Shedeur Sanders Browns Salary Topped By Several College QBs

After slipping into the fifth round of the NFL Draft, there’s a good chance that new Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will earn less this season than will his peers who opted to keep playing NCAA ball.

Sanders’ salary will average out to $1,161,845 for each of the next four years, according to salary cap tracker OverTheCap. That compensation is set based on the NFL’s collectively bargained rookie pay scale, making him the 72nd-highest paid QB for 2025. 

But in the uncapped and loosely controlled world of college football, veteran starters are reportedly earning much more. Carson Beck, for instance, is receiving between $3 and $4 million from the University of Miami’s NIL collective, according to multiple reports. Beck briefly declared for this year’s draft in December before opting to enter the transfer portal and jumping from Georgia to UM. Duke QB Darian Mensah also signed a deal believed to be in the $4 million-per-year range this winter after leaving Tulane.

At the beginning of the offseason, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that schools were paying $750,000 to $1.5 million for a proven signal-caller—and as part of his lawsuit against the NCAA, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia estimated another year of college eligibility would help him earn $1 million, just under Sanders’ starting salary. In total, On3 says at least 19 quarterbacks have an “NIL valuation” above Sanders’ $1.2 million mark, though it’s unlikely all of them have maximized their earning potential.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers meanwhile reportedly received NIL offers greater than $5 million before entering the 2025 NFL draft. Ewers ultimately went 231st in the seventh round to the Miami Dolphins. If he hangs on with the team, he’ll earn $4.3 million over four years.

Of course, Sanders still has the opportunity to build on his NFL take with additional marketing arrangements. However, his brand appeal as a projected backup remains to be seen—and his focus for now is likely on making the Cleveland team. Nearly 50% of fifth-rounders don’t end up on the initial regular season roster with the team that drafted them. None of Sanders’ salary is guaranteed, according to OverTheCap’s accounting.

“Thank you GOD,” Sanders posted on X after being picked.

After remaining in the NFL’s draft process following a Feb. 7 deadline, Sanders surrendered his remaining NCAA eligibility. Now, in a new world of professionalizing college sports, the former Colorado star could come to represent a very modern lesson in the benefits of staying in school. 

(This story has been updated with where Texas QB Quinn Ewers was taken in the draft.)