Eli Manning, Quarterback – ~$150 Million

The Manning brothers have made quite a name in the football industry, and Eli Manning is no exception. He completed his 16-year career in the NFL in 2020, which had him play in two Super Bowls. Manning played college football from 2000 to 2003 and was drafted as the first overall by the San Diego Chargers in 2004. 

Just like his elder brother, Peyton Manning, Eli left no chance to get hold of popular endorsements, which earned him a fortune. In addition to that, he has been hosting the oldest and largest charity golf event in New York since 2008. 

Brett Favre, QuarterBack – ~$100 Million

This professional American footballer has been a part of various teams like Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. Favre started playing football in college for the team Southern Miss Golden Eagles. He played for four consecutive years while setting many records.

He started his pro career with Atlanta Falcons, but most of his career was spent playing for Green Bay Packers (15 years). This quarterback player from America is the only proud owner of 3 consecutive Associated Press Most Valuable Player Award. On top of all, he also has the record of most pass attempts and most passed interceptions under his belt.

Aaron Rodgers, QuarterBack – ~$120 Million

After almost quitting the desire to be a football player, Aaron Rodgers went on to become one of the prime players of the sport. He began playing football at the Butte Community College. He excelled at the sport and set numerous career passing records. After this, he was drafted for NFL in 2005 by the Green Bay Packers.

Since then, he has been performing remarkably well and has also led his team to victory in Super Bowl XLV against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His team’s win earned him the Super Bowl MVP Award in 2010. Moreover, he has also been named as the Associated Press Athlete of the Year 2011.

Michael Strahan, Defensive End – ~$65 Million

Michael Strahan has ruled on both sides of the game. On-field, he played for the New York Giants from 1993 to 2007. And off the ground, he observes the games as a Football Analyst for Fox NFL Sunday. The bouquet of his recognitions includes Super Bowl XLII Champion and NFL Defensive Player of the year in 2001.

His campaign with the New York Giants started with the 1993 NFL Draft. All throughout his career, he has been named to the Pro Bowl 7 times. Michael has a complete run with the NFL and, in the end, was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Fran Tarkenton, QuarterBack – ~$100 Million

Apart from being a professional football player, Fran Tarkenton has done many things in his life so far. As per football, he has played 18 seasons of NFL in which he bagged a number of records. Among many of his milestones and records, he has won the Pro Bowl award most of the time(9) between 1964 and 1976. He has played for Minnesota Vikings for most of his career.

As referred above, other than Football, Fran is the founder of a computer-program generator company. He has served as a commentator on Monday Night Football. Moreover, he has written motivational books like Playing To Win, How to Motivate People, etc.

Carson Palmer, QuarterBack – ~$100 Million

Carson started his pro career with Cincinnati Bengals and played for them till 2010. After being named for two Pro Bowls until the first 15 years of his career. However, after some time, he had to face some years of sluggish performance. At this time, Carson shifted to Oakland Raiders but only stayed with them for two seasons. 

Come 2013, Palmer joined the Arizona Cardinals, and under this team, he had his most memorable in 2015. He also played a role in helping the Cardinals to advance to the championship game of NFC, which led to his third Pro Bowl. Parmer left the ground for good in 2017.

Cam Newton – Quarterback, ~$45 Million

In the year 2011, Cam Newton was drafted by the Carolina Panthers as a quarterback a year later after his transfer to Blinn College. He is also a free agent and a former pick straight out of Auburn. He has led his team to the Super Bowl with his striking performance and even won the MVP award!

He has been endorsing Danon, Beats, and Gatorade. Not only that, but this footballer also promotes the Carolinas Healthcare System. With a net worth of $45 million, Newton produced and hosted “All In With Cam Newton” which featured him helping various kids make their dream come true.

 Steve Young, QuarterBack – ~$200 Million

Well, Steve Young is more than just being a successful football player. He has received a Juris Doctor degree and is also the M.D of Huntsman Gay Global Capital. Young began his career by playing with Los Angeles Express in 1984 though most of his career went on while playing for San Francisco 49ers (13 Seasons).

