Did Deion Sanders Secure a Better NFL Deal Than Shedeur Sanders? Comparing Father and Son’s Rookie Contracts from 1989 and 2025

Deion Sanders expected Shedeur Sanders to go early in the 2025 NFL Draft. More specifically, Coach Prime anticipated his son would be a top-five pick. Instead, Shedeur slipped to the fifth round (No. 144 overall) before the Cleveland Browns chose him.

Shedeur now enters the NFL with a big chip on his shoulder. Shockingly, he’ll also be cashing bigger checks as a rookie than his father was. The contract value for draft slot No. 144, per Spotrac, is $4.6 million over four years. Back in 1989, after going No. 5 overall, Deion signed a deal worth $4.4 million. That was also a four-year pact.

Obviously some context is needed here. The present value of $4.4 million in 1989 is roughly $10.5 million. That lines up with the slot value of the 2025 NFL Draft’s No. 42 overall pick. So, if anyone can claim they’re making the same amount as Deion Sanders on their rookie contract, it’s New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor.

Despite going undrafted, Deion’s younger son, Shilo Sanders, didn’t fare too badly himself. His Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ contract is worth $2.96 million over three years. Meanwhile, it is important to note how Deion’s contract and his career would look like in today’s NFL.

How did Deion Sanders’ rookie negotiations differ from those of modern day?

When Deion Sanders was drafted, there was no NFL rookie wage scale. Players negotiated their own contracts. And Sanders crushed his, earning a $2 million signing bonus. At the time, it was the largest ever offered to a first-year player.

In his third year, Deion restructured his deal, adding $2.3 million over his final two campaigns. While it’s possible for players to adjust their contracts, it’s a rare occurrence during rookie deals. These days, teams typically just extend the player. The money they’d gain from a “restructuring” comes from their signing bonus.

If there’s one thing that Shedeur may have gained from his unexpected draft status, it’s reaching free agency sooner. First-round picks have fifth-year options on their contracts. The options are fully guaranteed with position-based values, but the paydays are typically less than what a player would earn on the open market.

Could Shedeur still deal with a franchise tag if he plays well? Yes. Regardless, he still could become a free agent before his first-round peers, who could also be slapped with the franchise tag following their fifth-year option.

Before Shedeur has to worry about any of those things, though, he must claim the Browns’ starting QB gig. And he has a great amount of competition from Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel. Landing that job won’t be as easy as getting the job at Colorado. We’ll see how he fares once training camp rolls around in July.