Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is pinching pennies after falling in the draft.
Sanders was once projected as a first-round pick but slid all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns scooped him up at No. 144 overall. His rookie deal is expected to be worth roughly $4.6 million over four years — a stark contrast to what Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, will earn. Ward’s contract with the Tennessee Titans is valued at $48.7 million over four years and includes a $32.1 million signing bonus.
Sanders and Ward are good friends. They were both at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles recently. Ward asked Sanders if he could have his No. 12 jersey, which was on display. Sanders swiftly shut him down.
“Nah,” Sanders said. “I gotta sell it, bro. I gotta have some type of money. (Expletive), I’m already down.”
Sanders wouldn’t mind having those extra millions in his bank account—but his comments were clearly made in jest. The Browns rookie quarterback made a substantial income during his time at Colorado through NIL deals and still holds multiple endorsements despite his slide in the draft.
Add to that the financial stability of his father, Deion Sanders, who recently signed a five-year, $54 million extension to remain Colorado’s head coach through the 2029 season, and it’s safe to say the Sanders family isn’t hurting.
Shedeur Sanders Not Changing Jersey Number
Sanders cracked a similar joke during rookie minicamp when asked about his jersey number. He wore No. 2 throughout his college career, but that number now belongs to new Browns wide receiver DeAndre Carter. Instead of negotiating for it, Sanders has embraced No. 12 and made it clear he’s not planning any kind of deal to get his old number back.
““No, I’m not trying to buy anything,” Sanders said with a smile. My signing bonus ain’t that high right now.”
While Sanders has made some jokes about his draft slide he is thankful that Cleveland took a shot on him.
“I just find something I want to perfect and just perfect it to the best of my abilities and that’s all I really focus on, just being here, just being a leader, being a great teammate, doing what I need to do whenever it is,” Sanders said. “So I’m just thankful for our opportunity. Things could have been a lot worse, but I’m here smiling in front of you all at this facility right now.”
Shedeur Sanders Will Compete for Browns Starting Job
Sanders will be part of a four-quarterback competition for the starting role. Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillion Gabriel will also be in the mix.
While Sanders faces an uphill battle, he’s eager to make his mark in Cleveland.
“I understand, really, I feel like the Browns fans, they just want something to hope for, and they’ve been wanting it so long,” Sanders told Nathan Zegura on Cleveland Browns Daily. “So finally, you know, I’m here to change that. I’m here to actually give them what they want.”
The Browns have cycled through 40 different quarterbacks since returning to the league in 1999.
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