Throughout his football career, he has bagged numerous awards and milestones. Some of his best ones are 3 Super Bowl Champion Award, 1 Super Bowl MVP, 7 Pro Bowl Awards, and more. Young has also delivered some guest appearances in various TV series episodes.

John Elway, QuarterBack – ~$145 Million

Currently being the general manager and executive vice president of Denver Broncos, John Elway was a marvelous player back in his time. Though the beginning of his pro career didn’t go that well, once he got into Denver Broncos, he had no time to look back. He played for Denver Broncos for his entire 16-year career.

His success took him so far that the local newspaper ran a section with his name The Elway Watch. Other than this, he is also the proud owner of 9 Pro Bowl Awards and 2 Super Bowl Champion Awards. Elway retired in early 1999.

Mark Sanchez – QuarterBack – ~$40 Million

Mark Sanchez is a former quarterback player who saw a few dark days before rising to success. After being a backup quarterback for three years at the University of California, he came to light after one of his teammates got injured. The Mexican-American heritage made him very popular among the audience.

He has been a part of the overall six teams in his entire career, most of which he gave to the New York Jets. Sanchez has some pretty awesome records under his belt. Some of them are Pepsi NFL Rookie Of The Week, Sporting News All-Rookie Team, and Rose bowl Champion (3 years).

Larry Fitzgerald – ~$97 Million

Larry Fitzgerald is one of the brilliant Wide receivers of the world and hasn’t played for any other team than Arizona Cardinals in his professional career. He started playing football in college and was recognized as one of the best wide receivers for 2002 and 2003. 
After some tough time dealing with petitions to get into the NFL, he finally got drafted for the 2004 NFL draft. Post this, he never looked back and went on winning various awards and honors with his remarkable performance. He was selected for Pro Bowl 11 times and two times for Second-Team All-Pro. Fitzgerald still plays for Arizona Cardinals.

Joe Flacco, QuarterBack – ~$75 Million

This New Jersey-born quarterback started his professional career in 2008 when he was drafted for NFL as a member of Baltimore Ravens. Flacco played for the team till mid-2018 while grabbing various titles and awards on the way. His remarkable performance led his team to win the AFC North two times. Moreover, the Baltimore Ravens also defeated  San Francisco 49ers and won the Super Bowl XLVII. Flacco played the major part in that win.

Due to this brilliant performance, he was chosen as the Super Bowl MVP (XLVII), Pepsi NFL Rookie Of The Year in 2008. He also played for Denver Broncos in 2019.

 Julius Peppers, Defensive End – ~$60 Million

It is very interesting to know that Julius Peppers was also a basketball player while he played football in his college. He played for North Carolina Tar Heels football team for four years till 2001. During this period, he earned a lot of awards and honors. He was drafted for the NFL in 2002 by the Carolina Panthers. 

Though he devoted most of his career to the Carolina Panthers, he also played for Chicago Bears (2010–2013) and Green Bay Packers (2014–2016). He was named as NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002 and was also named to Pro Bowl 9 times. 

Peyton Manning, QuarterBack – ~$200 Million

Peyton Manning is one of the most famous names in the history of the NFL. He is known for his prolific passing in the game that has earned him five NFL MVP Awards and two Super Bowl trophies for his team. Peyton had the genes of football in him from childhood, being the son of former player Archie Manning. 

Peyton played his first game under the hood of the Indianapolis Colts in 1998 and stayed with them for 14 seasons. After a severe neck injury, he took a hiatus for some time and returned to play four more seasons with Denver Broncos before announcing his retirement in 2016.

Ben Roethlisberger, QuarterBack – ~$232.3 Million

Also named Big Ben, this big guy was drafted in 2014 by the Pittsburgh Steelers and continues to play with them even today. Next up, he has cherished some great moments that helped him bag Rookie of the Year Award in 2004. Come 2007, he was also selected for his first pro bowl. 

