The 2025 NFL Draft is getting grimmer than you can expect for Shedeur Sanders. Thursday was supposed to be a night of celebration. A crowning moment for Deion Sanders and his son after all the hype, the Combine talk, the jersey retirement, and all. Instead, it’s turning into a cold, hard reality check.

All 32 teams have already picked their players. But Shedeur Sanders, once projected as a potential top-10 lock, didn’t hear his name called. Not when the Cleveland Browns gave their No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Travis Hunter, not when the New York Giants locked in Abdul Carter at No. 3, not even when Pittsburgh was sitting there at No. 21. The Steelers instead picked a defensive player in Derrick Harmon. So you know, Day 1 has turned into a nightmare the Sanders didn’t anticipate.

You can only imagine the ‘I told you so’ narrative that awaits Shedeur Sanders after all the hype surrounding Day 1 comes crumbling down. An X post by Darren Rovell on April 24 just rubbed salt in the already open wound—“After not getting taken at No. 21, Shedeur Sanders has now lost $30 million vs being taken No. 1.” Of course, this snub doesn’t necessarily mean the former Buffs QB will have a hard time in the NFL. But it’s going to take a toll on his potential earnings. 

The draft development lingers as one of the biggest blows to Shedeur Sanders’ football career. And his pro league income. $30M. Give or take. You see, first-round selections earn significantly more than the subsequent picks in Days 2 and 3. According to Spotrac, the No. 1 overall pick’s contract value in this year’s draft sits at $43 million, with nearly $8 million guaranteed in Year 1. Now, sliding down to the last pick of Day 1, the 32nd overall pick drops to just $13.3 million, which is a massive drop. But in this biggest turnover in 2025, his earnings will even drop lower than that. 

Some analysts have already seen this coming for Shedeur Sanders. Just a day before draft night, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports made a brutal prediction—“I think that there’s a very good chance that [Shedeur Sanders] is not selected on Thursday night.” If he were, he would’ve been the first QB in Colorado football history to get drafted to the NFL on Day 1. But as the New York Giants’ trade up to No. 25 saw them pick Jaxson Dart instead of him, he was just laughing off the humiliation in his draft room. Yeah, there will be grudges for sure, but the revenge plan is usually the highest motivating factor. And similar things have happened in the past too. 

Shedeur Sanders has a strong support system

Shedeur’s draft stock saw a lot of ups and downs over the months, with some anonymous critics calling him “entitled,” “arrogant,” and the like. But this is not the end of a career that’s just beginning. And Shedeur Sanders got the support system many can only dream of.

Deion Sanders Jr. took a screenshot of his X post with his signature quote—“The REJECTED WILL BE RESPECTED”—and posted it on Instagram via welloffforever. And the post garnered several encouraging comments, including one from former NFL QB Michael Vick’s brother. “Just like they did Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers. All will be well. 🤞🏽🙏🏿,” Marcus Vick wrote. 

You remember Lamar Jackson’s 2018 NFL Draft night? Despite a strong season at Louisville, he nearly fell out of the first round with wild doubts about his future. The Baltimore Ravens made the biggest steal by selecting him with the 32nd pick. Then he went on to become a 2x NFL MVP and became one of the best dual-threat QBs at just 28. Same with Aaron Rodgers, who fell to the No. 24th pick to the Green Bay Packers. He waited a long 4 hours and 35 minutes to hear his name called. Rodgers also mentioned that his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, would regret passing on him. And boy, they did. He became a Super Bowl winner and has four NFL MVP awards. 

So yeah, Shedeur Sanders’ tumble stings, and his financial scope took a hit. But history’s got a funny way of rewarding the patient. If he lands in the right situation, he might just be the one laughing last.