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Shedeur Sanders may not have gotten the first-round pick money he was seeking in April 2025, but the Cleveland Browns quarterback still cashed in from a different source.
Thanks to endorsement deals with the NFL Players Association, Sanders earned $17.7 million in group licensing revenue for the 2025 season, according to Front Office Sports.
That money comes from all sales of t-shirts, trading cards, and other fan purchases of collectibles, and it’s a record.
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Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a touchdown during the first half of an NFL preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 8, 2025. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Sanders surpassed legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who earned $9.5 million in 2021-22, by a considerable amount.
Sanders’ contract with the Browns is just over $1 million per season, signing him to a four-year, $4.647 million rookie deal before taking the field in 2025. He fell dramatically during the NFL Draft, as not only did he miss out on the first round, but he had to wait until Day 3 when the Browns finally came calling.
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Cleveland had also selected Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, another Heisman Trophy finalist, ahead of Sanders in the third round.
But Sanders fans were plentiful and clearly stood out in terms of merchandise purchases and then some.
Additionally, the report made sure to point out Sanders’ other endorsement deals that he likely received when he entered professional football, bringing his total rookie season money to close to $20 million, if not more.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders walks off the field after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 4, 2026 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sanders came to the NFL with tons of excitement and anticipation from football fans and pundits alike, seeing if he could handle the most elite level of the sport.
However, he had to bide his time with the Browns, with veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco starting for now-former head coach Kevin Stefanski’s team at the start of the 2025 campaign.
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Sanders finally made his first start for the Browns on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12, helping them to a 24-10 victory. He was 11 of 20 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Stefanski announced that Sanders would be the team’s starter for the rest of the year, as Cleveland was out of the playoff hunt and they clearly wanted to see their rookie develop. He ultimately threw for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while owning a 3-4 record in seven starts.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders watches from the sideline late in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 7, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Image Images)
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Now, as the hype over Sanders continues, he still has to fight for that starting job through 2026. Deshaun Watson is finally back healthy and has been splitting first-team reps for the Browns in voluntary practices under new head coach Todd Monken, who comes over from the Baltimore Ravens.