Following this, Ben has performed amazingly to help the Pittsburgh Steelers steal various victories. The most notable of them were the ones with Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.  With a Passer Rating of 94.0 and 6th rank in all-time NFL career passing yards, he is one of the greatest passers in the NFL. 

Sam Bradford, QuarterBack – ~$70 Million

Sam Bradford has played for four different jerseys in his career. During his college days, Sam was the only second sophomore to get a Heisman Trophy. Following this, he was selected to play for St. Louis Rams in 2010 & this marked his initiation as a professional player. He was also awarded the Offensive Rookie of the year, creating NFL history.

Next up, he became a part of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, and this was another great year for him. But his association didn’t last long. Come 2016, he played for Minnesota Vikings, and lastly, he also played for Arizona Cardinals until 2018, after which he formally retired.

Tony Romo, QuarterBack – ~$70 Million

The 40-year-old former NFL Quarterback, Tony Romo’s love for football, evolved at a very young age in southern Wisconsin. He idolized Brett Favre, whose aggressive style inspired him to make a career in the NFL. The football star started his career with Dallas Cowboys and stayed loyal to them until he retired in 2017. 

Tony had a great ability to change the gameplay by imposing new techniques like throwing the ball downfield quickly and scoring a point that made him people’s favorite. Soon after his retirement, he became a commentator for NFL television broadcasts on CBS and showed his new range of talent to the world.   

Terrell Suggs, Defensive End – ~$63 Million

Terrell Suggs, who made it into the All-American unanimously and was named seven times to the Pro Bowl, is a Free Agent at present. Terrell has had an amazing run with the Baltimore Ravens for about 15 years. In the 2011 game with the Steelers, Terrell had defended the line heroically, where he made a record three sacks and double forced fumbles. 

Similar performances throughout the year led him to bag the Defensive Player of the year award. When he ended his campaign with Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, Terrell bagged the 8th spot for Career Sacks in the history of the NFL. He is also called T-Sizzle. 

Matt Ryan, QuarterBack – ~$70 Million

After getting drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008, Matt started each and every one of the 16 games. Also, he played a key role in pushing the team to enter playoffs and, too, with a season record of 11 – 5. His performance in all the games helped him bag Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. 

And he is only a few of the wealthiest NFL players who are still living their glory days like Ben Roethlisberger. Just until a couple of years back, Matt Ryan was one of the highest-paid NFL players at $30 Million per year.  

Ndamukong Suh, Defensive End – ~$50 Million

One of the odd ones in this list is Ndamukong Suh, who played for three different teams before Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He actually started playing football in his college (2005) for Nebraska Cornhuskers that made him a potential player for NFL. He even won various titles like  Associated Press College Football Player of the Year, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, etc.

Detroit Lions is the team for which Suh has played the most till now (5 years). He is recognized for the best defensive tackles in the NFL. Moreover, he was also ranked as the 6th highest defensive player. Currently, he is in a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one year.

Matthew Stafford, QuarterBack – ~$60 Million

In 2017, Stafford made NFL history by signing the biggest contract worth a whopping $135 Million. In the 2009 Draft, he was the first one to be picked by the Detroit Lions and is still active on their roster. Off the ground, he also has several endorsement contracts with the likes of PepsiCo, Fanatics, & others. 

On the ground, Matthew has had some great moments. He is one of the 4 QBs in the history of the NFL to throw more than 5000 yards in one season. Stafford is so fast that he can also overtake his own shadow, and today he holds the record for the fastest player in the NFL.

Jerry Rice, Wide Receiver – ~$55 Million

There is not even a single doubt that Jerry Rice is one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL. Seeing his stupendous performances all throughout the years, Rice came only second in the list of the 100 greatest players of Football by The Sporting News. As a wide receiver, Jerry has held many records in his run with the San Francisco 49ers. 

