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Net Worth of the 12 Highest-Paid NFL Players
Have you ever wondered who the wealthiest NFL players are? Do you want to know who has the highest net worth? You have arrived at the right place.
In this article, we look at the top 12 highest-paid NFL players.
NFL players have received lucrative contracts both during and after their playing careers.
Furthermore, with additional business ventures and endorsement deals, their net worth soars into the millions.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 12 highest-paid NFL players in terms of net worth.
12. Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr., the first on our list, is an American quarterback who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Roethlisberger, nicknamed “Big Ben,” has been with the Steelers for 17 seasons.
Big Ben, like his nickname, has a ‘big’ net worth of $100 million.
In addition, the 40-year-old is ranked 91st on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Ben’s contract with the Steelers was renewed in 2019, and he now earns a lucrative annual salary of $23 million, plus a $37 million signing bonus.
In addition, the Steelers quarterback has endorsement deals with Nike, Sprint, Panini, Fanatics, and Upper Deck worth $1 million to $3 million per year.
Roethlisberger has also invested nearly $11 million in NeoLight, a medical device company.
The company creates phototherapy beds to treat jaundice in both preterm and full-term infants.
To top it all off, the 6 ft 5-inch athlete lives in a $2 million custom mansion and has a $4 million car collection.
11. Joe Montana
Joe Montana, born Joseph Clifford Montana Jr., is a former American quarterback who played in the National Football League for 16 seasons.
Furthermore, Joe, also known as “Joe Cool” and “The Comeback Kid,” spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.
The retired NFL player is now a venture capitalist with a net worth of $100 million.
Surprisingly. Joe’s NFL salary earnings were limited to a meager $25.5 million.
However, taking into account the time value of money, the former quarterback’s salary of $25.5 million would be worth $53 million today.
The Comeback Kid, on the other hand, received lucrative endorsement deals both during and after his playing career.
Joe has also appeared in commercials for Guinness, Schick, Papa John’s, Mastercard, AT&T, and other companies.
Furthermore, after retiring from the NFL, the 66-year-old made wise decisions.
Furthermore, Joe is one of the co-founders/general partners of the venture capital firm Liquid2 Ventures, where he began his venture capital career.
Joe has also invested in well-known companies such as Pinterest, Airbnb, Robinhood, and Gitlab.
10. Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American quarterback who was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and played in the National Football League for 20 seasons.
Favre had a long and successful NFL career, playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings.
Favre’s current net worth is estimated to be $100 million.
Furthermore, as a key figure during his playing career, the former quarterback earned a salary of $140 million.
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Favre earned his highest single-season salary in 2010, earning a hefty $12 million in base salary.
Along with that, the NFL guru received a $4.4 million signing bonus, bringing the total for a single season to $16.4 million.
Favre, on the other hand, made millions from endorsements both during and after his playing career.
Nike, Wrangler Jeans, MasterCard, Prilosec, and Foot Locker are among his endorsement partners.
Furthermore, the former athlete from Mississippi used to earn $7-9 million per year from endorsements alone.
When that was combined with his salary, Favre had a total annual income of $15-18 million at his peak.
9. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American quarterback who currently plays for the Green Bay Packers.
Furthermore, the 38-year-old is regarded as one of the best athletes in the NFL.
Rodgers’ current net worth is a whopping $120 million.
Between June 2018 and June 2019, the Packers’ quarterback earned $90 million in salary and endorsements, making him an astute player on and off the field.
Rodgers has been the ideal model for companies to use to promote their products.
Furthermore, the mighty talented quarterback earned himself one of the richest endorsement deals in the NFL with a $2-3 million deal with State Farm Insurance.
Rodgers has endorsement deals with companies like Adidas, Pizza Hut, Prevea Healthcare, Bergstrom Automotive, Sharpie, and IZOD in addition to State Farm Insurance.
8. Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson, another quarterback on our list, is an American NFL pro who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks.
Wilson has a massive net worth of $135 million. Wilson, like Rodgers, earned $90 million from various endeavors between June 2018 and June 2019.
Furthermore, the 33-year-old quarterback is the highest-paid quarterback in terms of per-season earnings, with a base salary of $35 million.
Wilson has also always landed lucrative salary contracts throughout his career.
To name a few, on July 31, 2015, the Seattle Seahawks signed Wilson to a four-year contract extension worth $87.6 million.
The contract also included a $31 million signing bonus, with $60 million of his total extension guaranteed.
His salary increased as his career progressed.
His base was increased to $12.34 million for the 2016 season.
Similarly, in 2017, his base increased to $12.6 million, $15.5 million in 2018, and $17 million in 2019.
Russell signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Seahawks on April 16, 2019.
In addition, the versatile quarterback received the richest contract in NFL history, with a whopping $65 million signing bonus.
Wilson will also receive a whopping $107 million in guaranteed money.
7. John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. is a retired American quarterback who played in the National Football League for 16 seasons. He is currently the Denver Broncos’ President of Football Operations.
The 62-year-old has a whopping $145 million in net worth.
Furthermore, as a highly successful quarterback during his playing career, Elway earned a total salary of $47 million.
