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Former Vikings DE Jim Marshall Dies At 87

June 3rd, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Marshall, whose ironman streak remains the standard for NFL defenders, has died. He was 87. The Vikings announced the longtime defensive end’s passing. Marshall had been hospitalized for a lengthy period, according to the team.

Minnesota rostered Marshall for 19 of his 20 NFL seasons, acquiring the historically durable pass rusher in the franchise’s first year of existence (1961) and using him as a starter until his age-42 campaign in 1979. Marshall was part of the Vikings’ famed Purple People Eaters defensive line, one housing Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller. Marshall has not joined those two standouts in Canton, but his run of starts is unrivaled among defensive players.

It took Brett Favre‘s streak to knock Marshall’s run of 282 straight games from the top of the NFL ranks. Marshall logged 270 consecutive starts for the Vikings, a run that also included 19 playoff games. Favre did not eclipse it until the first month of his Vikings career, in 2009.

“The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall. No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man,” Vikings Zygi Wilf said in a statement. “A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim’s unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career.”

The Vikings did not draft Marshall, obtaining him from the Browns via trade in 1961. Marshall started seven games for Paul Brown‘s team as a rookie fourth-round pick out of Ohio State, and the Kentucky native made an immediate mark with the Vikings by taking over as a full-timer in his first game. He did so despite arriving barely a week before the 1961 season. Marshall predated Eller’s arrival by three years and Page’s by six, yet he outlasted both with the team. The Vikings voyaged to four Super Bowls between 1969 and 1976; Marshall was on the field for each. While accolades on the level of Page and Eller did not come his way, Marshall played an integral role — both from a performance and leadership standpoint — in helping Bud Grant‘s team field formidable defenses for many years.

Sacks did not become official until 1982, but retroactive work on the part of Pro-Football-Reference credits the ironman D-end with 130.5. When pre-sack-era unofficial totals are grouped with modern-day numbers, Marshall’s total is tied for 22nd in NFL history. Marshall, Page, Eller and defensive tackle Gary Larsen comprised the primary Purple People Eaters front, one that powered the Vikings to those Super Bowls along with Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. The Vikings fielded a top-three defense seven times from 1969-76.

Marshall earned Pro Bowl honors in 1968 and ’69, the latter year doubling as Minnesota’s first Super Bowl trip — one made before the team reacquired Tarkenton from the Giants. Marshall is credited with 14 sacks, earning him a second-team All-Pro nod, in 1969. Marshall, of course, is also remembered for a 1964 play in which he recovered a fumble and sprinted the wrong way into the end zone for a 66-yard safety. While the Vikings won that game over the 49ers, it lives on to this day. Though, Marshall did plenty to balance out that gaffe during a two-decade career.

Among defenders, only Bruce Smith is within 15 starts of Marshall in NFL history. Darrell Green‘s 295 total games have Marshall’s number topped, but the Hall of Fame cornerback is nearly 20 starts behind the revered Viking. No active defender has a realistic shot at eclipsing Marshall’s 277 career starts, and only five offensive players — Tom Brady, Favre, Bruce Matthews, Drew Brees and Jerry Rice — have that number beat.

Kenny Pickett Holds Early Lead In Browns’ QB Competition; Dillon Gabriel Next In Line?

May 27th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Roughly two months remain until training camp, and minicamp is still weeks away. But the Browns’ quarterback competition will begin to take shape at OTAs, which started today.

A player the Eagles did not deem a priority, as Tanner McKee is set to move into their QB2 role, is expected to take the first reps with the starters at OTAs. Kenny Pickett indeed will enter Cleveland’s on-field voluntary work receiving the first crack in the starting role, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes.

Pickett starter buzz, despite his quick Pittsburgh exit and uninspiring Philadelphia stay, has picked up recently. OTAs do not provide any padded reps, but they are certainly part of the conversation. The Browns have one of the more complicated quarterback situations in many years, especially considering the Deshaun Watson component, and Pickett is suddenly a key presence after effectively hovering off the radar at Eagles OTAs last year.

[RELATED: Who Will Lead Browns In 2025 QB Starts?]