Interestingly, 49ers coach in 1985 (Bill Walsh) had just seen the highlights one night before the Draft, and Jerry caught his eye. Once he came onto the field and until he left, Jerry had been named to the Pro Bowl 13 times, 12 times to All-Pro. 

Alex Smith, Quarterback – ~$55 Million

The ever-so-handsome Alex Smith started his career in football when he joined the University of Utah. Smith started with the 2005 draft of NFL by San Francisco, which gained him huge popularity. Not only that, but he also started every game of the season in 2011. 

Alex signed for a four-year contract in 2018 with the Washington Redskins and is currently playing for them. His name has been associated with brands like Nike and Advocare and makes around one million in a year with just the endorsements. Even after bagging an astonishing net worth of $55 Million, Smith is known for his humility and groundedness. 

Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver – ~$45 Million

It is not very common for a Wide Receiver to end up on the list of Wealthiest NFL players. However, Calvin Johnson has made it because he is regarded as one of the best wide receivers. It is like he is born to play from here. With a height of 6 ft 5,” coupled with a skillset ideal for a wide receiver, he was nicknamed as Megatron on the ground.

The year 2012 was great for Johnson. He made a couple of exclusive entries into the record books. This includes the longest receiving yards (1964) and consecutive 100-yard games in the NFL. The latter record was also achieved by Adam Thielen. 

Russell Wilson, Quarterback – ~$115 Million

The Seattle Seahawk quarterback, Russell Wilson rose to fame in 2011 while playing college football for the University of Wisconsin. He led his team to a Big Ten title and set the FBS record for passing efficiency. In the 2012 draft, Wilson was selected and made a significant mark in his debut season after beating Matt Flynn during the training camp. 

He has been to Pro Bowls and started in two Super Bowls, where he ended up winning the Super Bowl XLVIII. He signed a contract with the Seahawks in 2019 for four years. Apart from that, Wison keeps himself busy by visiting the Seattle Children’s Hospital regularly.

Jim Brown – Running Back, ~$50 Million

The 84-year-old Jim Brown is a former NFL player and American actor who has made its name in both sports and cinema. Jim debuted with the Cleveland Browns NFL team in 1957 and became famous for his strong and explosive play with excellent running skills.

In a brief NFL career of 7 years, Brown never failed to lead his teams through the yards and even won them the 1964 NFL Championship. Soon before the ’66 season, he announced his retirement and started his new innings in the movie industry. Brown made a debut in the cinema with Rio Conchos and has appeared in more than 30 films.    

Kurt Warner – Quarterback, ~$30 Million

Born in Burlington, Iowa, Kurt Warner loved playing football as a kid. He graduated in 1987 and went to the University of Northern. He earned a degree in communications and thus got an opportunity to show his mettle in football. 

He knew from the beginning that his journey would be very demanding, and he will have to make himself stand out. However, Warner ultimately reached his goal and played as a quarterback for three NFL teams. All of this helped him earn a total net worth of $30 million. When he plays in the field, he is nothing less than a spectacle.  

Reggie Wayne – Wide Receiver, ~$48 Million

With an estimated net worth of $48 million, Reggie Wayne spent his fourteen-year career with Indianapolis Colts. This dedicated wide receiver began his career when he attended Hurricanes, University of Miami’s football team. 

During the NFL Draft in 2001, he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts where he signed a contract for six years. After that was over, he extended the contract for another three years. In 2007, he was also a part of the team that won the Super Bowl championship. In the year 2011, his name was put in the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

Joe Thomas – Offensive Tackle, ~$52 Million

Regarded as one of the best offensive linemen of all time, Joe Thomas has a net worth of a whopping $52 million. He began playing football during high school and was among the top 20 offensive tackles nationally. Joe started his professional career in 2007 when he was drafted by Cleveland Browns in the third round of 2007 NFL.

Since then, he played only for the Cleveland Browns for his next 11 seasons. Interestingly, he was invited to the Pro Bowl in each of his first ten seasons. He retired in 2018 and currently co-hosts the popular podcast the ThomaHawk Show with his fellow player Andrew Hawkins.

