The National Football League, commonly the NFL, is one of North America's top four sports leagues. Each NFL game attracts the crème de la crème of the corporate world to top celebrities in the Hollywood Hall of fame, and as a result, NFL players typically earn fat figures from each contract.
They also enjoy exposure and countless endorsement opportunities that push their income to six or more figures. Consequently, the league boasts some of the wealthiest athletes globally.
So, who is the wealthiest NFL player? The list below features not one but 25 of the richest NFL football players in the world.
25. Jason Peters – $ 20 million
Jason Peters is a six-time Pro Bowler and one of the best offensive tackles in NFL history, often compared to Orson Mobley due to his hulky physique. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks before being drafted as a rookie free agent with a signing bonus of $5000 by the Buffalo Bills in 2004. He was later given a five-year, $15 million contract.
The Bills traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 for a five-year, $51.3 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus and an additional $5 million for the roster contract. Jason, now 40 years old, is still active in the NFL and has a net worth of $20 million.
24. Michael Strahan- $65 million
Michael T. Strahan, now a popular media personality and journalist, had a 15-year career as a defensive end for the New York Giants. The 51-year-old played college football at Texas Southern University, where he grew so dominant that by the end of his junior season, he'd already proved NFL material.
The Giants drafted him in 1993 at a salary of $170,000. He also got a signing bonus of $450,000, bringing his total earnings that year to $620,000. He signed another contract worth $1,350,000 and a signing bonus of $3,5000,000 in 1996.
Strahan is worth $65 million, earning $17 million annually from his career as an analyst and many other ventures.
23. Tony Romo- $70 million
Tony Romo, now worth $70 million, began his career as a quarterback for the Burlington Demons in 1996. He later joined Eastern Illinois University, where he played quarterback for the Panthers, bagging several honors and accolades, such as the acclaimed Walter Payton Award.
He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 and signed a two-year contract worth $540,000 with the team. He remained an undrafted rookie on a varying salary until May 2005, when he signed a two-year, $1,880,000 contract. He officially became the Cowboy's starting quarterback on August 2006 on a six-year contract worth $3,900,000.
Tony remained with the Cowboys throughout his career until 2016, when he had to call it quits at age 37 due to an injury.
His salary largely supplemented his net worth and contracts with the Dallas Cowboys, but he was also big in the corporate world and earned about $5,000,000 in endorsements.
22. Sam Bradford- $70 million
Unlike most of the wealthiest NFL players on our list, Sam Jacob Bradford wasn't highly recruited after high school. His career officially began in 2010 when he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams on a six-year contract worth $78 million. His contract included a $50 million guaranteed salary, adding him to the list of the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks.
The Rams traded him to the Philly Eagles on a rookie contract worth $12,985,000. A few seasons later, the Eagles traded him as a starter to the Vikings in a $7 million contract. He later moved to the Arizona Cardinals team, where he played until retirement in 2018. His contract with the Cardinals was worth $5, 000,000.
He earned up to $68,770,000 throughout his career and is worth $70 million today.
21. Matt Ryan – $70 million
Mathew Thomas Ryan, also known as Matty Ice, began his journey to being a sought-after NFL player at Boston College. The Pennsylvania native led Boston College to the top 25 collegiate teams, establishing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in school history.
He was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008, to which he signed a six-year, $72 million contract. Matty Ice became the Falcons' starting quarterback after his first training camp, making him the team's first rookie quarterback since 2001. This risk paid off for the team as Matty led them to six playoff appearances during his 14-year tenure.
His effort paid him off, too(literally), because, in 2018, the Falcons offered him a five-year, $150 million contract–one of the most lucrative at that time.
He also went on to sign numerous other lucrative contracts, the most recent being with the Indianapolis Colts (2022), to which he'll be receiving a fully guaranteed base salary of $12,705,882.
20. Cam Newton- $75 million
Cam Newton comes from a family with a rich football history, so it's no surprise that he became one of the world's best and richest NFL players. The 33-year-old was among the country's top high school football recruits during his time.
He had his collegiate career at the University of Florida before transferring to Auburn, where his dominance in the field paid off with the Heisman Trophy in 2010. Cam was chosen first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 draft. He signed a four-year, $22 million contract and spent nine seasons with the team before being traded to the New England Patriots in 2020 on a year-long contract worth $1.75 million plus incentives. Newton is today an unassigned agent worth $75 million.
19. Phillip Rivers -$80 million
Phillip Michael Rivers, who has since retired, was a quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers during his 17-year NFL career. He was the team's backup quarterback for the first two seasons and a starting QB for the rest of his career.
