What Is the Average Salary of an NFL Player?
Contents
Curious about how much NFL players make? Check out our blog post to learn about the average salary of an NFL player.
The NFL’s Salary Structure
The NFL’s revenue sources
The NFL generates revenue through a variety of sources, including ticket sales, merchandise sales, television contracts, and sponsorship deals. In 2017, the league generated a total of $14 billion in revenue.
Ticket sales are a major source of revenue for the NFL. In 2017, ticket sales generated $1.25 billion in revenue for the league. The average ticket price for an NFL game is $86, though prices vary depending on the team and the venue.
Merchandise sales are another significant source of revenue for the NFL. In 2017, merchandise sales generated $3.7 billion in revenue for the league. The most popular items sold are jerseys and other team-branded apparel.
Television contracts are a major source of revenue for the NFL. In 2017, television contracts generated $7 billion in revenue for the league. The majority of this revenue comes from broadcast rights fees paid by networks such as ESPN, CBS, and FOX.
Sponsorship deals are a significant source of revenue for the NFL. In 2017, sponsorship deals generated $1.6 billion in revenue for the league. The majority of this revenue comes from corporate partners such as PepsiCo and ToyotaMotor Corporation .
How the NFL’s salary cap is calculated
The NFL’s salary cap is calculated as a percentage of the league’s total revenue. For the 2018 season, the salary cap was set at $177.2 million. This means that each team can spend up to that amount on player salaries for the season.
The salary cap is divided evenly among all 32 teams. This means that each team has an equal amount of money to spend on player salaries.
The salary cap is not a hard limit on what a team can spend on player salaries. Teams can exceed the salary cap by up to 10% in any given year. However, they must pay a penalty if they do so.
The penalty for exceeding the salary cap is a fine of up to $5 million and the loss of draft picks. The number of draft picks that a team would lose depends on how much they exceed the salary cap by.
How is the NFL’s salary cap calculated? The answer is simple: it’s a percentage of the league’s total revenue.
Average NFL Player Salaries
As of the 2018 season, the average salary for an NFL player is $2.1 million per year. This number has been on the rise over the past few years, as the league continues to grow in popularity. The highest-paid player in the NFL is currently Khalil Mack, who makes an annual salary of $23.5 million.
By position
The average salary for an NFL player varies depending on their position. The highest-paid position is quarterback, with an average salary of $2.7 million per year. The lowest-paid position is offensive or defensive line, with an average salary of $1.1 million per year.
By experience
Rookie contracts are not as lucrative as they used to be, but first-year players still earn significantly more than the league minimum. In 2019, the minimum salary for an NFL player is $495,000, while rookies selected in the first round of the draft will earn an average of $8.1 million per year.
Players with three or more years of experience will earn an average of $2 million per year, while those with six or more years of experience will earn an average of $3 million per year. The highest-paid player in the NFL is currently Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who is set to earn $33.5 million in 2019.
Highest-Paid NFL Players
The average NFL salary has been on the rise in recent years and is now $2.7 million per year. That’s a lot of money! But, it’s not just the average player that is making big bucks. The highest-paid NFL players are making $20 million or more per year. Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest-paid NFL players.
By position
Quarterbacks are the highest-paid players in the NFL, with an average salary of $2.7 million per year. Running backs are next, with an average salary of $1.9 million per year. Wide receivers are third, with an average salary of $1.4 million per year.
Defensive players make significantly less than offensive players, with defensive linemen averaging $1.2 million per year, linebackers averaging $800,000 per year, and defensive backs averaging $600,000 per year.
By experience
In general, the longer a player has been in the NFL, the higher their salary will be. This is because players who have been in the league longer tend to be more experienced and therefore more valuable to their team. Here is a breakdown of NFL player salaries by experience level:
Rookies: $435,000
2-3 years: $660,000
4-6 years: $950,000
7-9 years: $1.2 million
10+ years: $1.6 million
