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NIL Leader Shedeur Sanders Signs Exclusive Trading Card Deal Ahead of NFL Draft

Former Colorado star quarterback Shedeur Sanders joins former teammate Travis Hunter with Panini America partnership.

Michael Ehrlich

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field.
Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Ahead of the NFL draft -- where he is expected to be among the top players selected -- Colorado quarterback and NIL powerhouse Shedeur Sanders has added an exclusive partnership to his diverse portfolio.

The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year has signed an exclusive autographed trading card agreement with sports and entertainment collectibles company Panini America, the official trading card partner of the NFL.

As part of the new deal, Sanders will be featured across Panini NFL products, including their Instant Card platform.

Panini's partnership with the former Colorado signal caller follows their announcement of Heisman Trophy winner and Sanders' teammate Travis Hunter joining the brand.

The duo are the most polarizing players in this year's NFL draft.

“This partnership with Panini is a great fit for me and it seemed so natural that it just made sense,” said Sanders. “As a kid, I grew up watching my dad sign Panini trading cards – to know that I’m now going to have my own Panini trading cards and that kids are going to want to collect mine, is a blessing.”

As the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner -- given to the best upperclassman quarterback in college football -- Sanders threw for a school-record 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns for the Buffaloes this past season, while leading the nation with a 74% completion rate.

“We are proud to have Shedeur joining our team of exclusive athletes at Panini,” said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations at Panini America. “He is an exciting player whom we have enjoyed getting to know, and we look forward to sharing his products with fans and collectors. Shedeur has a very unique perspective and we look forward to working with him to bring some of the key initiatives important to him to life.”

One of the most prolific NIL athletes off the field, Sanders counts Nike, Beats by Dre, Google and Urban Outfitters among his many brand partners.

The NFL draft kicks off from the Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field on April 24.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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