Throughout his career, John had numerous endorsement deals with companies such as Nestle, Neptune Krill Oil, Sprint, Chevrolet, and Shriners Hospitals.
Nestle, Neptune Krill Oil, Sprint Chevrolet, and Shriners Hospitals are among the companies involved.
Furthermore, during the 1990s, Elway owned several car dealerships, which he sold to AutoNation Inc. in 1997 for $82.5 million.
He still owns two Toyota Scion franchises, one Chevrolet franchise, a Chrysler Jeep franchise, and a Cadillac franchise.
6. Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning, also known as Eli Manning, is a former American quarterback who played in the National Football League for 16 seasons.
Manning spent the entirety of his 16-year NFL career with the New York Giants.
Eli Manning has a whopping net worth of $150 million.
Manning also became the highest-paid player in league history, with a total salary of $252 million over his career.
Manning was one of the most sought-after endorsement candidates.
In addition, the two-time Super Bowl champion had endorsement contracts with Gatorade, DirecTV, Toyota, Reebok, Kraft, Citizen, and Samsung.
Manning consistently earned more than $10 million per year from endorsements alone by endorsing such heavyweight companies.
5. Drew Brees
Drew is ranked number five.
Christopher Brees is a former American quarterback who spent 20 years in the National Football League.
Brees is best known for his time with the New Orleans Saints, where he set numerous NFL records.
Drew Brees has a whopping net worth of $160 million.
During his 20-year playing career, Drew earned a whopping $250 million in salary alone.
Similarly, he earns an average of $15 million per year from endorsements.
More specifically, between June 2016 and June 2017, the Texas-born athlete earned $50 million in salary, bonuses, and endorsements.
Brees then earned $43 million between June 2017 and June 2018.
Similarly, between 2018 and 2019, he earned an additional $40 million.
Furthermore, the former quarterback pocketed $45 million between 2019 and 2020.
Discover Drew Brees’s Net Worth: Cars, Contract, and Endorsements.
4. Jon Steve Young
Steven Young is a former American quarterback who played in the National Football League for 15 seasons.
Young expanded his career by becoming a sports commentator and is also well known for being an astute investor.
The 60-year-old investor has a fantastic net worth of $200 million.
Young pursued and received a Juris Doctorate from BYU in 1994, owing to his deep interest in finance.
In 2007, he co-founded Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC), an equity firm. Jon M. Huntsman, a billionaire, and Robert C. Gay were among his partners.
On the other hand, his insatiable passion for the game meant he couldn’t stay away from it.
Young worked as a pundit on Monday Night Football for the same reason.
Young was paid $2 million per year to appear on Monday Night Football.
3. Tom Brady
Tom Brady, also known as Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr., is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is widely regarded as one of the best in the league.
Tom Brady’s net worth is an astonishing $250 million.
Tom is a master of his craft, having appeared in a record nine Super Bowls. Brady has won the coveted championship six times with the New England Patriots.
In addition, he has the most Super Bowl rings of any player in NFL history, with six.
In addition, the 45-year-old has four Super Bowl MVP awards and three NFL MVP awards to his name.
Tom agreed to terms with Tampa Bay on a two-year contract worth at least $50 million.
Similarly, he will be paid a base salary of $15 million, plus a roster bonus of $10 million each year.
Furthermore, Brady’s contract could pay him up to $60 million if he meets certain milestones.
2. Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is a retired American quarterback who played in the National Football League for 18 seasons.
Peyton, nicknamed “The Sheriff,” is regarded as one of the best of all time.
Peyton Manning’s net worth is currently $250 million.
Back in his playing days, Manning was one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
At his peak, the former quarterback earned an annual NFL salary of $18 million.
Peyton, on the other hand, made a lot of money from endorsement deals.
Sony, ESPN, Spring, DirecTV, Master Card, Reebok, and Gatorade have all signed lucrative endorsement deals with him.
Manning has also appeared in commercials for brands such as Buick, Papa John’s, and DirecTV.
Peyton earns at least $25 million per year from endorsement deals alone, according to estimates.
1. Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League for 11 years.
During his career, Staubach was given numerous nicknames, the most notable of which were “Roger the Dodger,” “Captain America,” and “Captain Comeback.”
Roger Staubach is the richest person in the world, with a fortune of $600 million.
Roger had a stroke of genius in 1977, when he founded his own commercial real estate firm, The Staubach Company, with his partner Robert Holloway Jr.
In 1976, Roger Staubach was the highest-paid NFL player in terms of net worth.
The Staubach Company established itself as a profitable frontier for Roger, with clients such
as AT&T, McDonald’s, K Mart Corporation, and the Hospital Corporation of America.
After serving as Chairman and CEO until 2007, The Staubach Company was sold in 2008 for a staggering $613 million.
Furthermore, Roger became a co-owner of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team.
The team began racing in 2006.
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Conclusion
NFL players make a lot of money, whether it’s through lucrative salaries or lucrative endorsement deals.
Few, however, build on their wealth, whether during or after their playing career.
The preceding list concludes our examination of the 12 highest-paid NFL players’ net worth.
