Deion Sanders would've been 'reluctant to go pro' with NIL deals in the 80s

Sanders was the fifth-overall pick for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 NFL Draft. At the time, he was one of the most valued prospects to come out of college in decades. He made up for his lost earnings in the NFL as one of the highest-paid players, but the scale is still nothing compared to the lucrative NIL deals today.

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Coach Prime told Bleacher Report earlier this year that Shedeur Sanders stood to make more money off NIL deals unless he was projected as a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. CU's 'Grown' QB recently signed a deal with Smoothie King and was reportedly second among all NIL earners with a valuation of $3.8 million. That's nearly $600K more than Sanders' base salary of his first five years in the NFL. However, that's dollar-for-dollar and not adjusted for inflation.

There's no doubt SI's Sportsman of the Year was highly-marketable during his time in Tallahasse and would've smashed sponsorship records. The "Prime Time" persona was one of the biggest factors to Nike by creating his signature Diamond Turf line in the 90s. While we don't have a grasp on the amount of money, Sanders is right about it weighing on his mind. It's the same for players today who want to make the most they can before heading off to the NFL.