Here's why Shedeur Sanders was paid a record $17.7 million by NFLPA

Shedeur Sanders signed a four-year contract worth roughly $4.65 million after being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

While Sanders made just under $1.3 million in cash as a rookie and has an average annual value (AAV) of $1.16 million, per Spotrac, his overall earnings from his first season ended up significantly eclipsing that mark.

Sanders received more than $17.7 million from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for "royalties/player marketing" from May 2025 to February 2026. That number was disclosed in the NFLPA's annual report, which was was filed this week with the Department of Labor.

Sanders' earnings were paid across 13 installments to his limited liability corporation SS2Legendary. The largest payment – which totaled more than $9.2 million – came on May 16, 2025, just 20 days after he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.

All of Sanders' earnings in the report stemmed from group licensing deals, which Front Office Sports reports "encompasses deals that include six or more players, the most typical of which are jerseys, trading cards, video games, and other collectibles."

The "player marketing" portion of the income stems from "appearances and hospitality promotions," according to Front Office Sports.

The figures reported by the NFLPA do not take into account the individual endorsement deals that Sanders has with Gatorade, Beats by Dre and others.

Sanders' $17.7 million in group licensing earnings is nearly double the previous record taken home by an NFL player. Tom Brady made $9.5 million during the 2021-22 NFL season, according to the Department of Labor's records outlining payments to his T.E.B. Capital Management.