DENVER (Stacker) — There’s no shortage of articles chronicling the riches-to-rags stories of NFL players who went broke after squandering massive fortunes. Some blew it all on bad investments and leeching from hangers-on. Others did themselves in after partying, bad judgment, and reckless spending on homes, luxury cars, and shiny stuff of every imaginable kind.
Many football players, however, got rich and stayed rich—and some are richer than others. Some of the NFL’s wealthiest current and former athletes earned their big bucks on the field. Today’s top players, after all, earn massive contracts that sometimes run into nine figures with huge sums guaranteed or paid upfront as bonuses. Others played at a time when athletes earned comparatively modest salaries but struck it rich through post-retirement entrepreneurial pursuits and business ventures.
A few of the following players made more from big-money corporate endorsement deals than they ever did on the gridiron. Some launched rap careers or made it big in Hollywood. Others turned their popularity and knowledge of the game into lucrative broadcasting careers where they received NFL-style paychecks without bodily injuries.
To uncover the richest NFL players, Stacker consulted Celebrity Net Worth and ranked them by their 2022 net worth. The net worth figures in this list were calculated using a proprietary formula that factored in all publicly available data about each person, including salaries, real estate holdings, divorces, record sales, royalties, and endorsements—minus estimated taxes, manager’s fees, agent fees, and lifestyle expenses.
Here’s a look at the richest players in the National Football League. Some are still playing today. Others were drafted in the 1950s and have been retired for decades. Some are known widely among football fans but wouldn’t be familiar to mainstream audiences. Others are household names across the country, even among people who have never watched a game. One person on this list never technically played in the NFL but is the most powerful man in the league today.
All, however, have one thing in common—they’re very, very rich.
#14. Ben Roethlisberger (tie)
– Net worth: $100 million
Since he entered the league in 2004, career Steeler Ben Roethlisberger has represented Pittsburgh football more completely than anyone since Terry Bradshaw. A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion, Roethlisberger has earned more than $267 million throughout his 18-year career.
#14. Brett Favre (tie)
– Net worth: $100 million
One of the defining quarterbacks of his era, Brett Favre played from the time he was drafted in 1991 through 2010, mostly with the franchise he’s become synonymous with: the Green Bay Packers. He earned nearly $138 million over the course of his 20-year career and padded that fortune with another one earned from his many corporate and commercial endorsement deals. The 11-time Pro Bowler earned his team a Super Bowl ring and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
#14. Philip Rivers (tie)
– Net worth: $100 million
Eight-time Pro Bowler and 2013 comeback king Philip Rivers signed a one-year contract with the Colts worth $25 million in 2020 before retiring in 2021. The rest of his 17-year career, however, was spent with the Chargers, who drafted him in the first round in 2004. In all, he’s earned nearly $244 million in combined salary.
#14. Tom Condon (tie)
– Net worth: $100 million
Tom Condon was an offensive lineman for the Chiefs from 1974 to 1984 before spending his final year in New England and retiring in 1985. While playing, he earned a law degree in the offseason, joined the executive committee of the NFL Players Association, and began representing players. Today, he’s one of the most successful agents in all of professional sports.
#13. John Elway
– Net worth: $145 million
The Broncos have won three Super Bowls, and John Elway was part of the Denver organization for every one—twice as a quarterback and once as an executive. He defined the franchise from 1983 to 1998 with a Hall of Fame career that included trips to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, not to mention retiring as the winningest quarterback at the time. He made a fortune in investments and car dealerships after retiring and retains a high-paying job in the Broncos’ front office as president of football operations.
#12. Joe Montana
– Net worth: $150 million
The man who threw Jerry Rice most of his record-breaking receptions was Joe Montana, who defined the quarterback position before Tom Brady’s arrival. As QB for the 49ers, the legendary Hall of Famer presided over one of history’s greatest and most exciting dynasties, winning four Super Bowls with San Francisco and going to the Pro Bowl eight times. The highly marketable Montana made most of his money off the field through his many corporate endorsement deals and speaking engagements.
#10. Drew Brees (tie)
– Net worth: $160 million
Drew Brees was drafted by the Chargers in 2001 and played in San Diego through 2005 before moving to New Orleans, where he spent his career since, achieving most of his success and his money. He went to the Pro Bowl an incredible 13 times, won a Super Bowl, and passed Peyton Manning for career touchdown passes in 2019. The longtime Saints announced his retirement in 2021 and has amassed career earnings approaching $270 million.
