Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, is the richest former NFL player ever, with an estimated fortune of about $2 billion at his death in 2023, as of October 2026. Roger Staubach ($600 million) and Tom Brady ($350 million) follow. This list ranks the 15 wealthiest players in NFL history, retired or active, by estimated net worth, and it counts money earned off the field.
| Rank | Name | Net worth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerry Richardson | $2 billion (at death) |
| 2 | Roger Staubach | $600 million |
| 3 | Tom Brady | $350 million |
| 4 | Peyton Manning | $300 million |
| 5 | Aaron Rodgers | $300 million |
| 6 | Eli Manning | $200 million |
| 7 | Russell Wilson | $185 million |
| 8 | Drew Brees | $180 million |
| 9 | Joe Montana | $150 million |
| 10 | Ben Roethlisberger | $150 million |
| 11 | Patrick Mahomes | $145 million |
| 12 | Travis Kelce | $110 million |
| 13 | Brett Favre | $110 million |
| 14 | Michael Strahan | $80 million |
| 15 | Jerry Rice | $60 million |
15. Jerry Rice: Net worth $60 million
Jerry Rice retired in 2005 after two decades as the most productive receiver the league has seen. He won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers (XXIII, XXIV and XXIX), was named MVP of the first, and finished with 1,549 catches, 22,895 receiving yards and 197 receiving touchdowns.
Canton welcomed him in 2010. His wealth rests on long playing contracts, post-career media work and endorsements rather than a single big business.
Long playing contracts, decades of endorsements and media work make up the estimate, and we lifted our earlier figure by 10%.
14. Michael Strahan: Net worth $80 million
Michael Strahan played defensive end for the New York Giants and retired in 2008 after winning Super Bowl XLII. He set the single-season sack record in 2001 with 22.5 and finished with 141.5 career sacks. Canton’s bust came in 2014.
He turned his profile into one of the strongest second careers in sports: Good Morning America, Fox NFL Sunday, hosting The $100,000 Pyramid, and a menswear line he launched in 2015.
The estimate leans on late-career NFL contracts, reported television pay in the high teens to mid-twenties of millions a year, and apparel and production income.
13. Brett Favre: Net worth $110 million
Brett Favre won three straight AP MVP awards from 1995 to 1997 and led the Green Bay Packers to a win in Super Bowl XXXI. He finally retired in January 2011 and reached the Hall in 2016.
Most of his fortune came from a long career of NFL contracts and national endorsement deals, and he has invested in business ventures since leaving the field.
Career contracts and national endorsements drive it, and we raised our earlier $100 million estimate by 10% for the years since.
12. Travis Kelce: Net worth $110 million
Travis Kelce is still playing. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, a three-time Super Bowl winner (LIV, LVII and LVIII), reportedly returned for 2026 on a three-year deal worth about $54.7 million.
The bigger jump in his wealth comes off the field. His New Heights podcast with brother Jason reportedly signed a deal worth more than $100 million with Amazon in 2024, and he has a large endorsement portfolio.
We counted the reported contract value, the podcast deal and endorsements, and took the upper end of a realistic range since several income streams are still growing.
11. Patrick Mahomes: Net worth $145 million
Patrick Mahomes is the youngest player on this list and one of the highest-paid athletes in history. He has won three Super Bowls (LIV, LVII and LVIII), taking MVP honors in each, and signed a 10-year extension worth $477 million in 2020. A 2026 restructure reportedly extends the deal through the 2033 season.
Away from the field he has endorsement deals and ownership stakes in Kansas City sports franchises including the Royals, Sporting KC and the KC Current. He is only getting started, so expect this number to keep climbing.
Disclosed contract cash, estimated endorsements and his minority team stakes feed the number, which sits near the top of the reported $90 million to $145 million range.
10. Ben Roethlisberger: Net worth $150 million
Ben Roethlisberger spent his entire 18-season career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, from 2004 to 2021. He won Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII and reportedly earned a quarter of a billion dollars or more in career pay.
Since retiring he has stayed in the public eye with a podcast and a handful of investments, and he sits in the Steelers Hall of Honor.
Reported career pay of roughly a quarter of a billion dollars, less estimated taxes and fees, plus endorsements and investments, gets us to the figure.
9. Joe Montana: Net worth $150 million
Joe Montana won four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers (XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV) and was Super Bowl MVP three times. He was inducted in 2000 and turned 70 in June 2026.
Montana is now an investor. He co-founded the venture firm Liquid 2 Ventures in 2015 and produces wine under his own label. Published estimates of his wealth range widely, from about $80 million to well above $150 million.
Today’s value of 1980s and 1990s contracts, endorsement history and venture holdings feed a mid-to-upper pick from a wide published range.
8. Drew Brees: Net worth $180 million
Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season. He led the New Orleans Saints to Super Bowl XLIV and was MVP of that game, and he finished second all-time in passing yards and touchdown passes when he stepped away. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
After football he worked as an NBC analyst in 2021 and spent 2022 as an interim assistant coach at Purdue. His wealth comes from big contracts and a long list of endorsement deals.
