Major Loss Confirmed for Shedeur Sanders as Rookie Contract Falls Well Below Deion Sanders’ Estate Listed for $5.5M

For all of the pandemonium and chaos that Shedeur Sanders’ slide in the 2025 NFL Draft caused on various social media platforms and sports talk shows, the true reality of the debacle is finally beginning to settle in. Once advertised as a potential top-three pick, the former Colorado Buffalo has officially signed with the Cleveland Browns after falling all the way to the 144th overall spot in the draft.

While Sanders’ himself is likely content with just being on an official NFL roster for the time being, the inking of his four-year, $4.6-million rookie contract ensured that he suffered a loss of almost $40 million since he wasn’t picked in the first round. It also means that his father’s Texas estate, which is currently listed at $5.5 million in value, is officially worth more than his NFL contract, a talking point that will likely be thrown out during the next family’s next Thanksgiving.

Sanders was initially believed to be in a 1A-1B style conversation with Cam Ward as the two most premiere passers of the 2025 draft class. Nevertheless, the newfound face of the Tennessee Titans is set to 10x the contract value of his AFC counterpart.

Ward’s first four years with the Titans will see him earn $48,839,586. In addition to the significant disparity in salaries, Sanders’ signing bonus of $447,380 pales in comparison to Ward’s $32 million bonus.

Seeing as Sanders’ NIL dealings at Colorado were estimated to be well within the range of $6.5 million, it’s safe to say that this is a step down in pay for him. At his current rate of pay, he may not want to rely on his father to be his real estate agent.

The contract itself stands as a testament to the ongoing changes revolving around player pay, as Sanders finds himself in a rare instance in which an NFL rookie contract means a decrease in salary, a rather new phenomena that is as unfortunate as it is intriguing. Nevertheless, the contract still represents a future in the league, making it inherently more valuable than the current numbers may suggest.

The 2024 Golden Arm winner may have seen his draft day dreams turn into a nightmare, but he still has an opportunity in front of him with Cleveland. At 40 years of age, Joe Flacco is anything but a guarantee, and the potential talent of Dillon Gabriel remains rather untested.

Now sporting the number 12 on his jersey, the very same as his mentor and former New England Patriot, Tom Brady, Sanders will hope to achieve a similar career arc. Considering that Brady’s storyline included him exacting revenge against every franchise that passed on him in the 2000 NFL Draft, it’s likely that the second-generation QB is more than content with starting off on a similar path.

While it will likely take a while before he is able to “takeover where Brady left off,” Sanders still presents an accurate arm and a propensity for completing passes, two things that should serve him well in Cleveland’s upcoming QB competition. Simply put, it may not be perfect timing, but he’s still right on schedule.