Fans plot NFL merchandise boycott after Shedeur Sanders $40m draft slide – and it could make him millions
The Cleveland Browns stopped Shedeur Sanders' unprecedented NFL Draft free fall when they traded up to secure him in the fifth round.
Coming off the 2024 college football season, the Colorado Buffaloes prospect was widely expected to be a first-round pick, but was still on the board come Day 3.
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Then, with the 144th pick, the Browns finally ended his all-time slide.
Sanders will soon realize his dream and play in the NFL, and that, to him, is no doubt the most important thing.
But after sliding through the ranks, his story will no doubt dominate the build-up to the 2025 season.
Television analysts, fans and sports journalists alike all struggled to make sense of the situation as team after team snubbed Shedeur in what has become one of the most talked about drafts in recent memory.
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Fans also shared their confusion as a 25-year-old prospect was stunningly drafted before Sanders.
Some argued that his attitude had been off-putting to NFL franchises, while others like Stephen A. Smith suggested Sanders was being kept out of the league 'like Colin Kaepernick all over again.'
Amid that claim, a number of fans have pledged to boycott Shedeur's official NFL jerseys, and instead purchase merchandise exclusively from his official website in a show of support that could make him millions.
"Shoutout to Shedeur Sanders for making it to the Cleveland Browns, but guess what, we are not supporting the NFL for the way they tried to play with you," one TikTok user, who has gone viral with nearly 500,000 views, said.
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"Any merch that this young man drops, we are buying it from him. We are not buying no jersey with his name on the back.
"Anything Shedeur drops, we're buying it directly from him, from his page… If the Browns come to a city near you, and you want to support him, go shop on his website."
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The video was shared across multiple social media platforms, with other fans pledging to buy from Shedeur's own clothing line.
"I like the sentiment," one person wrote on X.
"The power of the Internet and community," another said.
"Now this is beautiful. Bro has real motion," a third wrote.
Despite a call to action, it seems the potential boycott has not caused any issues for the NFL.
According to a list published by the league on Monday, Shedeur already has the third-highest selling jersey from this year's draft.
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Only No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, and ex-Buffaloes teammate Travis Hunter, who went second, have outsold him so far.
Still, some fans continue to accuse the NFL of 'blackballing' Sanders, who has already missed out on plenty of money after slipping deep into the draft.
Per Spotrac, he is expected to sign a , which is more than $40m less than this year's top picks.
Ahead of the draft, Sanders was tipped by many to be taken third overall by the New York Giants.
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Instead, they opted for Abdul Carter, who will make $45.1m over four years with a $29.5m signing bonus.
Hunter went second overall and will earn $46.5m under his rookie deal, with a $30m signing bonus.
Ward, who was the No. 1 pick, is set to earn $48.7m -- a deal that dwarfs Shedeur's $4.6m contract.
In fact Sanders, who had the biggest profile heading into the draft, earned more in one year at Colorado thanks to his Name, Image and likeness (NIL) endorsements.
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Thanks to brand deals with the likes of Nike, Gatorade, Beats by Dre and Google, his 2024 value was estimated at $6.5m.
With some fans pledging to only buy his own merchandise, Sanders could be set to bring in millions of dollars via that stream, to top up his rookie salary.
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