May 20, 2025
The quarterback signed for four years at a reported $4.6 million and a $447,380 signing bonus.
Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders has signed his first NFL contract with the Cleveland Browns, the team that drafted him.
The football team shared the announcement, making Sanders the fourth player of the seven in the 2025 NFL Draft. After being expected to be selected within the top three choices, he unexpectedly fell to the fifth round, where the Browns took him at 144. The Athletic reported that he signed with the Colorado Buffaloes for four years at $4.6 million and a $447,380 signing bonus.
Perfect Timing ✍️@crosscountrymtg | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/kSzOr2nBHp
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 19, 2025
After having a collegiate career where he was considered one of the top quarterbacks to enter the draft, Sanders is competing with three other quarterbacks in preseason to try to make the Browns’ roster this season. In the 50 games he played between Jackson State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, he completed 1,267 of 1,808 passes (70.1%) for 14,353 yards, while scoring 134 last season, Sanders was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year after completing 353 of 477 passes (74.0%) for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns.
Without playing professional football, Sanders was the talk of the NFL Draft after being snubbed in the first round. Although he was picked at No. 144 overall, his football jersey became the top-selling one among the players selected. Although he wore number 2 in college, the number on his uniform is 12.
Sanders was once projected to be the draft’s top pick, but saw his stock fluctuate due to several theories suggested by football analysts and media covering the NFL Draft, including the involvement of his father and head coach at both Jackson State and Colorado, Deion Sanders, and off-putting behavior during the pre-draft interview process that reportedly irked many teams.
He is currently fighting for a spot on the team with four quarterbacks (Sanders, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett) — five if you include the injured starter, Deshaun Watson, who is recovering from an Achilles injury and is not expected to play this year.
