Shedeur Sanders has reportedly agreed to his rookie deal with the Browns – at millions less than he was projected to receive ahead of the NFL Draft.
Once viewed as a surefire first-round pick, Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round before Cleveland finally selected him with the no. 144 overall pick.
And on Monday, the quarterback officially inked his rookie contract with the franchise, signing for four years and $4.6million according to Jordan Schultz.
Sanders’ deal with the Browns represents a loss of around $42million from what he would have made if he was a top-three pick.
No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, for example, is projected to make $48.7million over four years with the Titans according to Spotrac, with a $32million signing bonus.
While Ward should slot right into the starting role for his new team, Sanders will have to compete within a crowded quarterback room for a spot on the Browns’ roster.
Shedeur Sanders has reportedly signed his rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns
In addition to Sanders, the Browns also picked former Oregon passer Dillon Gabriel in the third round, and also have Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the roster. The injured Deshaun Watson is also on the team’s books.
Veteran Flacco is reportedly in ‘pole position’ to be the No 1 quarterback heading into the 2025 season.
Nonetheless, head coach Kevin Stefanski said earlier this month at rookie minicamp: ‘There’s a lot of time between now and September, so we’ll have a plan. But it’s an all-encompassing evaluation.’
On his two rookies, he added: ‘They were as advertised… I thought both guys did a really nice job, and there’s so much to work on. It’s the minutiae of the position. It’s some technique things. The operation needs to get better.
‘All those things, that’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re going to work really hard over the next few days to get these guys ready for when they join the veterans on Monday.’
More to follow
