How Much Do NFL Players Make?

NFL is America’s favorite sport, with its grand finale, the “Super Bowl,” watched by more than 100 million-plus households every year. This 32 team sports league is divided into two halves: regular season and postseason.

In a regular season, each team plays 17 games in 18 weeks, totalling 272 regular-season games. When compared to MLB or NBA, it is minute in quantity. However, in its second phase, a team has to make it through three additional rounds to reach the Super Bowl – taking the total number of season games to 21.

So when a player plays a total of only 21 games in less than six months time frame, and has the potential to be watched by hundreds of millions of people, then thinking about how much do NFL players make is a valid question.

According to our research, an NFL player’s median salary for the 2021-2022 season was $860,000. However, this isn’t the figure that every NFL player makes. Some are paid a lot more, whereas some are paid less, which depends on their position, their value to the team, and the amount of experience they have.

So to comprehensively break down their income for your understanding, we have divided their income into sub-niches.

How Do NFL Players Get Paid?

NFL players get paid through multiple sources, and their league salary isn’t their only income. For instance, they have their NFL league salary; after that, they get paid endorsement fees, appearance fees, and various other sources of income through sponsored marketing campaigns and due to being famous.

So if you think if one player is making not that much for the physical toll, they take on their body, know that you don’t know the complete picture. They could be making a lot more than the official NFL figure suggests.

How Much Do NFL Practice Squad Players Make?

Even though only 11 players take the field for a team at a time, this doesn’t mean that the total strength of an NFL Squad is that. Instead, an NFL team can have up to 55 members in their squad, with 48 declared active players available for a match.

The rest are known as Practice squad players, so naturally, you might be thinking, how much does NFL practice squad make? Is the bottom of the barrel still well of? The answer is yes because, for the 2021-2022 season, an NFL practice squad player makes $252,000.

How Much Do NFL Kickers Make?

As mentioned above, the salary of NFL players depends on the position or role of the team. A quarterback can make as much as 10-15 times what a kicker makes as a kicker is a specialized role that you need for a few crucial moments in the game, whereas a quarterback is required for the entire duration.

We already know your next question, “how much do NFL kickers make?” and the answer to that is again that it depends upon the kicker’s quality, experience, and popularity. Still, their median salary for the 2021-2022 season is $860,000.

Who is the Lowest Paid NFL Player?

Now that we have discussed such niche salaries of such niche roles, we know the next query you must have in your mind. is it to know who is the lowest paid NFL player and who is the highest paid NFL player?

If it is, let’s first begin with the lowest paid NFL player, Tyrone Swoopes, who made only $16,800 during the 2020 season. Now we know you must be thinking that when a practice squad member makes more than $250,000, then how is he making so low?

This anomaly existed because Tyrone was not a full-time active NFL player for the season. He signed a summer practice squad stint and was released upon completion. This made him eligible to be counted as an NFL player but made less than what a janitor might make in a year.

Who is the Highest Paid NFL Player?

Finally, to the million-dollar question, or let us say $45 million-dollar question of who is the highest paid NFL player, the answer is Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes makes this staggering amount of money for a season. However, ask anyone in Kansas if it is worth it, and they will say every cent as it was his arm that won them Superbowl LIV.

Wrapping It Up

NFL is a lucrative business for everyone. Everyone stands to make a hefty payday from owners, players, advertisers, and executives if they bring enough value to it. So thinking, how much does an NFL football cost? It is a logical question.

The league is currently valued at $112 billion. When the lowest full-time wage is $660,000, the highest being $45 million for six months of work, it means you are in the right place.

However, we know your mind must have one last question: who is the richest NFL player? And the answer to that is Roger Staubach, who has an estimated net worth of over $600 million. He played in the league for 11 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969-to 1979.

Even though his NFL income was peanuts, he made most of his money after retiring from the game in the real estate business. However, if you are looking for the richest active NFL player, who amassed his income through NFL contracts or endorsements, then it is, of course, the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) Tom Brady, with an astonishing net worth of $200 million and still going strong.