Affirming Pickett will see the first work at OTAs, Cabot offered an update that Dillon Gabriel is likely set to be the second QB in this mix. Kevin Stefanski recently said Browns QB reps will not be doled out equally this offseason, and the May and June work will be important here. Training camp does not offer a setup where a four-man QB competition can realistically be conducted, due to time constraints, so it is certainly possible one member of this mix will be eliminated from a realistic starter path by that point. Through this lens, Gabriel’s OTA status becomes more noteworthy.

The Browns prioritized Gabriel in the draft, ranking him ahead of Jalen Milroe and new teammate Shedeur Sanders. GM Andrew Berry deemed the six-year college QB a better fit compared to Sanders; of course, that was before the team then circled back to the freefalling Colorado passer in Round 5. While ownership making its stance known re: Sanders is certainly possible, he is part of the competition along with Pickett, Gabriel and Joe Flacco. Sanders’ status also will overshadow Gabriel, who is in the historically strange position of seeing a QB drafted later by his own team dwarf his popularity.

Viewed as a Day 3 pick, Gabriel — who started at Oregon, Oklahoma and Central Florida — went off the board 50 spots before Sanders. Going at No. 94, the 5-foot-11 prospect appeared a handpicked option — whereas Sanders profiled as a value play. Sanders’ presence complicates Gabriel’s Cleveland future, but for now, the two-year Buffaloes starter resides in the background in Cleveland. He and Flacco, in some order, are set to enter OTAs in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, Cabot offers. The Browns guaranteed Flacco $3MM, while cutting Pickett (and seeing no team claim him) would bring a $2.6MM cost.

All four will receive plenty of reps during OTAs, as concurrent QB drills will commence, but the team will need to make a plan for training camp. Team work once in training camp will begin to shape the competition ahead of the regular season, with the preseason providing the final evaluations. Teams rarely carry four passers on a 53-man roster, though it is not unprecedented. That said, the Browns either keeping all four or presenting a roster with two rookie draftees on the final 53 would mark a rare occurrence.

Watson’s status will still be worth monitoring, as he has resumed throwing, but the trade bust is not viewed as part of the current competition. His second Achilles tear is expected to lead to a placement on the reserve/PUP list, after residing on the active/PUP list (a camp-only designation) while the other four QBs vie to replace him as Cleveland’s starter. Even though Flacco and Sanders are bigger names than Pickett and Gabriel, the latter contingent appears to have the upper hand early.

Browns Sign First-Round DT Mason Graham

May 27th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns’ top pick from last month’s draft is now on the books. Defensive tackle Mason Graham agreed to terms on his rookie deal this morning.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes the pact is worth a total of $40.87MM over four years. That figure is guaranteed in full. Graham will be under team control through at least 2028, but the Browns will be able to extend that via the fifth-year option.

One of the defining characteristics of the 2025 draft was the strength of its defensive tackle class. In a year which saw five interior defenders selected on Day 1, though, it came as no surprise Graham was the first to hear his name called. The Michigan product was long seen as one of the top prospects – based on his floor in terms of production but also upside – at any position during the pre-draft process.

The Browns began the opening round of the draft with the No. 2 pick, leading to a widespread expectation they would select Travis Hunter. The Heisman winner did in fact come off the board at that spot, but only after Cleveland traded the pick to Jacksonville. That swap (which had been agreed to well before the start of the draft) moved the Browns down to No. 5 in the order. With Hunter, along with Cam Ward (Titans), Abdul Carter (Giants) and Will Campbell (Patriots) no longer available, the Browns made an expected move in selecting Graham.

The Michigan product played a central role in the team’s national championship in 2023, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors for the season. That feat was repeated during his junior campaign, one in which Graham also received a consensus All-American nod. The 6-4, 306-pounder totaled 6.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss during his two full seasons as a starter, and he will look to develop into an disruptive presence against the run and pass at the NFL level.

The Browns have veterans Maliek Collins, Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst in the fold for 2025 after releasing Dalvin Tomlinson in March. Cleveland has cycled through a number of young options along the defensive interior, but Graham will be expected to make an impact during his rookie year and for several seasons beyond that as a key member of the D-line.

Browns Rookie QBs Likely To Receive Fewer Reps In OTAs

May 24th, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Ely Allen

As the Browns look forward to Organized Team Activities, head coach Kevin Stefanski reflected on what he’s seen thus far in the team’s offseason program. According to ESPN’s Tony Grossi, Stefanski seemed to indicate that the narrative that all four quarterbacks will be competing for the starting job is losing steam.

