Top 25 Highest Paid NFL Players Of All Time
ByTravis Pulveron November 18, 2015inArticles›Sports News
Football wasn’t about the money in the beginning. Maybe the players wanted to be like their dads who played in the NFL, or maybe they just wanted to have fun with their friends after school. Maybe they wanted to make the kind of money given to professional athletes, but as a kid, you don’t play because you’ll get you’ll get paid someday, when you grow up. No, when most guys first started playing, it was for the love of the game.
In time, it became a means to an end. Playing well in high school led to scholarship offers, which led to an opportunity to play against some of the best young football players in the country (and hopefully receive an education). For those who excelled the opportunity to make a fortune in the NFL was presented to them.
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
What players can make has changed dramatically since the NFL first started playing. Back in 1965 the New York Jets made waves when they signed Joe Namath to a rookie deal worth $427,000. Rookie minimum for the 2015 season is $435,000 (for one year).
Back in the day guys needed off-season jobs in order to make ends meet. Now guys are setting up their grandchildren for life with the kind of money they make.
Scott Halleran/Getty Images
The best paying gig comes as no surprise. Of the top 25 highest paid players in NFL history 13 of them are quarterbacks (eight of the top ten are QBs also). Only one wide receiver made the top ten (No. 9 Larry Fitzgerald ). Only one defender made the top ten (No. 6 Julius Peppers); eight made the top 25.
Perhaps the most telling name on the list is Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas (No. 17). He is the only offensive lineman in the top 25. You would think teams might want to pay the guys that protect their high priced quarterbacks a little better, but they don’t.
The top 25 highest paid players in NFL history are as follows:
Ndaukong Suh, Miami Dolphins, Defensive Tackle– $90,715,157
Terrell Suggs , Baltimore Ravens, Linebacker– $92,710,000
Charles Woodson, Oakland Raiders, Safety– $92,918,000
Matthew Stafford , Detroit Lions, Quarterback– $93,778,969
Dwight Freeney , Arizona Cardinals, Linebacker– $96,122,902
Jay Cutler , Chicago Bears, Quarterback– $96,189,307
Andre Johnson, Indianapolis Colts, Wide Receiver– $96,434,470
Jared Allen, Carolina Panthers, Linebacker– $97,861,748
Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns, Offensive Tackle– $98,850,000
Darrelle Revis , New York Jets, Cornerback– $101,199,500
Aaron Rodgers , Green Bay Packers, Quarterback– $111,223,256
Mario Williams , Buffalo Bills, Defensive Lineman– $111,900,000
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, Wide Receiver– $113,816,086
Matt Ryan , Atlanta Falcons, Quarterback– $117,950,000
Tony Romo , Dallas Cowboys, Quarterback– $118,920,000
Michael Vick , Pittsburgh Steelers, Quarterback– $121,211,000
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, Wide Receiver– $129,282,500
Carson Palmer , Arizona Cardinals, Quarterback– $138,127,242
Ben Roethlisberger , Pittsburgh Steelers, Quarterback– $140,529,382
Julius Peppers , Green Bay Packers, Linebacker– $147,963,880
Drew Brees , New Orleans Saints, Quarterback– $150,455,000
Philip Rivers , San Diego Chargers, Quarterback– $151,910,000
Tom Brady , New England Patriots, Quarterback– $162,779,500
Eli Manning , New York Giants, Quarterback— $187,770,000
The highest paid player in NFL history is….
- Peyton Manning , Denver Broncos, Quarterback– $244,732,000
- The 25 Highest Earning NFL Players Of All Time
- The Highest-Paid Player On Every NFL Team
- If You Want To Get Rich As An NFL Player, You Need To Play One Of These Positions…
- These Are The Highest-Paid NFL Players This Season
- 7 NFL Players Made The List Of The Top 100 Highest-Paid Celebrities
- Five NFL Superstars Sign Mega-Extensions In Days Leading Up To The Start Of The Season
