Shedeur Sanders signed a rookie contract of $4.65 million after being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, his overall earnings for his rookie year were far more than his Browns contract.

According to Spotrac, Sanders made $1.3 million in cash as a rookie and has an average annual value of $1.16 million. Now, as per the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) annual report that was filed this week by the Department of Labor, Sanders made a record of more than $17.7 million.

The prior record was set by Tom Brady, amounting to $9.5 million in the 2021-2022 season, as shared by analyst Daniel Kaplan.

Per Jacob Camenkar of USA Today, Sanders made this amount for “royalties/player marketing” from May 2025 to February 2026 from the NFLPA. The payment was made in 13 instalments to his limited liability corporation, SS2Legendary. 

Just 20 days after being drafted by the Browns, Sanders received his largest payment amounting to more than $9.2 million on May 16, 2025. 

Carmenkar added that these earnings, as stated in the report, come from Sanders’ group licensing deals. These deals include six or more players dealing with collectibles like jerseys, video games, trading cards, and more. 

Sanders’ “player marketing” income came from his appearances and hospitality promotions. However, the report doesn’t take into account Sanders' individual endorsement deals with several high-profile brands like Beats by Dre, Gatorade, Nike, and others. 

Sanders had built a powerful brand at Colorado, where his NIL value topped out at $6.5 million, according to On3. That popularity has followed him to the NFL.

Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports reported that Sanders has pulled in more than $20 million in off-the-field earnings if his personal endorsement deals are also considered.

The NFLPA figure carries more significance when viewed alongside the high-profile names Sanders now ranks with financially.

NFLPA Reports Shedeur Sanders’ Record Ahead of Tom Brady

Per Kyle Mosley of HBCU Legends on SI, Sanders’ marketing revenue record surpassed that of seven-time Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady. Brady’s previous record earned him $9.5 million in group licensing and marketing revenue for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2022.

Sanders now stands atop the earners through his SS2 Legendary LLC. SS2 Legendary is Sanders’ personal brand and business registered in Texas. Under it comes Sanders' 2Legendary apparel line and 2Legendary podcast. 

From March through July 2025, NFLPA figures placed him fifth among all NFL players in merchandise sales, ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. He was also Fanatics' best-selling rookie.

While Sanders sets a new record with his NFLPA Paycheck, he is battling for his spot in one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in the NFL. At the moment, Deshaun Watson currently leads the quarterback competition, per reports.

Share your thoughts on Sanders' off-field success as he goes through a crucial time.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar