The NFL’s favorite rookie debate is back. Well, it never really left, but now there’s a fresh twist. Shedeur Sanders just signed his rookie contract. And as expected, the paycheck isn’t exactly raining cash for him. Once the first-ever college player to land a deal with Nike, Shedeur’s rookie contract feels more like a reality check than a payday.  On the other hand, his path to the QB1 spot is also not wide open, with competition heating up and veteran insiders tipping the scales elsewhere. So, what’s the latest in the Shedeur Sanders saga? Here’s the full scoop.

On Monday, the Colorado product officially signed his rookie deal with the Cleveland Browns. The team signed him to a four-year contract worth $4.6 million. Now, it’s been discussed enough how the QB lost out somewhere in the range of $40M because of his draft slip. If Shedeur had gone in the first round like many expected, he’d be looking at a contract paying him around $5.1 million a year. But after his draft stock took a serious hit and he got picked much later, the Browns rookie QB now would make somewhere around $952K annually. Do the math, and that’s a difference of over $4 million every single year. Yes, $5.1M minus $952K equalling roughly $4.15M in potential earnings every year… gone, just like that. 

Sanders losing out on what could have been top grade rookie money once again takes us back to his draft debate. Like many pointed out, Shedeur’s draft slide wasn’t just about stats or tape. Back in April, Hall of Famer Cris Carter hit a nerve when he said Shedeur’s interview process “could have been a lot better.” According to Carter, a lot of folks left those meetings thinking Sanders came off as “very, very entitled.” And in the NFL, the perception sticks.

That $4 million drop isn’t the only bump in the road for Shedeur. The prospects of him being the starting QB for the team aren’t looking too sunny either.

Insider take on Shedeur Sanders’ QB1 odds

The Cleveland Browns’ QB room is a little too crowded. The team has four quarterbacks competing for the QB1 spot. They also have Deshaun Watson, but he is more likely to miss the entire season or at least half of it because of his Achilles injury. As this year’s draft choices showed, the Browns are probably not planning to keep Watson around for long anyway. That leaves veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, battling each other for the starting position.

Now, as per a report by Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, the team is holding two passing practice sessions during their team activities, minicamp. And possibly even training camp to decide the QB1 for the season. According to Cabot, the Browns will be splitting practice drills into two groups. Pickett and Gabriel will be working mostly as the top two QBs. And Flacco and Sanders will be practicing as the third and fourth QBs.

The Browns insider claims that for now, Pickett seems to be leading the race to be the starting QB. “He’ll take the initial first-team reps in OTAs and probably the mandatory minicamp. And it seems like it’s his job to try to keep for now,” writes Cabot. Cleveland acquired Kenny in March in a trade with the defending champions, Philly. The veteran QB didn’t get much time on the field last season, playing only 5 games. In those games, Pickett threw for 291 yards and two TDs. The 26-year-old is hopeful that with the Browns, he’ll finally get a real chance to be the starting QB. That leaves Shedeur’s chances of becoming the QB1 pretty uncertain.

Well, it looks like Shedeur Sanders’ challenges aren’t over yet. From slipping in the draft to a low-paying contract and now facing tough competition in the Browns’ QB room, the Colorado alum definitely has a lot to fight for.