Ranking the 10 Highest-Paid NFL Players of All Time
1. QB Tom Brady - $303 Million
As Insider mentioned, Brady sacrificed at least $60 million in his career by signing discounted contracts when he was with the New England Patriots. The future Hall of Famer has played in 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them.
prevnext2. QB Drew Brees - $269.7 Million
In 2012, Brees earned $40 million which includes a $37 million signing bonus. He retired from the NFL after the 2020 season and finish his career with 13 Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl win with the New Orleans Saints.
prevnext3. QB Ben Roethlisberger - $267.3 Million
Roethlisberger was never named to the All-Pro First Team but was selected to play in the Pro Bowl six times and led the Pittsburgh Steelers to two Super Bowl titles. His highest earning year was in 2015 when he made $35.3 million.
prevnext4. QB Matt Ryan - $267 Million
Before Ryan's contract expired in 2018, he signed a five-year, $150 million extension with a $46.5 million signing bonus. Ryan was named NFL MVP in 2016 and led the Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance that same year.
prevnext5. QB Aaron Rodgers - $263.6 Million
In 2018, Rodgers earned $66.9 million. In his career, Rodgers was selected to the All-Pro First Team four times, the Pro Bowl 10 times and led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 2010.
prevnext6. QB Eli Manning - $252.3 Million
In Manning's final NFL season, he earned $17 million which made him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl wins.
prevnext7. The Rest of the List
7. QB Peyton Manning – $248.7 Million
8. QB Philip Rivers – $243.9 Million
9. QB Matthew Stafford – $239.3 Million
10. QB – Alex Smith – $189.7 Million
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