How much money did Shedeur Sanders lose after sliding out of Round 1 in the 2025 NFL draft? Exploring salary implications

A major question among NFL fans before the 2025 NFL Draft kicked off was whether Colorado's Shedeur Sanders would be selected in the first round.

Sanders had previously been predicted to be a top-5 pick. However, the draft saw an unexpected twist as he slid completely out of the first round. His sudden decline has turned into one of the most startling downward slides in NFL Draft history.

According to reports, Sanders will miss out on about $30 million in guaranteed money on his first NFL contract since he was not selected in the first round. Additionally, rookies' compensation is scaled according to their draft position under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.

To contextualize Sanders' expected loss on his first contract, Caleb Williams, selected as the first overall pick last year, secured the largest contract among rookies, totaling $39.5 million for four years, including a $25.5 million signing bonus. In contrast, Keon Coleman, the first pick of the second round last year, signed a four-year contract worth $10.1 million which included a $4.1 million signing bonus.

Although Sanders benefited from huge NIL earnings in college, there's now a big disparity between how much he will earn in the NFL as a likely Day 2 pick and how much he wouldd have earned as a first-round pick.

Since the NFL hasn't confirmed the 2025 draft position values, it is currently difficult to determine exactly how much Sanders' draft fall will cost him. However, there are reports that the league's rookie pool will see a significant increase this year, meaning that the difference between first-rounders and second-rounders pay may become even wider.

Is Shedeur Sanders a surefire Day 2 pick?

Given his stellar college football career, Shedeur Sanders may find it disappointing that he was not chosen in the first round of the draft. However, he is still anticipated to be a highly sought-after draft target on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Additionally, after only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round yesterday, other teams in need of quarterbacks are expected to meet that need on Friday. This means Sanders' chances of getting selected early in the second round of the draft are high.

Although the former Colorado star showed remarkable talent in college, his decline in the draft highlights the unpredictability of the NFL Draft process, even for highly regarded athletes.

With the draft's second and third rounds drawing near, all eyes are on Sanders, who will now try to disprove his doubters as he gets ready to start his NFL career.