Shedeur Sanders and Quinn Ewers were viewed as two of the best quarterbacks in college football heading into this past season, with many viewing them as candidates to be top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for both quarterbacks, their decisions this offseason cost them millions of dollars apiece.
Sanders, viewed as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick just a few months ago, cost himself upwards of $40 million. As noted by Front Office Sports, the difference between the contract for a top-three pick ($45 million) versus the 144th overall pick ($4 million) cost the 23-year-old dearly.
Related: Why Shedeur Sanders slipped in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Shedeur Sanders stats (ESPN): 4,134 passing yards, 37-10 TD-INT, 74% completion rate, 8.7 yards per attempt, 168.2 QB rating, 4 rushing touchdowns
Sanders played well in his final season with the Colorado Buffaloes. The 6-foot-1 quarterback won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and set personal highs in passing yards (4,134), yards per attempt (8.7) and completion rate (74 percent). Many analysts rated him as a first-round talent, with a projected 2025 NFL Draft range from the third overall pick to the 21st overall pick.
However, Sanders’ decision during the pre-draft process crushed him. He didn’t participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, only taking part in interviews. During those meetings with teams, many clubs found him to be arrogant and entitled, with some suggesting he acted as if he was above playing for some franchises and those who criticized him didn’t deserve to have him as their starting quarterback.
For a quarterback who the majority of teams believed lacked a high ceiling as a starter, in large part because of average physical tools, Sanders slid to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Ewers fell even further, but his decision came right before the pre-draft process.
Related: Mel Kiper Jr. loses his mind over Shedeur Sanders’ draft slide
- Quinn Ewers stats (ESPN): 3,472 passing yards, 65.8% completion rate, 7.8 yards per attempt, 31-12 TD-INT, 2 rushing touchdowns, 149.0 QB rating
While Ewers couldn’t have returned as the Texas Longhorns starting quarterback next season, with Arch Manning taking over the job, he had other offers. Specifically, per Horns247, Ewers turned down an $8 million NIL transfer offer from another Power 4 program.
Instead, Ewers took his chances in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, following a season rocked by inconsistency and playing through injuries, he wasn’t selected until the 231st overall pick by the Miami Dolphins. Instead of making more than $4 million in 2025 alone, Ewers will be trying to make the Dolphins’ roster as a third-string quarterback and he’ll have to stick around for four seasons to earn $4.3 million total.
