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Football has ostensibly replaced baseball as America’s favorite pastime sport. The repeated process of dual lines of men slamming into each other in the most uncivilized manner possible while still keeping to the league’s rules captures attention like no other sport in the country to the point where the Superbowl brings in over 100 million viewers annually. The average World Series game only attracts around 15 million. But with that much popularity comes a metric ton of profit for the individual teams and the NFL as a whole. With so much money circulating around, star players have gotten higher pay and bonuses, meaning you can actually track who the best players alive today are by their net worth. Except you don’t have to because we did it for you.
10. Joe Montana Net Worth: $80 Million
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Even if you’re not a huge football fan, you’ve heard of Joe ‘Cool’ Montana. He spent his 16-year NFL career with the 49ers and the Chiefs, making a named for himself as ‘the Comeback Kid’ who could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. As a 3-time MVP and 4-time Superbowl winner, Montana’s wealth comes from his many years in the NFL as well as appearance fees for various businesses around the Bay Area.
9. Brett Favre Net Worth: $100 Million
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Brett Favre has courted controversy over the years for stretching out his retirement speculation. But who can blame him? The man-made bank playing for the Falcons, the Packers, the Jets and the Vikings for 20 years and continues to add to his wealth as a sports analyst and commentator.
8. Eli Manning Net Worth: $110 Million
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Elisha Nelson Manning IV (real name) is the most recent member of the Manning football dynasty which includes his father and older brother. He was the first overall draft pick in 2004 and has played for the Giants ever since. Due to his family legacy and talent as a player, he’s been a part of numerous lucrative endorsement deals and has won multiple MVPs and Superbowls.
7. John Elway Net Worth: $145 Million
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John Elway has been around football his entire life but was only a player for 16 years. As quarterback for the Broncos in the 80s’ and 90s’, he won 2 Superbowls, 9 Pro Bowls and was named MVP for Superbowl XXXIII. While a large portion of his wealth is from his football career, he’s served as a franchise administrator and general manager for the Broncos since his retirement.
6. Tom Brady Net Worth: $180 Million
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Love him or hate him, Tom Brady is hands down one of the best football players currently active, though he’ll probably retire by the end of the decade. The record-breaking quarterback is perhaps best known for saving the Patriots’ 2001 season by stepping in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and leading the team to a surprise Superbowl victory. He’s since ensured that the team hasn’t had a losing season in 16 years.
5. Steve Young Net Worth: $200 Million
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A 15 year NFL veteran, Steve Young actually made most of his millions post-retirement as a business director of H.G. Global Capital. On top of that, he’s made a fair bit of money from numerous cameo appearances in television and films.
4. Peyton Manning Net Worth: $200 Million
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Often referred to as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Peyton spent 14 seasons with the Colts and ended his 18-year career with the Broncos, leading both to Superbowl victories. His numerous accolades have helped define the Manning football dynasty and pad out his bank account, but he’s also a noted philanthropist who’s given away a significant portion of his wealth to charity.
3. John Madden Net Worth: $200 Million
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You definitely know who he is, but you may not have known that John Madden of Madden NFL video game fame was actually a linebacker in college before becoming one of the greatest coaches in football history. After retiring early, he became a noted sports commentator and built his own video game franchise from the ground up.
2. Roger Staubach Net Worth: $600 Million
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Roger Staubach has had an interesting life. He’s a Vietnam War vet, helped the Cowboys win 2 super bowls during his 11-year career and started own successful real estate company which he later sold to the tune of $613 million. He now serves as executive chairman of the company that he sold it to.
1. Jerry Richardson Net Worth: $1.1 Billion
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You know you have money when you found and own your own football team. Jerry Richardson created the Carolina Panthers based on the money he made from owning Hardees, Flagstar and Spartan Foods, all of which were derived from the bonus he earned by catching the winning touchdown of the 1959 NFL championship with the then-Baltimore Colts.