Anquan Boldin – Wide Receiver, ~$46 Million

The former NFL player, Anquan Boldin played as a wide receiver for almost 14 seasons. He was drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Apart from that, he also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Detroit Lions. He has been one of the most humble names in American football history. 

In 2015, Boldin was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year, due to his impeccable community service. All through his career, he has earned a net worth of $46 million and makes sure to contribute towards underprivileged children through his foundation. 

Drew Bledsoe – Quarterback, ~$48 Million

One of the greatest moments for Drew was when he was the top pick in the 1993 draft. This was followed by a 14-year long magnificent career that comprised 5 Golden Rings and 4 Super Bowl appearances. 

Bledsoe brought success to the New England Patriots, and his love & sheer will for the game helped them enter the playoffs after eight dry years. Even though Bledsoe took the Patriots to a better position, his work was not recognized. He had to leave the Patriots after an injury & was selected by Buffalo Bills later. He was also a part of the Dallas Cowboys for one year before retiring in 2006.

Ray Lewis – Linebacker, ~$45 Million

After being drafted by Baltimore Ravens in 1996, Ray Lewis played for his entire 17-year career for the same team. He is a two time Super Bowl winner along with being the second linebacker who won a Super Bowl MVP. In addition to this, Lewis is also a 13-time Pro Bowler and is regarded as one of the finest linebackers. He has made it to the All-Pro First Team around seven times. 

Ray Lewis has an estimated net worth of $45 million and has been roping in a lot of deals when it comes to endorsements. He started with local brands and then was also sponsored by Reebok.

Vernon Davis – Tight end, ~$46 Million

Vernon Davis is better associated with “The Catch III”,  a legendary moment when he caught a game-winning touchdown pass that came from Alex Smith. Prior to this, Vernon was a part of the San Francisco 49ers  and had already been to two Pro Bowls. 

 Vernon was taken aback when his re-new contract with 49ers never materialized in 2014, but this was a reaction to some of past performance. The beginning of 2014 was unexpected for him, but later he got selected to play for Denver Broncos. From 2016, he played with the Washington Redskins and retired in the year 2019 while doing an interview with Redskins Nation.

Kerry Collins – Quarterback, ~$39.5 Million

Born in 1972, Kerry Collins is a former football quarterback who has played for the National Football League who played for 17 seasons. During his college time, Collin won two major football awards – Maxwell and Davey O’Brien. In the 1995 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Carolina Panthers. 

The former quarterback ranks sixteen and eleven in the all-time NFL career passing yardage and all-time NFL career passing completion respectively. He finished his career with a total of 81 regular wins and three playoff wins. In his whole career, he beat 31 NFL teams except for Miami Dolphins.

Deion Sanders – Cornerback, ~$40 Million

Also known as “Neon Deion” and “Prime Time”, Deion Sanders is a former football and baseball player. For fourteen seasons, he played with Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Ravens. In addition to this, Sanders also played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball.  

Now a sports analyst for CBS Sports and the NFL Network, Sanders won two Super Bowl titles and one World Series appearance, making him the only individual to appear in both. He is also an offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School. He also starred in the show “Deion Family Playbook” which aired in 2014.

Clay Matthews – Outside Linebacker, ~$35 Million

Clay Matthews III is the son of former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. Not only that, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman, Bruce Mattews is also his uncle. Therefore, as a member of a family of football players, it was right in his blood. 

At present, Clay is an outside linebacker. He attended the Agoura High School in California and later became a walk-on student-athlete at the University of Southern California. During this time, he was a part of three Pac-10 Championship teams. He was amongst the top prospects for the 2009 NFL Draft and was selected by the Green Bay Packers.

Dan Marino – Quarterback, ~$35 Million

Despite not being on a Super Bowl-winning team, Dan Marino is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He had a long 17 season NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and secured various honors during this tenure. After a successful four year career in the college, Marino got his entry ticket to NFL in 1983.

