Overview
- The NFL Players Association annual report filed in May 2026 lists Sanders, under his LLC SS2Legendary, as receiving $17.7 million in group-licensing income, the largest amount ever reported.
- Sanders earned the sum despite falling to the 144th pick in the 2025 draft and signing a standard fifth‑round slotted deal that left his NFL salary modest by rookie standards.
- Group licensing covers deals that include six or more players and typically pays royalties for jerseys, trading cards, video games and other collectibles, which drove much of Sanders’s payout.
- The union’s group-licensing receipts rose to $297 million for the year, with major payments reported from Panini, Fanatics, EA and OneTeam Partners, and reporting flagged an ongoing corruption probe into OneTeam.
- The report highlights a growing split between on-field pay and off-field income for high-profile rookies, a change that could increase calls for tighter oversight of intermediaries and licensing arrangements.