Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders formed one of college football’s most electric duos last season. Over two years at Colorado, the pair combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, and both entered the NFL Draft with high expectations. Many projected both to go in the first round—but while Hunter lived up to the hype as the reigning Heisman winner, going No. 2 overall to the Jaguars, Shedeur’s draft experience was far more humbling.
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Despite no red flags or clear reason, Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns finally selected him. That 142-pick gap between the two former teammates has resulted in a massive difference in their rookie contracts.
As per ESPN, Hunter, the second overall pick, signed a four-year, $46.65 million fully guaranteed deal with the Jaguars. The contract includes a staggering $30.57 million signing bonus—paid upfront—making him the first non-quarterback drafted outside the top spot to receive his entire bonus at once. It’s a historic deal for a generational two-way talent who’s expected to play both offense and defense from day one.
In contrast, Sanders signed the standard deal for a fifth-round pick: four years, $4.6 million, with an annual salary of $1.16 million and a $446,553 signing bonus. There is no guaranteed money in his contract. To earn his contract, Shedeur has to make the final roster—no small feat, especially with three other quarterbacks competing for limited spots. Most NFL teams only carry three QBs, and fifth-rounders are far from safe.
While the immediate financial disparity is stark, the two weren’t far apart in terms of net worth coming into the NFL. Sanders’ NIL valuation peaked at $6.5 million, making him the highest-paid college athlete during his time at Colorado. He has an estimated net worth of around $4 million by landing major endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, Mercedes-Benz, Beats by Dre, Google, Urban Outfitters, and EA Sports—some of which will continue in his pro career.
Travis Hunter, meanwhile, had an NIL valuation of $5.7 million and a current net worth of around $6 million. He worked with brands such as Adidas, American Eagle, 7-Eleven, United Airlines, JLab, Leaf Trading Cards, NXTRND, Celsius, Actively Black, Greenwood, and the Michael Strahan Brand. Now, with his record-breaking rookie deal in hand, his net worth will likely eclipse Sanders’ soon.
