American football is one of the biggest sports in the world both in monetary value and in viewing numbers. With great popularity comes great profit, which in turn leads to massive salaries for the players who make the sport possible. Top players enjoy great salaries and bonuses, which do wonders for their net worth. Here is a list of the 10 richest footballers in the NFL currently playing the sport.
The richest NFL footballers in the world
10. Ndamukong Suh – net worth: $70 million
Suh is a defensive tackle for the Los AngelesAries. After playing college football, he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 2010 NFL Draft as the third overall pick. He is one of the most decorated college football players of all time, earning several awards and accolades, including prestigious All-American honors. He was named to the Pro Bowl 4 times, All-Pro 6 times, All-Pro first team 4 times and All-Pro second team twice. After his lucrative $114 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, he became the highest-paid defensive player of all time.
Away from the field, Suh has endorsements from millions of major brands such as Chrysler, Gallagher Designs, Beats By Dre, Hush Lifestyle Boutique and Dick’s Sporting Goods. On the football side, Suh brings in $13.6 million in salaries per year.
9. Aaron Rodgers – net worth: $70 million
Unsurprisingly, Aaron is one of the richest NFL footballers. This Green Bay Packers quarterback is currently among the highest paid players in the NFL, which has undoubtedly influenced his overall net worth in an impressive way. Since starting his college career, the superstar has set and broken records, so it’s no surprise he was picked up by the Packers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He went from backing up Brett Favre to become the starting quarterback pick, leading his team into the Super Bowl. Aaron has the NFL’s all-time career-high regular season hit rate and is one of only two quarterbacks to have a hit percentage over 100. He also holds the record-breaking percentage.
Aaron is easily one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He pulls in a whopping average annual salary of $33.5 million. He’s also earned $57.5 million in signing bonuses on his contract and is enjoying major commercial success, thanks to lucrative endorsement deals with State Farm, Adidas, IZOD, Bergstrom Automotive, Sharpie and Prevea Healthcare. worth more than $9 million per year.
8. Ben Roethlisberger – net worth: US$80 million
Big Ben as he is affectionately known by his teammates and fans became one of the youngest quarterbacks to make it to the NFL and win the Super Bowl after being selected by the Steelers as the eleventh overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He then led his team to another title in the Super Bowl XLIII and Super Bowl XLV Finals which they sadly lost to the Packers. He has some of the best career stats in NFL history. He received praise and recognition for most quarterback wins, most regular season wins, highest completion percentage, among others. He has beaten 31 of the current NFL teams, one of only three quarterbacks in the
Ben picks up sacks of cash as salary, which amounts to an average annual salary of $21.85 million. This high earning power makes him one of the richest NFL footballers in the world.
7. Larry Fitzgerald – net worth: $97 million
For reasons that aren’t far-fetched, Larry deserves to be named one of the richest footballers in the NFL. Fitzgerald began his career as a college player in Pittsburgh, earning All-American honors after which he was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2004 NFL Draft as their third overall pick. He has the second most career receiving yards, the third most career receptions and the seventh most touchdowns in the NFL at the moment. The wide receiver has been named to the Pro Bowl 11 times. Although he has not won any championships, this football player is still very well compensated for his rare and phenomenal abilities, he
The seasoned pro gamer earns $17 million in paychecks annually. Off the pitch, the pitchman is always in demand and has effortlessly negotiated sponsorship deals with Nokia, Nike, EAS, Powercube, Lenovo and the University of Phoenix.
6. Alex Smith – net worth: $108 million
Smith was selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent some time there before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 where he spent five years, after which he was traded again to the Washington Redskins in 2017. He received a very lucrative four-year contract valued at $94 million. He marked NFL history for the most assists at the start of a season without an interception, topping the leaderboard with an impressive 104.7 passer rating. He finished the 2017 season in the most spectacular fashion, collecting 26 touchdowns and over 4,000 passing yards.
Without a doubt, Smith is one of the most talented players the league has seen, and despite being injury prone, he has proven his worth time and again over his 14-year career. He received a $27 million bonus for signing with the Redskins, along with an annual salary of $23.5 million. Off the court, he earns over $1 million each year through sponsorship deals with Nike, AdvoCare and memorabilia sales.
