The wait is over — Shedeur Sanders is headed to Cleveland.
But the slide cost him dearly.
Had he been a top-three pick, which was once seen as a near-guarantee for the former Colorado quarterback, Sanders was in line to make at least $45 million on his rookie deal.
Now, after being picked in the fifth round at No. 144 by the Browns, Sanders is in line to make just $4 million guaranteed, a mountainous $40 million-plus drop, per Front Office Sports.
Even after the shocking free fall, Sanders took to social media to celebrate his selection shortly after the news broke on Saturday.
Sanders also dancing with his family and friends after finally landing with a team.
“Thank you GOD,” Sanders wrote on X.
Sanders joins Dillion Gabriel, who was drafted in the third round by the Browns, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in Cleveland’s quarterback room.
The Browns took Gabriel, the former Oregon star, in the third round with the 94th overall pick.
Sanders was the sixth signal-caller off the board in the 2025 draft after consistently being pegged as the first- or second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s class alongside Cam Ward, who went No. 1 to the Titans.
Some teams, including the Giants, who were rumored to be in the mix for Sanders before pivoting to Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart, reportedly got a bad impression during the pre-draft process.
The Giants traded up to land Carter with the No. 25 pick in the first round Thursday night.