The Cleveland Browns traded up to take quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round (144th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now the two sides will come to an agreement on his first NFL contract. So how much will Sanders' rookie contract be worth?
The former Colorado standout made his way to Cleveland without inking a deal with the Browns. While nothing is official, the projected value over four years is much less than what he made as a senior in Boulder.
Since Sanders was a fifth-rounder, he'll bring in roughly $4.6 million over four years, which is a little over $1 million per year, according to Sportrac. However, contracts can be renegotiated depending on performance. With Sanders working around a stacked QB room in Cleveland, we'll see if that happens in the future. Also, any signing bonus is discretionary for the Browns, but he'll likely receive a sum close to $2-3 million.
Any contract wouldn't include a fifth-year club option. Barring a contract extension or any other unforeseen circumstances, Sanders will become an unrestricted free agent in 2029.
Where does this stand next to Sanders' NIL payout at Colorado?
Sanders' rookie contract doesn't compare to the money he made from name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. His final NIL valuation was $6.5 million, according to On3.com. This included deals with Nike, Gatorade, Mercedes-Benz, Beats by Dre, Smoothie King, Amazon Prime, and Google.
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