Preface
Football is a big sport in America. Many start playing it at high school and enjoy watching tournaments all the way through their adult lives. It is no surprise that the top football players receive huge salaries. These can be counted in the tens of millions of dollars. The main sports league in North America is the NFL. Playing in the league’s games already requires stellar performance from the sportsmen. Winning and becoming a champion simply lifts a career through the stratosphere. A great athlete also needs to play for a famous team. This increases the player’s pay. As sportsmen have been getting increased bonuses from their games, it is interesting to see which athletes have made the most money. This article will list the 5 American football players with the highest salaries in history.
What makes a great NFL player?
The sport can be extremely difficult and requires a certain set of characteristics for success. In order to be successful at the game, the sportsman has to be tough. This way they can withstand the physical and mental challenges of difficult competition. Although American football can be extremely challenging physically, the sport also requires good mental faculties. As a result, a good footballer will also be smart at understanding the sport. They will create ingenious strategies for winning a game and be able to come up with good tactics on the spot. A high football IQ is necessary here for success. Last, a sportsman has to also be dependable. Not break under stressful situations and withstand high pressure. As the going gets tough, the tough get going. Athletes need to work as a team even under heavy load. A good footballer will not break even under the highest of stresses and the whole team will be able to depend on them.
Big league games often involve extreme stress. An anxious player will simply miss and setback their team. A smart, tough, and dependable player will deal with the anxiety and help their team win the championship. Not everyone is like that. Resultantly, high paid footballers will have a certain set of characteristics which will allow them to perform great in hard circumstances. The nature of the game makes participation in major leagues simply not for everybody. Not surprising that the highest-paid athletes earn a ton of money. Further, football can offer some of the best odds online sports betting for the fans.
The highest historically paid American football players.
Currently, there are already 37 NFL champions that have earned more than $100 million.
Below is a list of the top 5 highest-paid athletes.
- Eli Manning is the highest-paid football player in history. The athlete has earned $252.3 million in his career. The player has a quarterback position and has played in 16 seasons. Eli took part in 2 championships and 4 Pro Bowls. Although not the best QB, Manning managed to amass a fortune. Sadly, the athlete is now retiring.
- Peyton Manning, also a quarterback, has made an astonishing $248.7 million in his life. The athlete participated in 18 seasons, played in 2 championships, and 14 Pro Bowls. These all-star NFL games helped lift Peyton’s career to a high level before the athlete retired.
- Drew Brees ranks third on the list. The sportsman has made $244.7 million in earnings and has been playing in the quarterback position for 19 seasons. Drew has made $40 million in the 2012 season, but the athlete participated in only one championship. However, shining in the 12 Pro Bowls, Drew is still playing football and has just signed a new contract.
- Tom Brady comes next, with the athlete’s total revenue reaching $235.2 million. Having partaken in 20 seasons and 14 Pro Bowls, the quarterback is an avid Patriots fan. Tom sacrificed as much as $100 million playing for the Patriots team. The player wanted to help the football club build amazing rosters for the Super Bowl. As a result, Tom took discount contracts from the Patriots.
- Aaron Rodgers is the last on the list, with a net income of $233.6 million. The quarterback has played in 15 seasons. Aaron got paid as much as $66.9 million for the 2018 season. The athlete played for 15 seasons and took part in 7 Pro Bowls. The sportsman is on a high paying contract now. In the future, Aaron can push his earnings all the way to $313 million.
The above list shows the net incomes of the five most paid quarterbacks in NFL history. The QB position allows an athlete to lead the offense. As a result, being the signal-caller in a match rewards a player with additional income.
Ending
Even though success in a sport is not measured in money, good footballers tend to receive high pay. Some have made sacrifices to help their club, others have done everything to make the most money. Either way, the NFL has rewarded its sportsmen greatly. The list shown above demonstrates just how much professional footballers can make. This not only should attract new talent to the game, but also help the sport reach an even higher level of viewership.