What is the NFL rookie minimum salary?
Find out what is the minimum salary a rookie player in an NFL team earns.
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NFL Rookies ( image via Twitter)
The National Football League (NFL) is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, with a massive fan base that spans across different countries. Given its massive following, it comes as no surprise that the NFL is a cash-rich league with lucrative deals and million-dollar contracts up for grabs for its players.
However, while the numbers may seem staggering, such as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers signing a $50 million contract, the reality is that only a small percentage of players, usually the top 1%, or even less, earn such astronomical figures. The vast majority of players earn a fraction of that, with many earning average or minimum-wage salaries, despite the inherent physical and mental risks that come with the job.
In essence, while the NFL may seem like a league that rewards its players with incredible riches, the truth is that only a select few are lucky enough to earn those large contracts, with the majority of players facing a much less glamorous reality. Especially the rookie players entering the NFL who face a difficult road ahead, with the starting salary often being far lower than what they may have expected.
In this article, we delve deeper into the compensation that NFL rookies receive and examine the minimum salary for players. Unlike the big contracts that some top players may earn, rookie players usually start at the bottom of the pay scale, with salaries that are often the league minimum.
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Salaries for players in the NFL increase every year
All the players in the NFL are entitled to a minimum salary as of 2022. The minimum salary of an NFL rookie player with zero years of playing experience will be earning $705,000. This amount will be increased per year based on performance and the number of years of experience. The position of players also matters as quarterbacks make an average of $7 million while wide receivers average around $2.8 million.
However, players are also entitled to signing bonuses (if included in their contract) which are generally paid out at the start when they join the team. Additionally, many teams provide performance-based incentives if the rookie player has performed well during the season. As per recent records, the median salary of an NFL player is $860,000 per year and the average salary is $2.7 million.
Another important thing to note here is the salary cap (limit on the total amount of money a team can spend on their players’ salaries) of each team. In 2023, the salary cap has been increased to a record $224.8 million for each team. In 2021, it was $182.5 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then, in 2022, it was $208.2 million.
This time around, the Chicago Bears will have the most cap space with $98.6 million in the bank going into the 2023 offseason. The Atlanta Falcons are in second place, with approximately $56.4 million available. They are followed by the Baltimore Ravens ($51.2 million), Cincinnati Bengals ($44.5 million), and New York Giants ($44.4 million) in the top five list. It is to be noted that Sam Bradford currently has the biggest NFL rookie contract which he bagged in 2008.
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