Rivers is an eight-time Pro Bowler who has led the Chargers to four division titles. Although he spent his entire career with the Chargers, Philip Rivers was initially drafted by the New York Giants but traded in exchange for Eli Manning. His initial contract with the Chargers included a base salary of $230,000, a signing bonus of $7,650 000, and a roster bonus of $1,075,000, bringing his total earnings to $8,955,000 that year.
His base salary steadily increased over the years, and he earned $11,000 000 in his final year with the Chargers. His last season was with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, where he signed a one-year contract worth $25 million. As of 2022, Rivers' net worth is estimated to be around $80 million.
18. Joe Flacco- $85 million
Joel Flacco, formally Joseph Vincent Flacco, is a New York Jets quarterback. The man famed for having one of the NFL's strongest arms has also played for several other teams. These include the Baltimore Ravens, where he began his career and spent the most time, the Denver Broncos, and the Philadelphia Eagles.
His deal with the Jets was worth $3.5 million, which included a $1,730,000 signing bonus. Flacco has also signed lucrative contracts with teams other than the Jets. For instance, he signed a six-year deal worth $120 million, with the Ravens adding him to the list of the highest-paid players in the history of the sport.
Big checks aside, Joe Flacco has had quite a prosperous career. He led the Ravens to six-play playoff victories, helped them win the AFC North twice, and even led them to win Super Bowl XLVII. This last victory earned him the title of Super Bowl MVP. He is currently worth $85 million.
17. Carson Palmer- $90 million
Carson Palmer was a backup QB for the USC college football team. He took over as starting QB in 2000, leading them through an undefeated season. His wins caught the attention of the necessary individuals in the NFL, and in 2003, he was drafted first overall. He also signed a six-year contract worth a whopping $42, 690,000 with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2005, he signed another contract with the Bengals, but this time ten years long, worth $119,500 000. Palmer played six seasons with the team and moved to the Oakland Raiders in 2011. In addition to a $2.8 million salary, his move to the Raiders team came with a four-year contract worth $43,000,000. He moved to Arizona Cardinals after only two seasons with the Raiders in a contract worth $16 million.
Palmer remained with the team until his retirement in 2017. He is among the highest-paid NFL players and one of the richest, with a net worth of $90 million.
16. Alex Smith- $95 million
Alexander Douglas Smith, famously Alex Smith, has had a rocky NFL career but managed to pull off up to 16 seasons. Smith began his collegiate career as a QB for the Utah Utes team at the University of Utah.
He led the team to win the 2003 Liberty Bowl and the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, making him the No. 1 Pick in the 2005 NFL draft. He joined and signed a six-year contract worth $49.5 million with the San Francisco 49ers that same year.
However, lost his starting QB position in the 49ers team due to a concussion and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs shortly after.
In 2018, Smith, who was worth $41 million then, joined Washington Redskins, signing a contract worth $94 million-worth with a bonus of $27 million. Sadly, it wasn't long before he experienced a life-threatening injury that almost amputated his leg, and with the severity of his injury, most expected him to call it quits.
However, Smith surprised everyone by successfully finishing his rehabilitation and rejoining the Skins in 2020. He even led the team to a division title, an unexpected win that saw him win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
His return is recognized as the greatest in the history of the NFL. Alex Smith retired in 2021, worth $95 million. In addition to salaries and contracts, Smith makes $1 million annually through appearances, merchandise, and endorsements from Nike and AdvoCare.
15. Ben Roethlisberger- $100 million
Ben Roethlisberger is not only one of the richest NFL players in the world; he also had one of the most prolific NFL careers. Roethlisberger led his long-term team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, to a Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks at only 23 and in his second season.
He led them to another victory over the Arizona Cardinals, earning them their second Super Bowl title. This was shortly after beating Santonio Holmes in a tough game. Roethlisberger, nicknamed Big Ben, spent his entire career with the Steelers.
The team drafted him in the 2004 NFL draft for a base salary of $230,000, a signing bonus of $600,000, and a roster bonus of $1,172 000. He retired in 2022 with a net worth of $100 million.
14. Brett Favre- $100 million
Famed for being the only player to win the NFL MVP award three consecutive times, Brett Favre had a pretty lucrative 20-year career in the NFL. He played collegiately at Southern Miss before being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 on a three-year, $1.4 million contract.
He stayed for only a year before moving to the Green Bay Packers on a contract with a base salary of $310,000. He proved a worthwhile draft by leading the team to two Super Bowl victories, 11 playoff wins, seven division championships, and four NFC championship games.
