After a college football career spent dominating defenses, former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is already making waves in the endorsement game ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. As he awaits his professional destination, the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year has wasted no time penning an exclusive autographed trading card deal.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders Inks Debut Deal With Trading Card Giant Panini
One of the most recognizable faces in college football for the past two seasons due to his famous father and exceptional play, Sanders has made himself a highly marketable commodity. On Wednesday morning, Panini America announced that it had secured Sanders’ first professional deal through its line of Panini NFL products.
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner will feature on Panini’s Instant Card platform and will also be involved in marketing with the trading card company throughout what will certainly be the first of many endorsements.
“This partnership with Panini is a great fit for me, and it seemed so natural that it just made sense,” said Sanders via a Panini press release. “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.”
While Sanders will autograph exclusive trading cards and appear in Panini marketing campaigns, the deal is far from one-way. The trading card giant will work on a number of undisclosed initiatives close to the Colorado quarterback’s heart.
“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.”
While the exclusive deal with Panini marks Sanders’ first professional endorsement, he’s no stranger to marketing his football ability and well-known family name.
Some of his deals during his time with the Buffaloes include some of the biggest names in multiple markets, such as Nike, Beats by Dre, and Under Armor, contributing to an estimated NIL valuation of $6.5 million, according to On3.com.
An exclusive deal with Panini is fitting for a quarterback with one of the more unique journeys in the 2025 NFL Draft class. After playing high school football at Trinity Leadership, he followed his father, head coach, and renowned Hall of Famer Deion Sanders to the Jackson State Tigers, putting up impressive numbers at the FCS level.
When “Coach Prime” made the switch to Colorado, Sanders followed suit, regularly making eye-popping plays in his first season at the FBS level despite a difficult season overall for the Buffaloes. In 2024, he carried the program to a 9-4 record, an AP Top 25 ranking, and an Alamo Bowl berth while earning conference and national honors.
During his college career, Sanders threw for 7,364 yards, completing 71.8% of his pass attempts while throwing 64 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions. He led the Big 12 in completions, attempts, completion percentage, touchdown passes, passing yards per attempt, and passing yards per game on his way to an eighth-place Heisman vote.
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While draft projections are mixed right now, Sanders appears set to be a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless of where he’s picked and which team he plays for, the former Colorado quarterback is already showcasing his marketability with his first exclusive partnership ahead of the NFL’s annual selection event.
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