a torn Achilles.

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

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