31/05/2026
📺 may still be fighting to define his role on the field, but off it, the quarterback has already made history.
Sanders earned a record $17.7 million in NFLPA group licensing income during the 2025 season, according to reporting cited from the NFLPA's annual filing. The figure shattered the previous known record held by , who earned $9.5 million through NFLPA licensing and marketing deals for the fiscal year ending February 2022.
The massive payout is especially notable because Sanders entered the league as a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
After months of speculation that he could be selected much earlier, Sanders fell to No. 144 overall before being drafted by the Browns. His rookie contract reflected that slide: a four-year deal worth roughly $4.65 million, including a $447,380
signing bonus and an average annual salary of about $1.16 million.
That means Sanders reportedly made nearly four times more from NFLPA group licensing in one season than the total value of his entire rookie contract. NFLPA group licensing income comes from commercial products that use player names, images and likenesses through the union's licensing arm. That can include jerseys, trading cards, apparel, collectibles, video games and other licensed merchandise. Pro Football Talk noted when Brady set the previous mark that these figures reter to deals through the union, including jersey and trading-card sales.