Technically, Cleveland rosters five quarterbacks. Incumbent starter Deshaun Watson remains under contract with the Browns, but there’s a decent chance he won’t be available in 2025. The 29-year-old’s lackluster 2024 campaign ended when he suffered an Achilles tendon tear, and when news of a second Achilles tear surfaced in January, his availability for next season immediately came into question. He can’t be entirely ruled out, though, as we saw reports this week that Watson had shed his walking boot and resumed throwing.

That being said, Watson will not be a factor during the remainder of the team’s offseason program. The four passers participating this summer are veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. With so many low-dollar contracts involved, one would think that he starting job is up for grabs and anyone’s to take. That doesn’t appear to be the case, per Stefanski’s comments.

When asked how reps will be divided among the four, Stefanski gave the impression that it will not be done with an even 25 percent split. “It’s not going to be that way,” he told reporters. “The big thing for us is making sure we give the guys enough reps that they need, making sure they have enough for both learning the system and developing and for us to evaluate them.”

It looks like the veterans, Flacco and Pickett, will get the majority of the reps, and Gabriel and Sanders will need to make up for their lack of playing time with virtual reality technology via the team’s new virtual walk-through room. It seems the virtual reality trend, made popular by Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, is extending its reach. Daniels adopted the practice at LSU and made its implementation a requirement for any team that drafted him. As a result, Daniels turned in one of the greatest rookie seasons we’ve seen out of a quarterback, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and taking Washington to the NFC Championship.

The Browns will count on this technology now to help bring their rookies up to NFL speed. “VR can be a big tool, especially for young players,” Stefanski said. “It’s really dependent on the player, how they like it. That’s something we’ll definitely be working with the next three weeks.”

Stefanski didn’t give a timeline for when the team will make its decisions. Grossi points out that two-day joint practice sessions with other teams serve as crucial practices for Stefanski’s decision-making, and the Brown will get two such sessions before their preseason games with the Panthers and Eagles. He did say, though, that the staff would make a plan for training camp based on what they see in the next month or so.

At the moment, it seems Flacco’s experience gives him the edge. The 40-year-old passer has 17 seasons of NFL play under his belt, has won a Super Bowl, and has successful experience as the starting quarterback in Cleveland’s system. From there, the next few weeks will be crucial for Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders to establish themselves and gain ground in the position battle.

Browns Not Planning QB Trade; Kenny Pickett Frontrunner For Starting Gig?

May 23rd, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 23: During an appearance on ESPN Cleveland radio, head coach Kevin Stefanski said there will not be an even distribution of quarterback reps this offseason. That comes as little surprise, but the door is obviously still open to all four passers earning the starting gig depending on how training camp shakes out.

MAY 19: Since the Browns used a selection during the second and third days of the draft on a quarterback, questions have lingered about how they will sort out the position in 2025. Plenty of time remains for things to change on that front, but a few early indications have emerged.

Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are joined by trade acquisition Kenny Pickett and veteran Joe Flacco, re-acquired in free agency this spring. That quartet could shrink in size during roster cutdowns, but for the time being it can be expected to remain intact. Even in the wake of the Saints losing Derek Carr to retirement, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes no QB trade is being planned at this point.

If such a move were to be made, Cabot recently named Flacco as the passer likeliest to find himself on the move. For now, though, he is in position to compete for a spot on the depth chart upon returning to Cleveland. The 40-year-old helped guide the Browns to the postseason upon joining them midway through the 2023 campaign, and he represented a logical target to return this year. With Deshaun Watson unlikely to play in 2025 while rehabbing his second Achilles tear, Flacco could at least open the year as the starter with the rookies developing.

As Cabot adds, however, it is Pickett who appears to be the frontrunner heading into upcoming OTAs and June’s mandatory minicamp. The former Steelers first-rounder saw his Pittsburgh tenure end in short order after a disappointing spell atop the depth chart. His trade to the Eagles resulted in a one-year backup stint behind Jalen Hurts and a single start in Week 18. To no surprise, Cleveland declined Pickett’s fifth-year option for 2026, meaning he enters the year as a pending free agent.

In a separate piece, Cabot writes there will be a split of two QB pairings to divvy up reps during offseason work, which is a reasonable approach given the uncertainty surrounding the position. Pickett is slated to operate as the No. 1 (at least, to begin the process) and Cabot predicts he will be partnered with Gabriel. That would leave Flacco and Sanders alternating third-string reps, albeit with the potential to move up the pecking order depending on their performances.

