Shedeur Sanders’ shocking NFL Draft slide will do more than dent the quarterback’s ego – it will severely impact his pay packet, too.
The former Colorado star, the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, was widely expected to be a top-10 overall pick. But, in a stunning turn of events, Sanders has been pᴀssed over by every NFL team over the first three rounds of the 2025 draft.
And, as reported by Forbes, the size of rookie contracts are linked to where players are drafted as part of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.
Last year, for example, the No 1 overall pick Caleb Williams was handed the biggest deal of his class.
The Bears quarterback was given a four-year contract worth $39.5million and a signing bonus of $25.5m.
Meanwhile, the first pick of the fourth round – тιԍнт end Ja’Tavion Sanders – was handed only $4.9m over four years. His deal with the Carolina Panthers included a $874,000 sign-on bonus.
Shedeur Sanders is still waiting to be selected after the first three rounds of the NFL Draft
The quarterback is the son of NFL legend and Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders
Caleb Williams, last year’s No 1 overall pick, signed a four-year deal worth $39.5million
In total, the тιԍнт end lost out on nearly $70m over four years compared to Williams. The NFL has not yet finalized the value of each draft selection for 2025 but there is reportedly an expectation that the gap between early and later picks could be even greater.
According to Sportico, first-round selections could see their signing bonuses swell by up to 26 percent.
Spotrac estimates that Cam Ward – selected first overall by Tennessee – will sign a rookie deal worth $48.7m.
Sanders was tipped by many to be taken third overall by the New York Giants but they instead opted for Abdul Carter. The defensive end is expected to earn $45.1m over four years with a $29.5m signing bonus
Sanders was considered the most valuable college athlete in 2024 thanks to lucrative NIL (name, image, likeness) deals worth more than $6million.
Donald Trump and Patrick Mahomes are among those left shocked by Sanders’ treatment.
But ahead of the draft, damning verdicts on the quarterback began to emerge. He was reportedly branded ‘arrogant’, ‘brash’ and ‘unprofessional’, while one unnamed coach reportedly claimed he gave ‘the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life.’
