Stafford accepts mentor role with Ty Simpson
Veteran QB Matthew Stafford is entering a new chapter as a mentor, guiding rookie quarterback Ty Simpson through his early NFL experiences while balancing leadership on and off the field.
Shedule Sanders signed a four-year contract worth approximately $4.65 million after being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
According to Spotrac, Sanders earned just under $1.3 million in cash as a rookie and has an average annual value (AAV) of $1.16 million, but his first season totals ended up well above that mark.
Sanders received more than $17.7 million in “royalties/player marketing” from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) between May 2025 and February 2026. The numbers were revealed in the NFLPA’s annual report filed this week with the Department of Labor.
Sanders’ proceeds were paid into his limited liability company SS2Legendary in 13 installments. His largest payment, totaling more than $9.2 million, was made on May 16, 2025, just 20 days after he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
All of Sanders’ income listed in the report comes from group licensing deals, which Front Office Sports said “include deals involving six or more players, most typically jerseys, trading cards, video games and other collectibles.”
According to Front Office Sports, the “player marketing” portion of the revenue comes from “appearance and hospitality promotions.”
The numbers reported by the NFLPA do not take into account Sanders’ individual endorsement deals with companies such as Gatorade and Beats by Dre.
Sanders’ $17.7 million in group licensing revenue is nearly double the previous record earned by an NFL player. Tom Brady earned $9.5 million during the 2021-22 NFL season, according to Department of Labor records outlining payments to TEB Capital Management.
