Shedeur Sanders officially signed his rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns, and his father — and former coach — Deion Sanders had something to say about it.
Sanders, selected No. 144 overall in the fifth round, inked a four-year deal on Tuesday worth approximately $4.646 million, including a $447,380 signing bonus. It’s the standard slot value for his draft position.
Sanders’ entry into the NFL took an unexpected turn. Once projected as a first-round pick throughout much of the pre-draft process, Sanders endured a stunning slide that saw him fall all the way to Day 3. His fall finally ended when the Browns traded up to select him in the fifth round.
It’s not the route the Sanders family expected, but Deion is fully behind his son as he looks to prove the doubters wrong.
“Proud Father I am! I love my kids and I pushed my kids to be greater to be better to correct my wrongs & magnify my rights,” Deion Sanders wrote in a social media post. “My kids are built for whatever comes their way. We’re prepared for whatever because I got them no matter what!. Thank you Jesus.”
Deion also included a graphic showing that he made less than Shedeur when he was the No. 5 overall pick in 1989.
Shedeur Sanders Has Joked About Low Salary
Sanders has joked a few times about the value of his rookie deal. During the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward asked to buy Sanders’ jersey that was on display, but he was shut down.
“Nah,” Sanders said. “I gotta sell it, bro. I gotta have some type of money. (Expletive), I’m already down.”
Cam Ward asks Shedeur Sanders for his jersey and this was his response:
“I gotta sell it—I’m already down.”😭😭
Sanders also 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.”
Shedeur Sanders Will Have Shot at Starting Job With Browns
Sanders has a shot at winning the starting job with the Browns, who are staging a four-man competition. He’ll compete with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel — a third-round pick — as well as veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.
“You have to come in and work, and you have to come in and compete,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said after the draft. “That’s the message. Nothing’s given. It really doesn’t matter where you picked, it’s what you do from that point forward. Because that’s the reality for all the guys that we selected this weekend.”
Sanders had a standout college career, passing for 14,347 yards and 134 touchdowns with a 70.1% completion rate over four seasons at Jackson State and Colorado. He earned the Jerry Rice Award as the top FCS freshman in 2021. He threw for 3,231 yards and 30 touchdowns that season, and followed with 3,752 yards and 40 scores in 2022, leading the Tigers to a 12-1 record.
After transferring to Colorado, Sanders set a school record with 510 passing yards in a game against TCU and threw for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2023. He capped his college career in 2024 with 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns, earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
