The last time an NFL player broke the group licensing income record, since the NFLPA began documenting it with the Department of Labor, Tom Brady became the first player ever to cross the $4 million mark. But fast forward to now, and Brady has been dethroned by Cleveland Browns quarterback  Shedeur Sanders, who not only shattered Brady’s record but also pushed the number into double digits.

Front Office Sports recently reported that Sanders earned a record-breaking $17.7 million in group licensing income over the past season through his LLC, SS2Legendary.

Group licensing includes deals involving six or more players, typically covering jerseys, trading cards, video games, and other collectibles. The NFLPA then distributes royalties from those sales to players. At the same time, however, group licensing does not include individual endorsement deals, such as Shedeur’s partnerships with Gatorade, Delta Air Lines, Ralph Lauren, and Beats by Dre.

But if those individual endorsement deals are included as well, the Cleveland Browns quarterback earned more than $20 million in off-field income over the past season, far exceeding his NFL average annual salary of $1.005 million. That is why these earnings carry significant weight for the second-year quarterback.

After all, group licensing income is usually dominated by top draft picks and established stars. Take the 2024-25 season, for instance, when Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, led all players with $4 million. But Shedeur fell from being a projected first-round pick to an eventual fifth-rounder in last year’s draft.

Still, even before he took a professional snap in the league, his popularity was already evident. Within the first week after the Browns drafted him, Shedeur led the rookies in jersey sales, surpassing top round picks Cam Ward and Travis Hunter. And now, he has surpassed Tom Brady in off-field earnings in a single season.

Brady led all the NFL players in off-field earnings when he earned about $9.5 million during the 2021-2022 season under his T.E.B Capital Management LLC. He was followed by Patrick Mahomes with $3.3 million through his 2PM, LLC company, followed by a mysterious player under MMBOC LLC at $3.3 million, Zach Wilson at $1.9 million, and Aaron Rodgers at $1.8 million.

Now, with Shedeur Sanders leading all NFL players, he sits far ahead of the player who claimed the second spot in the 2025-26 season rankings.

Travis Hunter and Patrick Mahomes follow Shedeur Sanders in off-field earnings

Rookies leading the NFL in off-field earnings have become a growing trend in recent years. This season was no different. And while Shedeur Sanders topped all players on the list, his former teammate and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Travis Hunter secured the second spot.

Per Front Office Sports, an LLC called TIPENTERPRISE generated $12.8 million in group licensing income, which is also higher than Tom Brady’s record from the 2021-22 season. According to reports, the LLC belongs to Hunter. Besides Sanders and Hunter, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes claimed the third spot under his LLC, 2PM, earning more than $8 million.

A couple of seasons ago, the three-time Super Bowl champion led all players with $3.6 million during the 2023-24 season, followed by Travis Kelce at $2.4 million. This year, however, Kelce failed to crack the top five, as Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan generated $4.5 million under his LLC, NALO Enterprise, to claim the fourth spot.

Last but not least, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rounded out the top five, earning $4.3 million through his LLC, SBQB. That said, whether Shedeur Sanders would be able to reclaim his spot next season will be worth watching