Shedeur Sanders NIL deals, explained: How much money NFL Draft prospect makes from Nike, Beats, other partnerships

Shedeur Sanders is set to take the next step in his career as he’s expected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. And with it, he is expected to receive a big pay day as he signs his new rookie contract with his new team. 

But thanks to NIL in the college athletics landscape, big-name athletes like Sanders are already making money in college. The Colorado quarterback inked several NIL deals during his two-year Buffaloes career as well as at Jackson State, so he won’t exactly be entering the NFL with an empty piggy bank. 

Let’s take a look at Sanders’ NIL money to see how it might compare to his NFL rookie contract. 

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Shedeur Sanders NIL Money  

Sanders, the son of legendary NFL star Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, has inked several NIL deals totaling some serious cash. 

Since most NIL deal amounts are not made public, the exact valuation of just how much Sanders has made is unclear. According to On3’s NIL valuation system, Sanders has already made $6.5 million during his college football career. 

According to Spotrac, the top five picks in this year’s NFL draft are expected to sign contracts worth between $43 million and $36 million, with the first four picks set to earn over $7 million. Here’s a full look at the breakdown: 

MORE 2025 NFL DRAFT: SN’s 7-round mock | Top 250 big board | Expert mock draft roundup

Shedeur Sanders NIL deals 

Sanders signed several NIL deals while he was with both Jackson State and Colorado. Some of the biggest names he inked deals with included Nike, Gatorade, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Beats by Dre and Under Armor. 

Beats by Dre

Sanders’ very first NIL deal was with the headphones company. He became a brand ambassador for the company with the deal, as well. 

“I remember getting my first pair of Beats, so this feels full circle,” Sanders said in 2021 via ESPN. “I’m excited to be part of a brand that inspires and represents the culture in a positive way; and that’s exactly what I want to do with my career. It’s an honor to be the first college athlete on their roster, and I couldn’t have imagined a better partnership.”

MORE NFL DRAFT:

TB12

When Sanders was still at Jackson State in 2022, he signed an NIL deal with Brady’s TB12 brand. In fact, Brady signed several college athletes to his brand, such as George Pickens of Georgia, Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall, Michigan’s Cade McNamara and Villanova basketball’s Jermaine Samuels. 

“I’m so excited to work with the Brady team,” Sanders said in a release announcing the partnership. “Tom has been a longtime mentor to me, both on and off the field and I’ve been a fan of his apparel brand since its inception, so this partnership feels like a natural next step. I couldn’t be more grateful and excited to join the list of world-class athletes that represent the brand.”

Sanders and Brady—now a minority owner for the Las Vegas Raiders—actually share a close relationship. The two even worked out together in June 2020.  

Gatorade

In January 2022, Sanders signed an NIL deal with Gatorade. The deal was historic, as it marked the first time the sports drink company had inked a deal with an HBCU player. 

“I’m honored to be a part of the Gatorade family,” Sanders said of his deal. First and foremost, I’m blessed. It’s a great opportunity. As a kid, I was drinking Gatorade regularly. So now that we have the opportunity to partner with them and be a part of Gatorade, I’m very blessed,” said Sanders.

Mercedes-Benz

In November 2022, Sanders inked a deal with Mercedes-Benz, his first NIL deal with a car company. The quarterback promoted the company’s all electric EQB SUV: 

Under Armour, Nike, Urban Outfitters

Also in November 2022, Sanders announced an NIL deal with Under Armour, which gave him his own jersey: 

But his deal with Under Armour lasted less than two years. Before he started his 2024-25 season with the Buffs, he signed an apparel and shoe deal with Nike. The signing was especially unique, as it came nearly 30 years after his father, Deion, signed a deal of his own with the shoe giant. 

MORE NFL

I would want to build on it,” Sanders said of building on his father’s Nike brand and legacy. “I want to build on it, have like a different version. But I think concept, because I feel like it’s more … like now, like just looking at life and looking at everything, it’s more about generational. It’s more about what could be passed down year after year after year after year rather than everybody starting to think they’re whole new wave … because there’s no real substance behind it. Everything that’s great has to have a story behind it.”

Sanders, along with LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Penn State’s Drew Allar and UCLA’s Chase Griffin, also inked an NIL deal with Urban Outfitters. 

Topps 

Sanders also has a deal with Topps trading cards:

Google

In November 2023, Sanders appeared in an ad with his younger brother, Shilo Sanders for a Google TV ad: 

Polo

Just a couple weeks before the draft, Sanders dropped an ad for Polo 67, a cologne scent: 

Other NIL deals 

Sanders also has other NIL with various companies, such as: 

• 5430 Alliance 
• Actively Black 
• PLB Sports
• Oikos Yogurt
• KFC

Shedeur Sanders net worth

Obviously there’s a ton of ambiguity in terms of what is actually correct regarding his net worth. His aforementioned NIL valuation is  $6.5 million, but one outlet reported his net worth to be between $2 and 4 million, as of Dec. 2024.