Former NFL MVP's Expert Take On Shedeur Sanders Ahead Of Signing His Rookie Contract

Sanders gets a boost from from NFL MVP Kurt Warner before his signed his first professional contract.

Shedeur Sanders Signs Rookie Contract | Credit: NFLPA

Former Jackson State and Colorado University quarterback Shedeur Sanders signed his rookie contract with Cleveland. His rookie deal is four years and $4,647,380, including a $447,380 guaranteed signing bonus. Sanders' 2025 base salary is $840,000, while his average annual compensation is $ 1.16 M.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant. Yet, he signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension this weekend. Proving that no matter where you were drafted, if you play well, the NFL will eventually have to pay you your worth.

Before today's contract signing, the narrative was that Shedeur Sanders wasn't an NFL quarterback. He lacked the intellect and arm strength to connect with professional receivers. He wasn't athletic enough to escape sacks outside of the pocket. However, at the Browns' rookie minicamp, Sanders quickly put to rest those negative storylines. Didn't he?

Are we being lied to about Shedeur Sanders? And, Why?   

After several years of covering NFL football, head coaches viewed players like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers as being among the top tier of quarterbacks Why? They were recognized for their ability to lead by example, minimize turnovers, and maintain accuracy, particularly during crucial game moments. Leadership. Caretakers. Accurate.

"My evaluation, [Shedeur Sanders] was the most accurate quarterback I thought in this draft," two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl Champion Kurt Warner said to Jim Rome. "When he sets his feet, when he's comfortable in the pocket, and he delivers the football, the ball goes where he wants it to go. And, you know, this was a quarterback that was asked, to have to win football games for his team. I don't think that can be overstated is that, you know, you go to a team, it's a really good team, and you become a complimentary piece."

Before Sanders departed from college, he became the all-time most accurate quarterback in NCAA Division I history, having completed 71.8% of his passes at Jackson State and Colorado.   

Warner also noted on Sanders: "But to be asked to win games for your team, to have to go out there and throw the ball every single week for your team to be successful, and that's with an offensive line that struggled over the last couple of years. I think there is a lot to like about Sanders."

Warner is a definitive expert at the quarterback position after taking multiple teams to Super Bowls and winning the MVP Trophy twice, so why did Shedeur Sanders fall in the Draft?

"He wasn't a fifth-round prospect in my opinion. But, again, I'm going solely off of tape. What I know off of tape, I thought he put some really, really good things on tape, and I'm excited to see how this Cleveland quarterback room plays out."

Did the National Football League deliver a message to Sanders, his family, and millions of fans, or overplay their hand? The debates will linger into summer's training camp. Was he worth a first-, second-, third-, and fourth-round draft selection in the 2025 NFL Draft? Cleveland had several chances to acquire Sanders with higher draft picks until finally using their 144th overall draft choice in the fifth round to land him.  

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Warner said, "Watch the tape." Sanders was comfortable and surgically maneuvered through the scaled-back offensive plays at the Cleveland Browns' rookie minicamp two weekends ago. More importantly, he did not record a turnover.  

A majority of the reporters who attended and videos supported how impressive the former Jackson State quarterback was in seven-on-seven and red zone drills.    

While others preferred the velocity and lively ball thrown by the Browns' third-round pick, Dillon Gabriel. Both players are solidly positioned in the competition for the starting job in the upcoming training camp. However, each must contend with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

The bottom line for Sanders and Gabriel:  Earn a spot on the Cleveland 53-man roster. When the horn blows and summer training camp breaks at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, Sanders must prove all doubters, naysayers, and "anonymous" coaches wrong before the season kicks off in September.

For now, it's just the beginning. Will Sanders be on the field or holding a helmet in Week 1 as the Browns host Joey Burrow and the Bengals?

We shall see.

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