Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders played for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023 and 2024 before being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
According to the NFL Players Association annual report, Sanders has earned $17.7 million in group licensing, which is a record. Right behind Sanders in the highest earners is another former Colorado star and current Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter with $12.8 million.
The $17.7 million earned by Sanders is a record amount, topping the $9.5 million made by future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady from the 2021-22 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Per Yahoo Sports, Sanders is listed under the name of his limited liability corporation, SS2Legendary.
“Group licensing encompasses deals that include six or more players, the most typical of which are jerseys, trading cards, video games, and other collectibles,” Daniel Roberts of Yahoo Sports said. “Taking into account his personal endorsement deals, Sanders likely pulled in well north of $20 million in off-the-field earnings, an incredible sum for a rookie fifth-round pick but perhaps not that surprising given his celebrity and the media attention showered on him.”
A big reason for Sanders’ fame at the NFL level is because of both the family name and his time with Colorado.
Shedeur Sanders is the son of Hall of Fame defensive back and current Buffaloes coach, Deion Sanders. Long before his coaching days, Deion Sanders played in the NFL from 1989-2005. He was named First-team All-Pro six times, Second-team All-Pro two times, the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and won two Super Bowls.
Coach Prime got his first head coaching job in college with Jackson State in 2020. In 2023, he was hired by Colorado. His quarterback in his first two seasons coaching the Buffs was his son, Shedeur. They became must-watch TV and one of the most talked about stories in college football.
Colorado was on a consistent basis among the most watched college football teams during the years with Sanders at quarterback and Hunter playing both sides of the ball.
The Buffs had mixed results on the field with Shedeur and Deion together, going 4-8 in 2023 and 9-4 in 2024. One thing was clear though. They were box office, win or lose.
Having the two-way superstar Travis Hunter helped. He won the 2024 Heisman Trophy and benefited from the national coverage of Colorado due to the Sanders family. Following the 2024 season, Hunter entered the 2025 NFL Draft. He was selected No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In their first year without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter in 2025, the Buffs struggled. They went 3-9, missing a bowl game for the second time in three seasons under Coach Prime. They will look to turn it around in 2026. The Buffaloes first game will be a road test against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Thursday, Sept. 3. Georgia Tech beat the Buffs in Boulder to kick off the 2025 season.
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