5. Drew Brees – net worth: $130 million
Like most professional footballers today, Drewa started his career playing at the college level, which led to him being drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the NFL Draft. By this time, he was already an established player with multiple accolades to his name such as Big Ten Conference Records, NCAA and more. Drew is currently signed with the New Orleans Saints; the deal is worth $50 million, with a bonus of $13.5 million. He has the third-highest career hitting mark in NFL history and is one of the most successful pitchers in the league.
The player is actively involved in charity work and organizations that care for children made homeless by hurricanes. Drew has numerous endorsement deals with top brands such as Nike, Pepsi, Verizon, Procter & Gamble, Wrangler, Microsoft and AdvoCare. These agreements give a boost to the annual salary of 27 million dollars that his club pays him. Admittedly, this guy had no idea he would become one of the richest NFL footballers in the world when he started playing in the gridiron in high school.
4. Eli Manning – net worth: $145 million
Most people probably recognize the name Manning. Eli is the latest in Manning’s footballing legacy which was started by his father and carried on by his older brother. He has played 13 seasons since being drafted by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft. He has led his side to two league wins so far and shows no signs of slowing down. The Giants showed how much they believed in the spectacular player after letting Davis Webb go, despite the widespread belief that he was being groomed to replace the veteran footballer. He receives a whopping $21 million paycheck from his club.
Thanks to his family name and his personal talent, Eli managed to sign well-paid sponsorship deals with multinational organizations like Nike, Toyota, Gatorade, Visa, Hublot and DirecTV. With two years remaining on his contract, he is set to climb even higher on the list of the highest-paid NFL footballers in the world, with increased value on and off the field.
3. Philip Rivers – net worth: $160 million
Rivers is an NFL quarterback for the LosAngeles Chargers. After his college career ended, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2004 draft as the fourth overall pick. The Giants then traded him to the Chargers in exchange for first-choice quarterback Eli Manning. Rivers has the eighth-highest career passer rating in NFL history and the third straight start by a quarterback all-time. He appeared in eight Pro Bowl championships and won numerous awards for his football achievements and abilities at the individual and club level. He is currently one of the top active players in the NFL.
During the span of his 15 years in care, Rivers has progressed to an impressive annual salary of $20.81 million. It also benefits from sponsorship deals from major brands that consider it a marketing goldmine.
2. Julius Peppers – Net Worth: $165 Million
Peppers are one of the most recognized faces in the NFL despite the fact that he hasn’t won a league title. However, he is considered one of the best defensive goals in the league and has received a number of awards and recognition for his defensive abilities. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft. Peppers brought his talents to the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, before returning to the Panthers in 2017. Peppers was selected for the Pro Bowl nine times and won the NFL’s Best Defensive Player award seven times in a row.
He pocketed $7.5 million in signing bonuses when he joined the Panthers, along with an annual salary of $20.4 million. Although the spotlight-weary player stays away from business deals off the field, he still earns around $500,000 in endorsement deals, earning him his place among the richest footballers in the NFL.
1. Tom Brady – net worth: $180 million
Whether you accept it or not, Tom Brady is undoubtedly one of the most successful players in football right now, and possibly the greatest quarterback the NFL has ever seen. After leaving college, he was immediately picked up by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft. The quarterback went on to make sure the Patriots didn’t suffer a single losing season under his watch. He set numerous league records, including becoming the only player ever to lead his club to 14 division titles, and more wins than any regular-season and post-season quarterback. season. Brady has won five Super Bowl titles and cut the Pro Bowl 13 times. He was voted MVP three times.
All of Brady’s exploits have deservedly earned him the number one spot on the list of the league’s richest active players. The iconic athlete earns $15 million in compensation for using his abilities for the club, plus another $5 million in bonuses. He has some really profitable sponsorship deals with brands like Molecule, UGG Boots, and Under Armour, bringing in another $14 million. It would be mischievous to ignore Tom in any list of the richest NFL footballers in the world.