The NFL draft pick story of Deion Sanders and his youngest son 36 years apart is intriguing. People were high on Shedeur Sanders as potentially one of the top players off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. Well, he was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, completing over 70 percent of his passes in his final college football season. Sure, some folks had him potentially sliding down to even round two. But his unexpected draft slide all the way down to the fifth round is a storyline no one really saw coming. Still, the Colorado Buffaloes HC remains grateful with a heart brimming with pride for his Cleveland Browns QB son. 

In a new Instagram post on May 20, Deion Sanders posted a photo of him and Shedeur side by side with their rookie NFL contract numbers. In the caption, he tagged his son and wrote — “Proud Father I am!! I love my kids and I pushed my kids to be greater to be better to correct my wrongs & magnify my rights. My kids are built for whatever comes their way. We’re prepared for whatever because I got them no matter what!. Thank you Jesus.” That’s raw Coach Prime with unconditional love and support for his kids. 

Just imagine. In the 1989 NFL Draft, the No. 5 pick got a $4.4 million NFL contract. Yeah, when the Atlanta Falcons drafted Deion Sanders in the first round, they offered him a $400,000 contract. But that number didn’t tempt him, and it led to him demanding an $11 million figure. In the end, the two sides came to an agreement in the summer where he accepted a 5-year contract that would pay him $4.4 million in salary and bonuses. 

Meanwhile, for Shedeur Sanders, while his slide is significant, the numbers are still similar, even higher than Deion Sanders’ first-round contract. Even at No. 144 pick, he signed a rookie deal of $4.6 million, a 4-year contract with the Browns with a base salary of $840,000, along with a signing bonus of $447,380. For comparison’s sake, the value of $4.4 million in 1989 is approximately $10.5 million in 2025. How time flies and things change. But there could be a silver lining for Shedeur amidst this draft setback. 

How Deion Sanders’ son could benefit from the draft slide

As much as Deion Sanders is hyping his son with the ‘built for adversity’ narrative, Shedeur Sanders’ challenge is only just about to begin. Being drafted is one thing, but winning the Browns’ QB job is a whole different challenge. He’s walking into a room with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Oregon product Dillon Gabriel. So it’s not exactly a cakewalk. He’ll have to fight harder for this job than he ever did at Colorado. 

Still, there’s an upside to going late, and that’s no fifth-year option. This means Shedeur Sanders could hit free agency before most of his first-round peers, possibly even before getting franchise-tagged. First-round picks have fifth-year options on their contracts. Although the options are fully guaranteed with position-based values, their pay is much less than what a player can demand and earn as a free agent in the open market based on their reputation. It’s a slower start, but maybe a quicker route to filling the bag. As former NFL star Cam Newton said, “The real generational money comes in your second NFL contract.” And it’s going to depend on how he carries himself over the next four years. 

At the end of the day, Deion Sanders paved the way to the NFL back in the day. And Shedeur Sanders is carving his path with a little help from dad and a whole lot of expectation. We’ll see if he can turn that $4.6 million into a franchise.