The NFL is one of the most-watched sports leagues in the country. The country’s most popular league rakes in about $2.7 billion in revenue. Therefore, it’s pretty safe to assume that the football players playing in this league earn massive amounts of money.
Recently, there has been a massive upscale over the amounts of contracts being offered to players. This has also been due to big brands coming in to give sponsorship, while TV rights earn in a league of their own.
Football is one of the most popular sports in the country, with millions of fans tuning in every season to watch their favorite teams and players. While NFL players are well-known for their physical prowess on the field, many have also amassed incredible wealth over their careers. Take a look at the top 10 richest players of all time who boast some ‘modest salaries’.
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10. Brett Favre ($100 million)
Brett Favre is a retired NFL quarterback who played for the football teams Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings. He is known for his toughness and durability, playing in a record 297 consecutive games during his career.
The league’s three-time MVP has also been successful off the field, with endorsement deals, real estate holdings and business ventures (even with some ‘bad investments’ and ‘bad judgments’) contributing to his estimated net worth of $100 million. Brett Favre’s wealth includes deals with major endorsements brands like Nike, Snapper, Remington, Sears and Sensodyne.
9. Joe Montana ($150 million)
Joe Montana is a former NFL quarterback who played for the football teams San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, winning four Super Bowl championships over his career. The key element of the 49ers dynasty has also been successful in business ventures and endorsements, which have contributed to his wealth.
Montana is amongst one of the best NFL players of all time and also finds himself on the list of the top 10 richest NFL players of all time. Joe Montana’s estimated celebrity net worth is somewhere around the region of $150 million.
He amassed this huge health due to his insane NFL career, where he earned a reported $25.5 million in salaries. However, the majority of his wealth comes from the ownership of a ranch that’s 500 acres wide. Montana also has worked with major brands like Sketchers.
8. Russell Wilson ($165 million)
Russell Wilson is a current NFL quarterback who plays for the Denver Broncos and has played for the Seattle Seahawks since 2012. He has been named to the Pro Bowl eight times and led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in 2014.
Once regarded as one of the best QBs in the league, Wilson’s form has faltered since arriving in Denver. On the other hand, his move to the Broncos has facilitated his position on the list. Wilson has one of the biggest contracts in NFL history worth over $245 million for 5 years, which makes him around $49 million per year.
Wilson has also been the face of many brands due to his insane popularity. Some of the brands include Nike, Amazon, and Subway, amongst many other brands.
7. Eli Manning ($170 million)
Eli Manning’s talent has nearly covered every aspect of a successful career. He was once the highest-paid player in the NFL and earned around $252 million from salaries alone. Manning was drafted by the Giants, where he spent his entire career. The younger Manning brother also won two Super Bowls during his time in New York.
Since his retirement, Manning has been very active in the business space. However, he earns his most money from the broadcasting show called ‘ManningCast’ where both the Manning brother broadcast NFL games on ESPN.
6. Steve Young ($200 million)
Steve Young is a former NFL starting quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, with three Super Bowl victories and a number of individual awards to his name.
Young has also been successful in business, with investments in technology companies contributing to his estimated net worth of $200 million. Young also has a private equity firm called Huntsman Gay Global Capital, which has around $7 billion in cumulative capital commitments.
5. Aaron Rodgers ($200 million)
Aaron Rodgers is considered one of the greatest QBs of this generation. The Packers’ franchise quarterback of 18 seasons is great with his skills on the turf. However, an area where he goes unnoticed is his wealth.
The 10-time Pro Bowler is one of the highest-paid NFL players who earns about $50 million as an annual salary due to his massive contracts. This huge number has rounded up his total NFL earnings to $260 million. This Packers legend, who holds numerous franchise records, also has signed the most talked about contracts in sports history and is living the standard for lifestyle expenses.
The 40-year-old also grabs cash from endorsements from many brands like Nike, Adidas, and State Farm while also owning a percentage ownership in the NBA franchise, the Milwaukee Bucks.
4. John Madden ($200 million)
John Madden was a former NFL coach, with a lucrative broadcasting career, and has become a household name in American football. In his coaching career, he led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl victory in 1977 and went on to have a successful career in broadcasting and video game developer.
Madden’s popular Madden NFL video game series for football fans has sold to record sales of millions of copies and helped him amass an estimated net worth of $200 million. His career salary earnings from the game are reported to be around an average salary of $14 million.
3. Peyton Manning ($250 million)
Peyton Manning is a retired NFL quarterback who played for the franchises Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, with five MVP awards and two Super Bowl victories to his name.
The two-time Super Bowl Champion has also been successful off the field, with a number of endorsement deals and business ventures contributing to his estimated net worth of $250 million. Most of Eli’s earnings currently come from his recent broadcasting venture with his brother, Eli Manning, called the ManningCast.
2. Tom Brady ($250 million)
Tom Brady is a former NFL quarterback who played for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Brady has won seven Super Bowls and numerous other awards over his career, with only a single losing season in 23 years. Saying the five-time Super Bowl MVP had a successful career in the league would be an understatement.
As an active player, Brady was included a number of times in the world’s highest-paid athletes list. This is solely due to two reasons: his insane salary due to his longevity and his massive collection of various brands that he endorses.
In 2022 alone, Brady made around $75 million, making him the highest-paid player that year. This was due to his different deals with brands like Nike and his insane salary with the Bucs. However, TB12 will get a huge bump to his net worth as he has just signed a massive deal with Fox worth over $375 million for 10 years.
1. Roger Staubach ($600 million)
Roger Staubach is a former NFL quarterback who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1979. He is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time, leading the Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories.
After retiring from football, Staubach went on to become a successful businessman and real estate developer, which has contributed to his estimated net worth of $600 million. The Staubach Company was a real estate business he was a partner in, and it sold for $613 million in 2008.
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