Favre later played for the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings. The man retired in 2010 with $100 million to his name.
13. Russel Wilson – $135 million
Russell Carrington Wilson is a Denver Broncos quarterback and one of the greatest-ever dual-threat QBs. Russell played for Seattle Seahawks for about ten seasons prior to joining the Broncos. He began his collegiate career at NC State before moving to the Wisconsin Badgers three years later, where he led the team to win the 2012 Rose Bowl and a Big Ben Title.
Additionally, he has had some pretty notable wins in the NFL. These include a Super Bowl win, the most passing touchdowns by a rookie (he ties with Peyton Manning on this one), the most wins by an NFL quarterback, and one of the top four quarterbacks in NFL history to achieve a career passer rating of over 100.
So far, Russell has signed some pretty lucrative NFL deals, including the four-year $140 million contract with the Seahawks and a five-year contract worth $245 million with the Broncos. He is currently worth $165 million.
12. John Elway- $145 million
Elway, now a veteran, is one of the best quarterbacks of all time. By his retirement in 1999, he was the second-best passer in NFL history and had the most victories as a starting QB.
During his college football career at Stanford Cardinal, he scored five touchdowns and completed over 700 passes for 9000 yards, 77 touchdowns, and up to 39 interceptions. This drew the NFL's attention, and he was unsurprisingly the first pick in the 1983 NFL draft.
He signed with the Baltimore Colts but was traded to the Denver Broncos in a 6-year, $12.7 million deal.
Elway stayed with the Broncos for the rest of his career, earning over $45 million throughout 16 seasons. With a net worth of $145 million, he is currently one of the world's richest retired NFL players.
11. Joe Montana- $150 million
For good reasons, Joe Montana, currently worth $150 million, was the first-ever player to earn Super Bowl's most valuable player title. During his 16-year career, Montana, or Joe Cool as he's affectionately known, led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl victories and set records for passing yards and touchdown passes.
His career with the 49ers began in 1979 when he signed a three-year, entry-level contract worth $255,000. In 1984, he signed a 6-year contract worth $6.3 million, followed by a 4-year extension worth $13 million.
Montana joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 after a feud with Steve Bono, who'd replaced him as starting quarterback after his injuries in 1991. He consented to a 3-year, 10-million contract with the Chiefs, marking his final run in the NFL.
10. Eli Manning- $150 million
The Mannings are a household name in the NFL, and Eli Manning is no exception. The 41-year-old had a successful collegiate career at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and, like his brother, also earned a Johny Unitas Golden Arms award. The San Diego Chargers drafted Eli in 2004, but he turned down their offer, resulting in a 6-year, $45 million trade with the New York Giants.
He spent his entire career with the Giants and, like his older brother, never missed a game due to injury. He only sat out once throughout his career, and that's because he was then a rookie backup QB. His dedication to the game certainly paid off, as he's now retired and worth plenty- $150 million.
9. Drew Bees – $160 million
A leader in the NFL's career competition percentage thanks to his 20-year-long career, Drew Brees began his journey at Purdue, where he set the record for the most completions, attempts, and yards. During the 2001 NFL Draft, he was selected by the San Diego Chargers with a base salary of $320,000 and a signing bonus of $1,845 000.
Brees was a team member until 2005 before joining the Saints in 2006, where he led the team to five playoff appearances and a postseason win. His first contract with the Saints included a base salary of $1.9 million, an $8 million signing bonus, and $100,000 in workout bonuses.
He remained with the Saints until his retirement season in 2020 when he signed his final contract worth $25 million. Drew Brees is currently worth $160 million.
8. Peyton Manning – $250 million
Peyton Manning is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He rose to prominence in the football world during his college years, leading Tennessee University to several victories, earning himself accolades like the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards in 1997.
With his outstanding performance, his selection as a first-round choice by an NFL franchise was as certain as day. He was drafted as the first pick by the Colts in 1998 on a base salary of $144,000.
Peyton also got a signing bonus and a roster bonus, bringing his total earnings that year to around $12 million.
This investment paid off handsomely for the then-struggling Colts, as he led them to eight division titles, 11 playoff appearances, two AFC championships, and two Super Bowl appearances. Manning also assisted the Colts in winning their first Super Bowl in over three decades.
He was with the Colts for 14 seasons before signing an $18 million contract with the Broncos in his 15th season. His time with the Broncos was equally productive, and he even led them to a Super Bowl victory, making him the first starting quarterback to win the coveted championship with more than one team. Manning is currently worth around $250 million.
