The fifth-round pick shattered Tom Brady’s licensing record, amassing $17.7 million. Now, Cleveland’s polarizing playmaker hopes to leverage that massive off-field hype to secure the starting job.
Games are won on the football field, but players have an entirely different game to play off it. Sponsorship deals, advertising and media appearances are just the tip of the iceberg for opportunities for endorsements and other branding agreements that can net a large sum of additional income for players.
The same is true for the sale of memorabilia featuring their likeness or information. Jersey sales, cards, collectibles and more. Licensing sales are a key way for players to continue gaining income outside of their contracts.
Per Front Office Sports, the player to benefit most from licensing sales was Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Not only did he earn more than anyone in the league in 2025, but his $17.7 million in earnings is the most in NFL history.
Sanders has been a lightning rod for sales, conversation and media since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 class after an unprecedented fall from being a top-five selection as expected. While the off-field funds are nice, he's now trying to turn that fifth-round investment into a starting role.
For more on the Browns' quarterback battle and where things set for Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel, Browns Roundtable writer Spencer German has a look from Organized Team Activities.
As he battles for positioning among a not-so-inspiring Browns quarterback room, Sanders is shattering records held by all-time greats.
His $17.7 million in licensing earnings shattered the previous record held by all-time leader in NFL passing yards, touchdowns and completions: quarterback Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer also holds the record for most Super Bowl wins, so no longer holding the standard for the sales of jerseys and other memorabilia won't be leading to any lost sleep, but it's an impressive mark for second-year passer Sanders to etch his name in the same class of fan influence and hype as an all-world player.
Sanders wasn't the only player to surpass Brady's record. Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter did so as well, piling up $12.8 million in sales himself in 2025, second-most behind Sanders. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes followed with $8 million.
