Shedeur Sanders Rookie Contract: Salary for a Fifth-Rounder

The Cleveland Browns don’t lack for quarterbacks on the 2025 roster, so no one really knows who will run the team’s offense this year. 

Thanks to the Deshaun Watson contract, Cleveland has tens of millions of dollars locked into a player who might not see the field all season. That explains the lousy state of the Browns’ odds market. 

But if Watson stays on the sidelines, someone has to take snaps under center. And as the whole world saw in April, the Browns added Deion Sanders’ son, Shedeur, with their fifth-round pick. 

Sanders’ playing time has some pretty high variance in 2025. He might start a few games late in the year, when the Browns are already eliminated from playoff contention. He might also win the starting job in camp.

Or, he could get cut from the 53-man roster entirely. Cleveland likely won’t carry four quarterbacks on the roster. 

That said, if Sanders does go on to win the job and become the face of the Browns, Cleveland will have the youngster on a very team-friendly deal. Such is the benefit of nailing a quarterback in the fifth round. 

Shedeur Sanders Contract

After he was drafted in the fifth round, Shedeur Sanders signed a four-year contract with the Browns worth a total of $4,647,380.

Shedeur Sanders Signing Bonus

As a Day 3 pick, Shedeur Sanders received a modest signing bonus of only $447,380.

Shedeur Sanders Salary

In 2025, Shedeur Sanders will collect the NFL rookie minimum salary of $840,000. 

However, including his signing bonus, Sanders’ total 2025 compensation from his NFL contract is approximately $1.29 million. 

Shedeur Sanders Guaranteed Money

Because he was a fifth-round pick, the only guaranteed money from Shedeur Sanders’ rookie contract is his signing bonus.