With the help of his quick release and powerful arm, he led his team to be the best contenders. He was invited to Pro Bowl 9x and was also regarded as NFL Most Valuable Player and NFL Offensive Player of the Year, both in 1984. He retired in the year 2000.

Jason Witten – Tight end, ~$35 Million

Jason Witten ranks on the second position in the all-time career receptions and receiving yards by an NFL tight end. Witten became a color analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football after retiring in 2018. However, in 2019 he announced that he would end his retirement and return back to the Dallas Cowboys. 

Witten is currently a tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders of NFL and was first drafted by Dallas Cowboys. He lives in Westlake, Texas with his wife and four children. He also wrote an opinion piece for ESPN in which he described how social media could have a negative impact on younger players.

Brian Westbrook – Running Back, ~$35 Million

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002, Brian Collins Westbrook is a former American football player who has played nine seasons in the NFL. He played for the Eagles for around eight years during which he earned two Pro Bowl selections (2004 and 2007). In 2010, he played for the San Francisco 49ers after signing a year’s deal. 

Despite being one of the players who weren’t the first preference of the NFL team, Westbrook’s current net worth is $35 million. The reason why the NFL team was a little hesitant to draft him is that he didn’t play college football for an NCAA Division I-A school.

Ryan Kalil – Center, ~$33 Million

Ryan Kalil began his professional football career with the Carolina Panthers, and that continued for the next 12 years until he chose to retire in 2018. Nevertheless, the New York Jets convinced him out of his brief retirement, and he was back on the field as Center.

However, reports confirmed that this was just a year’s contract worth $8.4 million. But it did add to the handsome salary he earned from the Carolina Panthers all those years. As of now, it is suggested that the five-time Pro Bowler has amassed a net worth of around $33 Million.

LaRon Landry – Safety, ~$34 Million

LaRon Landry is a former American football safety. He started playing college football for Louisiana State University and got drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft for The Washington Redskins. Apart from that, Landry has played for Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets. 

Landry’s elder brother, Dawan Landry, is also a former safety who played for Baltimore Ravens. He was nicknamed as “Dirty 30” because of his aggressive playing style and jersey number. His teammates usually referred to him as the “Iron Man” because of his physique. The former football player had a pet capuchin monkey named Gucci.

Jay Cutler – Quarterback, ~$30 Million

Jay Cutler has been one of the most drool-worthy players for his hot looks and professional success. The now-retired American professional football quarterback played for the Chicago Bears from 2009-2016 for which he is said to have earned $54 million. 

Then he played for Denver Broncos for another two years, and also a season for Miami Dolphins. So all through his career, he is said to have earned $120 million with investments in many properties and real estate businesses. However, his divorce with Kristin Cavallari (a reality TV star), in 2020 is said to have reduced his net worth to $30 Million.

Leon Hall – Cornerback, ~$31 Million

Leon Hall was a star player while playing for the University of Michigan & also earned an All American. He was drafted by Cincinnati Bengals in the 2007 NFL Draft. Leon had a career-high of 75 tackles in his first season with the Bengals. 

Leon’s inconsistent performance and decreasing tackles were due to his back injury. Consequently, Hall was benched in the 2015 season to play as a backup. Post-recovery, Leon was signed by the New York Giants. After one season with the Giants, he shifted to San Francisco & then to Oakland Raiders, but his injury had never left him, and he was put into the Injured Reserve.

Roger Staubach, QuarterBack – ~$600 Million

Even though today Roger Staubach is a successful businessman, he has flourished for ten glorious years as a QB for Dallas Cowboys. In the 11 seasons that he played for the Cowboys, Roger was the captain for five times and led the team to victory twice. So much so that he was also named the MVP in Super Bowl VI.

Not only this, but Roger was also the one in only four players to get both the awards, the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl. In his career of 11 years playing, Roger was also named to be the part of Pro Bowl 6 times.