7. Aaron Rodgers – $200million
Aaron Rodgers, a Green Bay Packers player since he began his career, is a man of many career records. For example, he has six times led in the NFL for the lowest passing interception percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratios. He has also led the NFL four times in the touchdown passing percentage and three times took the top spot for total touchdowns.
Aaron Rodgers is also the fifth player to win the MVP title in consecutive seasons. While he is a fantastic individual player, his style was heavily influenced by three-time NFL champion Brett Favre. Aaron served as Favre's backup QB in the first three years of his football career.
Like Favre, Aaron also led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl Victory earning him his MVP title and the Associated Press Athlete of the Year title. He spent his collegiate career with the California Golden Bears.
He was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft to a 5-year $7.7 million deal, including $5.4 million in guaranteed money. His base salary as of 2022 is $1, 150,000 plus signing and workout bonuses of $40, 800,000 and $50,000, consecutively. Aaron is currently valued at roughly $200 million.
6. Steve Young – $200 million
Jon Steven Young is a retired quarterback with an estimated net worth of about $200 million. The Pro football hall of fame member was in the NFL for 15 seasons, during which he primarily played for the San Francisco 49ers and had a short stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He has won three Super Bowls, earning himself the title MVP several times, and besides pro football, he was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The Buccaneers originally drafted him in a deal worth $1 324 000 in 1985 and later moved to the 49ers at a base salary of $500,000. Steve currently spends his days as a commentator and TV personality.
5. John Madden – $200 million
John Madden was a legend and one of the earliest players in the NFL arena. Madden played college football at the College of San Mateo before moving to the University of Oregon, where he played alongside his childhood friend, Jon Robinson.
Philly Eagles drafted him in 1958, but his career as the left offensive line was cut short by a collarbone injury. After recovery, Madden played in the All-American bowl in Arizona but unfortunately suffered another injury shortly after, permanently ending his playing career.
He didn't let this stop him from partaking in the game's beauty, and became one of the greatest NFL coaches in history. He was also an outstanding sports commentator. Madden retired from coaching with an estimated net worth of over $200 million.
4. Tom Brady – $300 million
Tom Brady isn't your typical first-round pick in the NFL draft. He is neither the second nor the third. Instead, he was the 199th pick of the sixth round! Despite his low draft position, Brady had one of the most successful NFL careers in history.
He was a member of the Patriots for 20 seasons, helping them win their first-ever Super Bowl title and leading them to six more, 17 Division titles, and 13 AFC championship games.
Brady holds nearly every possible QB record, from passing yards and touchdown passes to completions. He currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is one of the wealthiest NFL players in the world, with a net worth of $1 billion.
3. Fran Tarkenton-$300 million
While modern-day NFL players sign multi-million-dollar contracts, Fran Tarkenton earned only about $7 million throughout his 18-season career. However, this is no surprise, given that the NFL was still in its infancy when the Minnesota Vikings signed him in 1961.
On the bright side, Tarkenton went on to amass a $300 million fortune from his $7 million by investing in companies such as Apple, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi. This makes him a must-have on lists of the world's richest NFL players.
Furthermore, his meager NFL earnings did not diminish his greatness. He is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He set numerous QB records and was even inducted into the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame in 1986 and 1987 consecutively.
2. Roger Staubach- $600 million
Roger Thomas Staubach, alias Captain America played quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Roger had an 11-year career during which he remained with the Cowboys leading them to win the Superbowl five times, one as a backup QB.
He earned the MVP title in Super Bowl VI, making one of the first four NLF players to bag the title and the prestigious Heisman Trophy simultaneously. Roger is also a six-time Pro Bowl. His first salary with the Cowboys was $25,000 but was earning over $95,000 by retirement. Staubach is currently one of the richest NFL players in the world, with an estimated net worth of $650 million.
1. Jerry Richardson- $2 billion
Jerome Johnson Richardson, famously known as Jerry Richardson, had a short career but a remarkable ascent-to-wealth story. The man, now 86 played for only two seasons in the NFL. But even with his shortlived career, he still managed to leave his mark. For instance, he earned Colt rookie of the year, and caught an impressive touchdown pass in an NFL championship, winning a $4, 674 title bonus.
With the help of a friend and former QB, Richardson proceeded to invest his bonus in Hardee's, a fast-food franchise marking his entry into the business world.
Hardee's expanded rapidly and within a few years he co-founded another franchise, this time much bigger–it had over 2,500 restaurants. Jerry then retired in 1995, and went on to invest in the Carolina Panthers. He's now one of the wealthiest individuals in NFL circles with a net worth of $2 billion.
