Shedeur Sanders remaining available in the 2025 NFL Draft as the fifth round on the final day got underway was always going to feel surreal. Even if you were never a fan of the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback, having him fall outside the first four rounds was all but inconceivable coming into the event. And yet, Sanders remained without a team until the Cleveland Browns finally ended his fall with the 144th pick.
That's an impossible spot for Sanders to be in, perhaps one that's almost unfair at a certain point. His on-field talent is far better than any NFL team is valuing him at this point. There are reasons beyond what he showed on the field at Colorado at play, to be sure, but it doesn't make it any less shocking to witness during one of the most disastrous and surprising draft falls we've ever seen.
Now that he's on the Browns, he'll go to Cleveland and certainly compete. The quarterback position is anything but settled on that roster as they all but move on from Deshaun Watson while he continues his recovery from a ruptured Achilles that he then re-injured. It's actually a tremendous opportunity, despite the drama of his fall in the draft, for Sanders to compete and earn a starting job still.
Having said that, there is a case to be made that Sanders still might've been better off returning to Colorado for his final season of eligibility. Specifically, there's a financial case to be made.
Shedeur Sanders' rookie contract will be less than what he could've made in NIL at Colorado
The total value over four years of Shedeur Sanders' contract with the Browns as the No. 144 pick will be between $4.59 and $4.65 million, according to draft slot projections. However, according to the On3 NIL valuations, Sanders could've made a whopping $6.5 million had he returned to Boulder to play one more year in college. For those keeping track at home, he sacrificed about $5 million (give or take) based on valuations by entering the draft.
Now, at a certain point, a player is simply ready to turn pro and Sanders likely fit that bill. Moreover, hindsight is always going to be 20/20 and there's no one who predicted that the Colorado quarterback would fall this precipitously in the draft. Even still, it's a staggering contrast to see how much money he left on the table.
With that said, Sanders now has the opportunity to turn that low contract evaluation into much more. If he proves all of the teams that doubted him and passed on him wrong with the Browns, the endorsements will flow in, the second contract could be massive, and he could be set up even more so for life.
There is no denying, however, that the initial financial optics of this appalling draft freefall indicate that a return to Colorado should've, perhaps, been more of a consideration than it was for Sanders.