How Chase Daniel Has Made A Successful Living As A Career NFL Backup

ByJoey Heldon March 26, 2020inArticles›Sports News

Fewer careers are cushier than that of an NFL backup quarterback. Sure, you may never make as much money as a superstar, but your game days are far less intense. You’ll hold a clipboard, go over plays with the starter and coaches, and maybe come in for mop-up duty at the end of a blowout.

If the starter happens to get hurt, the expectations are so much lower that it’s a win-win situation. You either come in and don’t lead the team to victory – it’s understandable! You’re a backup! – or you play well enough and parlay your performance into a big contract, like Nick Foles did when he replaced an injured Carson Wentz and led the Philadelphia Eagles to back-to-back postseason appearances, including a Super Bowl victory.

Chase Daniel is a perfect example of someone who’s found great success as a backup quarterback. The 33-year-old has never really been considered as a starter, but he’s serviceable in a pinch. And he just signed a new contract with the Detroit Lions that will max out at $13.5 million over three seasons – if he’s still on the Lions’ roster by the end of that contract, he’ll have made $50 million in his career.

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Daniel has played for the Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, and Bears, and now will join a Lions team that already has an established starter in Matthew Stafford . But that fits right into how Daniel’s career has gone so far.

In 10 seasons, Daniel has made just five starts, tossing seven touchdown passes in the process. He’s one of only two quarterbacks since the 1970 merger to spend ten seasons in the NFL with five or fewer starts (David Humm is the other, in case you need to win a trivia contest later).

In fact, Daniel has only thrown 218 passes over those ten seasons, including six years with five or fewer attempts. Yet he’s already earned close to $3.5 million per season. And that number will only increase by the end of his latest deal.

Daniel will be ready to come into the game should Stafford get hurt. However, he’ll be just as content hanging out on the sidelines. It’s certainly not a bad way to earn a living.

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Nick Foles Could Make A Ton Of Money Over The Next Few Weeks

ByJoey Heldon December 22, 2018inArticles›Sports News

Nick Foles helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl last season. He was a local hero and even started the first two weeks of this year. Once Carson Wentz returned from injury, though, Foles went back to the bench.

But now, Wentz is back on the injured list, and Foles has a chance to shine once again. And he just may earn millions of dollars in doing so.

The Eagles announced Wentz has a stress fracture in his back, an injury that could keep him sidelined for three months. That likely means Foles will start in every game left for the Eagles this season.

After the team’s Super Bowl victory, it restructured Foles’s contract to be more incentive-based. Though he’ll earn $9 million in base salary, signing bonus, and roster bonus, he can earn millions more during the final few weeks of the season.

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Corey Perrine/Getty Images

Foles will make $250,000 per game simply by starting. With Wentz likely done, that means Foles is already getting $750,000 if he stays healthy. That per game amount doubles if the Eagles win. Foles could potentially make $1.5 million if the team wins out. Add another $250,000 if Foles completes 62.5% of his passes – totally a reasonable goal in the Eagles offense.

On top of that, Foles can make $500,000 more if he plays at least half the snaps in a playoff game.

Despite the team’s struggles this year, the postseason is completely within reach. The Eagles can make the playoffs by winning out and getting to 9-7 while the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers each lose at least one of their final three games.

If things break perfectly, Foles will take home an extra $2.25 million by the end of the season. Not bad for a month’s work!

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