#10. Eli Manning (tie)
– Net worth: $160 million
The brother of Peyton and the son of Archie, Eli Manning lived up to the family name with a 16-year, single-team career that spanned from 2004 to 2019 with the Giants. The New York great won two Super Bowls and went to the Pro Bowl four times. His total earnings during that time combine for more than $252 million.
#9. Russell Wilson
– Net worth: $165 million
Russell Wilson is one of only two quarterbacks with a 100-plus career passer rating (with Aaron Rodgers). A nine-time Pro Bowler, the Seahawks play-caller has been to two Super Bowls and won one throughout his 11-year career. When he signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension in 2019, Wilson became the highest-paid player in the game at the time.
#5. Aaron Rodgers (tie)
– Net worth: $200 million
When the Favre era ended in Green Bay, the Aaron Rodgers era began. Rodgers is a 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, but those accolades don’t tell the whole story. When factoring in stats like completion-to-interception ratio and passer rating, he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game. Between the time he was drafted in 2005 until today, Rodgers has earned more than $305 million.
#5. John Madden (tie)
– Net worth: $200 million
John Madden—who was drafted for the Eagles but injured in training before he ever played professionally—never suffered a single losing season during his decade as the head coach of the Raiders, emerging with a record of 103-32-7 for a combined winning percentage of 75.9%—he won 17 games straight from 1976 to 1977. After his stellar coaching career, he became the world’s most famous and revered football broadcaster and the name of the sport’s most successful video game franchise.
#5. Roger Goodell (tie)
– Net worth: $200 million
Controversial but undeniably successful, Roger Goodell joined the NFL as an administrative intern in 1982 and has served as league commissioner since 2006. He has presided over the NFL’s most profitable and successful era and is widely considered to be one of the most powerful people in sports. Although he voluntarily agreed to forego his $4-5 million yearly salary during the coronavirus shutdown, his total annual compensation for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons is $63.9 million.
#5. Steve Young (tie)
– Net worth: $200 million
Steve Young filled the giant shoes of Joe Montana and carved out a spot as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history. A Hall of Famer with three Super Bowl rings, Young earned nearly $50 million on the field, but his real money came after retirement. A financial whiz, he’s still nursing a $40 million annuity from the long-defunct USFL, he co-founded a massive and sprawling private equity firm, and he’s enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting.
#3. Peyton Manning (tie)
– Net worth: $250 million
Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with the Colts, another with the Broncos, went to 14 Pro Bowls, enshrined himself as one of history’s greatest quarterbacks, and retired with a record $400 million in career earnings, including salary, licensing bonuses, and endorsements. He remains one of the world’s most marketable athletes and is a common sight in commercials for Papa John’s, Nationwide, Gatorade, Nike, and Mastercard.
#3. Tom Brady (tie)
– Net worth: $250 million
The undisputed greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady won seven of the 10 Super Bowls in which he played. The leader of the most successful dynasty in football history, the Patriots great (now a Buc) went to 15 Pro Bowls, was a three-time MVP, a three-time All-Pro, a five-time Super Bowl MVP, and is a lock for the Hall of Fame. He’s earned more than $332 million in total salary.
#2. Fran Tarkenton
– Net worth: $300 million
Quarterback Fran Tarkenton played for 18 seasons in the NFL with the Vikings and the Giants, earning nine trips to the Pro Bowl and a place in the Hall of Fame. After retiring in 1978, however, he embarked on an equally successful second career as founder of Tarkenton Software, which he later sold. He continues to work as an entrepreneur and teaches others to do the same. He has authored a book called ” The Power of Failure: Succeeding in the Age of Innovation” and works with the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business to offer a certificate in entrepreneurship.
#1. Roger Staubach
– Net worth: $600 million
Roger Staubach dabbled in real estate during his Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys, whom he joined as a rookie in 1969 for a salary of $25,000. He appeared in four Super Bowls, won an MVP and two rings, and went to six Pro Bowls. After retiring, he returned to real estate to form the Staubach Company. He expanded it nationally, built a real estate empire, and sold his company for $613 million.
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