Contracts of roughly $270 million before tax and fees plus endorsement income put him within a reported range of $160 million to $180 million.
7. Russell Wilson: Net worth $185 million
Russell Wilson won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks and later signed a five-year, $245 million extension with the Denver Broncos in 2022. After a one-year stop with the New York Giants in 2025, he retired in 2026 to join CBS Sports as a sportscaster.
Away from football he owns a minority piece of the Seattle Sounders FC and has built a business portfolio with his wife, Ciara.
Disclosed contract values, endorsement deals and sports stakes set the number, taken from the top of a reported $165 million to $185 million range.
6. Eli Manning: Net worth $200 million
Eli Manning played all 16 seasons of his career, 2004 to 2019, for the New York Giants. He won Super Bowls XLII and XLVI and was the game MVP both times, and he is in the Giants Ring of Honor.
His wealth comes from nine-figure contracts, including $97.5 million in 2009 and $84 million in 2015, plus endorsements. Since retiring he has appeared alongside brother Peyton on the ManningCast.
We started with disclosed contracts and a career earnings figure above $250 million, subtracted estimated taxes and fees, then added endorsement and media income.
5. Aaron Rodgers: Net worth $300 million
Aaron Rodgers is still playing. After 18 seasons in Green Bay and two with the New York Jets, he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers and is on their 2026 roster. Four NFL MVP awards sit on his shelf, and he won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers.
His career pay is among the highest in league history, and endorsements add to it. Published estimates run from $200 million to $300 million; we use the top of that range.
Cumulative contract earnings and endorsements are the base, and we used the upper end of the reported range.
4. Peyton Manning: Net worth $300 million
Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season with five MVP awards and two Super Bowl wins (XLI and 50). Enshrinement in Canton followed in 2021.
His fortune today is as much about media as football. His production company Omaha Productions, home of the ManningCast, has reportedly raised outside money at a valuation above $800 million (2025), and he remains one of the most sought-after endorsers in sports.
Career contracts, plus an estimate of his equity in Omaha Productions at its reported valuation, land inside a reported range of $250 million to $350 million.
3. Tom Brady: Net worth $350 million
Tom Brady retired in 2023 with seven Super Bowl wins, the most of any player in history. Since 2024 he has been the lead analyst on NFL games for Fox on a reported 10-year, $375 million contract.
The Las Vegas Raiders count him as a part-owner, in a minority stake he and a business partner took in late 2024. The size of his personal share is not disclosed.
The estimate combines the reported media contract, a minority Raiders stake of undisclosed size, endorsement income and career earnings, at the top of a realistic $300 million to $350 million range.
2. Roger Staubach: Net worth $600 million
Roger Staubach is the rare NFL star whose real fortune came from business. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback won Super Bowls VI and XII and entered the Hall of Fame in 1985, but his money came from the Staubach Company, a commercial real estate firm he founded in 1977.
He sold it to Jones Lang LaSalle in 2008 for $613 million and stayed on with JLL until 2018, when he retired as executive chairman of the firm’s Americas business. He is 84.
The disclosed $613 million sale price of his company, his ownership share and later gains line up with a long-standing $600 million figure.
1. Jerry Richardson: Net worth about $2 billion at death
Jerry Richardson is the richest former NFL player ever, by a wide margin. He caught a touchdown pass for the Baltimore Colts in the 1959 championship game, then used his bonus money to build a restaurant franchise business that grew into a large food-service company.
That wealth funded his bid for the expansion Carolina Panthers, which he founded in 1993. He sold the team in 2018 to David Tepper for a then-record $2.2 billion. He gave $150 million to Wofford College in 2021 and died on March 1, 2023, at 86.
Our model rests on the roughly $2.2 billion Panthers sale price in 2018 and his other holdings, and his exact stake was never disclosed.
Special mentions
John Madden (1936 to 2021), the Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster, left an estimated $200 million. He was drafted in 1958 but never played in a regular season game, so he sits outside the ranking.
FAQ
Who is the richest NFL player of all time?
Jerry Richardson, the Panthers founder and former Baltimore Colts receiver, with an estimated fortune of about $2 billion at his death in 2023.
Who is the richest living NFL player?
Roger Staubach, at about $600 million, built mostly from the $613 million sale of his real estate company in 2008.
What is Tom Brady’s net worth in 2026?
We estimate about $350 million, from his Fox broadcasting contract, a Raiders ownership stake, endorsements and career earnings.
Who is the richest active NFL player?
Aaron Rodgers at about $300 million, followed by Patrick Mahomes at about $145 million and Travis Kelce at about $110 million.
Who joined or dropped off this list in 2026?
Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are new entries. Jim Brown and Carson Palmer dropped out, and John Madden moved to special mentions because he never played in a regular season game.
How are NFL player net worths estimated?
We combine disclosed contracts, team sale prices and ownership stakes, company valuations, and reported endorsement and media deals. Figures are approximate and change over time.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we used disclosed contract values and career earnings, team sale prices and ownership stakes, private company valuations such as Omaha Productions, and reported media and endorsement deals. Where published estimates ranged widely, we took the upper realistic figure rather than following any other ranking.
Last updated: October 2026.
