Shedeur & Shilo Sanders Answer Whether the NIL Pay Gap Creates Friction in the Locker Room

Ever since the NIL policy was implemented, NCAA athletes have been raking in big money from their name, image, and likeness. Shilo and Shedeur Sanders are great examples of this, currently earning million-dollar figures even before stepping into the NFL.

However, while it’s endearing to see these young college players earning early on, the question arises whether there’s any bad blood about the pay gap behind the scenes. Well, Robert Griffin III raised the same question for the Sanders brothers during his latest episode of the ‘Outta Pocket’ podcast.

The former quarterback posed a dilemma: while players like Shedeur get to roll into the team facility in his Tesla Cybertruck, the fourth-string punter might not have that luxury. He wondered if this created any issues in the locker room.

The Colorado quarterback had a straight answer to RGIII’s question, saying it depends from person to person:

“No, it don’t really create any issues. It just depends on how you are. If you walking around being this big guy and all, then it’s like, all right, bro… It’s not even worth all that.”

Shilo had a similar answer and further talked about how a strong brotherhood exists between him and his teammates. The Colorado safety further added that if he gets a fancy car, he’s going to ride it with his teammates and enjoy it together.

“Yeah, I like enjoying things also with my teammates — like taking them out to eat somewhere or just having them come over and just chill with them… If I’m riding around in something, they going to be riding around in it too, basically. So it’s not really just like flexing or nothing.”

Hearing the Sanders brothers’ humble take on RGIII’s question comes as a breath of fresh air. As a result, a co-panelist of the show even asked how they developed this mindset.

Shilo and Shedeur Sanders’ down-to-earth attitude

Fascinated by their answer, RGIII asked the brothers if enjoying the fruits of NIL deals with their teammates added to the bonding experience. In response, Shedeur stated that he believes in treating everyone equally and not discriminating on matters like these.

“Yeah, you don’t ever make anybody feel less than (you). So if we’re ever anywhere, we should all feel the same. Like we should all feel equal,” he said.

This answer led RGIII’s co-host and wife, Grete Griffin, to ask the brothers where they got their “humble mentality.” Shilo responded by explaining that this perspective varies from person to person, suggesting it’s a result of their upbringing.

Notably, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders are currently en route to Week 4 where they take on Baylor Bears.