Gabriel and Sanders will remain under team control through 2028 on the rookie deals, so the Browns can be expected to retain them well past this summer’s training camp. With Flacco and Pickett’s respective futures much less clear, though, it will be interesting to see how they fare during practice. The latter could help his market value to a great extent with a sustained QB1 run in Cleveland, and his audition period for the gig will begin soon.

Browns, Steelers Inquired About Saints’ Chris Olave

May 21st, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns and the Steelers both reached out the Saints regarding the availability of wide receiver Chris Olave this offseason, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

New Orleans rebuffed those overtures and doubled down on their commitment to the 2022 first-rounder by picking up his fifth-year option. That will keep Olave under contract through the 2026 season, during which he will earn a fully-guaranteed $15.5MM.

Cleveland and Pittsburgh have both been active in the wide receiver trade market over the last few years. The Browns brought in Amari Cooper in 2022 and Jerry Jeudy in 2024. (Cooper was later traded to the Bills at last season’s trade deadline.) The Steelers, meanwhile, sent a second-round pick to the Seahawks to acquire D.K. Metcalf this offseason and sent George Pickens to the Cowboys earlier this month.

Installing a new coaching staff tends to lead to player turnover as the roster is evaluated for fit with the incoming scheme. Between that and Olave’s down year in 2024, the Browns and the Steelers may have thought they could swoop in for a bargain.

However, the Saints declined to engage in trade talks for the 24-year-old wideout. That could be because new head coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier see a major role for Olave in their passing attack. It could also be due to Olave’s lower trade value coming off a 400-yard season after he eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his first two.

Picking up Olave’s fifth-year option indicates that the Saints believe he can bounce back in 2025, though he will have to adjust to a new coaching staff and a new quarterback, likely rookie Tyler Shough. If Olave returns to his top-25 production, he should be in line for an extension with a substantial raise next offseason.

The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History

May 21st, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.

The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.

Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees

Carolina Panthers

Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)

Los Angeles Chargers

Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal

Los Angeles Rams

Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)

Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)

Charles Woodson To Purchase Minority Browns Ownership Stake

May 21st, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 21: Woodson’s minority ownership stake in the Browns was approved by the NFL at spring meetings in Minneapolis, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. The franchise’s value was listed as $5.15 billion by Forbes in August 2024, so Woodson will have pony up $5.15MM to complete the deal. With career earnings over $105MM, per OverTheCap, he should have no problem finding the funds.

MAY 15: One decade removed from the end of his decorated playing career, Charles Woodson is entering the realm of NFL ownership on a small level. The Hall of Famer is set to join Cleveland’s ownership group.

Woodson has a deal in place to purchase a 0.1% stake in the Browns, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. She adds this arrangement will bring about similar restrictions to those created for his former Michigan teammate Tom Brady as a condition of his stake in the Raiders. That arrangement limits Brady’s involvement in certain aspects of his broadcasting career (among other things) as part of an effort to avoid conflicts of interest.

Russini adds that Woodson – a native of Freemont, Ohio – will also need to cease using his name, image and likeness on packaging for the wine and whiskey companies he is associated with to comply with the NFL’s alcohol policy. Once those conditions are met, the 48-year-old will take on a minimal Browns share. Jimmy Haslam remains in place as the team’s controlling owner.

Over the course of his time with the Raiders and Packers early in his career, Woodson established himself as one of the greatest cornerbacks of his generation and beyond. The Super Bowl winner eventually transitioned to safety at the end of his All-Pro tenure, which included a return to the Raiders. Woodson’s attention has been focused on his post-playing days since his career ended in 2015; that will soon include an ownership role.

Last August, Forbes valued the Browns at $5.15 billion (h/t Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal). Based on that figure, Woodson’s purchase would cost $5.15 million, although deals such as this are often based on lesser franchise valuations and thus a lower cost to new owners. In any case, Woodson should be in place as the latest member of Cleveland’s ownership group in the near future.

Browns’ Deshaun Watson Resumes Throwing

May 19th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jimmy Haslam‘s admission on the 2022 Deshaun Watson trade could certainly be interpreted as the Browns closing the book on an expensive failure, and the team is now holding what appears to be a four-man derby for the starting job.

