Shedeur Sanders officially signed his first NFL contract on Monday when the Cleveland Browns signed the quarterback to his rookie deal.
The terms of the contract were not released by the team, but NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported it’s for four years, worth $4.6 million and includes a $447,380 signing bonus.
While Sanders’ NFL career is just beginning and he has the opportunity to make well more than what his first contract offers, it’s roughly $2 million less than his reported NIL earnings from Colorado last year.
The exact NIL number isn’t known, though On3 evaluated the earnings at $6.5 million. Sanders has deals with Beats by Dre, Nike and Gatorade. It’s unclear if he’ll keep those partnerships.
While just over $4 million is nothing to lift your nose at, there have been other rookies who have made much more in their first contract. Just last season, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels signed a four-year, $37.7 million contract with the Washington Commanders. Drake Maye’s rookie deal with the New England Patriots was for four years and $36.6 million.
Of course, the monetary value could have been impacted by Sanders falling far in the NFL Draft. Originally projected as a first-round pick — and even the No. 1 pick in some mock drafts — Sanders wasn’t drafted until the fifth round.
But now Sanders has an opportunity to compete to be the Browns QB1 in 2025. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the entire upcoming season with an Achilles injury. They also have Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in the fold.