Shedeur Sanders' draft slide was probably the most surprising in NFL history. There was a point where he was in the mix to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, and watching him fall to No. 144 was something no one saw coming.
There were multiple reports about how his demeanor rubbed people the wrong way, and how not throwing before the draft hurt his stock. Others talked about conspiracy theories and the league colluding against him and Deion Sanders.
Whatever the case, falling to the fifth round cost him a guaranteed contract and potentially even $40 million.
However, when asked about that during a recent streaming session, he couldn't care any less.
“If you’ve been operating in regular life and make decisions that’s fine with you, then nothing’s gonna change. So that’s why I’m thankful and I’m blessed that nothing changed, you know, for me.”
Shedeur Sanders shrugs off $40 million slide in 2025 NFL Draft
Top-10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft made at least $26 million. If Sanders had gone in the top five, as most experts projected, he would've been scaled for something in the $40 million range.
He got just $4.6 million over four years as a fifth-round pick.
Of course, we can't ignore the fact that Sanders grew up the son of a Hall of Fame, professional athlete. More than that, he had several big-time endorsement deals and business ventures long before he made it to the NFL, so it's not like he will struggle to make ends meet.
That said, that type of answer is why people should root for him.
He doesn't need to play football. Unlike most prospects, this wasn't his only option. In fact, he chose this path knowing that people would always compare him to his father, and he'd probably never live up to that comparison. He would always be discredited and referred to as Deion's son.
Sanders still has a long way to go. He has to put in extensive work to become a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. All the criticism about his game is fair, and while he was better than the average fifth-round rookie, he may not have been top-10 material, either.
Regardless, no one can deny his love for the game or say anything about his work ethic. At the end of the day, he's going to have to earn his stripes like everybody else, but he's clearly not into it for the money or the recognition. He loves the game.