This effort, which consists entirely of low-cost contracts, came about because of both Watson’s failure to impress when available and his run of injury trouble. Watson has sustained two Achilles tears since October, seemingly moving him out of the picture in Cleveland. As Shedeur Sanders and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel receive considerable attention as prospective starters — joining Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in this mix — Watson appears to be working his way back into the equation.

[RELATED: Browns Not Planning Quarterback Trade]

The embattled quarterback has shed his walking boot and has resumed throwing, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. Watson has been throwing to Jerry Jeudy and David Bell at the team’s facility, with Cabot indicating he shed the boot weeks ago. This certainly does not mean Watson will resume command here, as it is not even known if he will throw another pass with Cleveland, but it is an interesting development considering the team’s QB efforts this offseason.

Word of Watson’s second Achilles tear surfaced in mid-January, and Haslam labeled the trade a mistake in April. Watson, 29, submitted a woeful run of performances before his first tear occurred last season. Kevin Stefanski repeatedly insisted he would not bench the high-priced QB, but the former Texans Pro Bowler had not been close to what the Browns hoped when they (via an outlier $230MM guarantee) beat out the Falcons, Saints and Panthers for him. Cleveland went three years without a first-round pick thanks to the trade, and it passed on Travis Hunter to acquire a 2026 first-round pick — and it should be expected the team will be closely linked to the ’26 QB class as a result.

Watson’s albatross contract, repeatedly restructured (most recently in March), still runs through 2026. The Browns would be on the hook for an unfathomable dead money amount if they cut him next year; they would surely spread the $131.16MM across two years via a post-June 1 designation. Cleveland is also setting up for a potential battle via an insurance measure taken out on the contract. Watson being unable to play this season puts a $44.27MM sum in play for the Browns to recover. Although the team could collect on other components of the policy to help soften the blow of an inevitable divorce, Watson being healthy enough to play in 2025 would affect a sizable chunk of the return.

News of the second tear was believed set to sideline Watson for most or all of the 2025 season, and the Browns responded by trading for a passer, signing another and then drafting two more. PFR’s poll about which one would log the most starts this season did include Watson, but few expect him to play a notable role for the team this season. Watson’s recovery, however, will be a storyline to follow, as the Browns look to be prepared to move on.

It will be interesting to learn about a potential clearance expectation later this year. Watson is likely to begin the season on the Browns’ reserve/PUP list, but if he receives clearance during the season, seeing how the team handles it will become a front-burner matter. The Texans made Watson a healthy scratch throughout the 2021 season, as the QB’s list of sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct accusers piled up after he had requested a trade. A similar plan could conceivably form in Cleveland, should Watson be ready to go at some point later this year.

Browns Sign Shedeur Sanders To Rookie Contract

May 19th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns have signed rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to a four-year rookie deal, per a team announcement.

Sanders, the 144th overall selection in last month’s draft, will earn $4.6MM on his first NFL contract, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, including a $447,380 signing bonus. Like all fifth-round picks, he did not receive any guaranteed money beyond his signing bonus.

Once projected to be a first-round pick, the former Colorado star lost out on millions of dollars after falling all the way to Day 3. In comparison, the last pick in the first round, Josh Simmons, signed a fully-guaranteed rookie contract with the Chiefs worth $14.7MM. Even if Sanders was drafted on Day 2, he would have received a significantly better deal in terms of total value and guaranteed money.

However, Sanders still has far more earning potential than the average fifth-round pick after signing endorsement deals with several major brands, including Nike and Beats By Dre. Those sponsorships started during Sanders’ time at Colorado and continued throughout the pre-draft process, indicating that they will carry over into his NFL career. However, it’s unclear how long they will last; Sanders may have to win a starting job in Cleveland to earn further extensions.

If Sanders does emerge as the Browns’ starter on his rookie deal, he would immediately be one of the most cost-effective quarterbacks in the NFL. His $1.16MM APY is less than what Easton Stick and Jarrett Stidham are earning as potential third-string quarterbacks for the Falcons and the Broncos this year, per OverTheCap.

Whether it’s Sanders or third-round pick Dillon Gabriel, a cheap long-term option under center would go a long way in helping Cleveland move forward financially after the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal. His contract still has $170MM remaining in fully-guaranteed money, all due across the next three years.

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