Being a quarterback in the NFL is one of the most high-profile jobs in sports. The greatest players at the position go down in history. Playing quarterback in the NFL isn’t just high-profile, it’s also lucrative. These quarterbacks worked hard and got paid a lot of money to become the wealthiest NFL QBs of all time.
The player at No. 5 has a lot of money despite some terrible investments, while the No. 1 player on our countdown is far and away the richest NFL QB of all time.
15. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is the man with a big bank account. | Rob Carr/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $30 million
Off the field, his family life is a mess and his love life is complicated, but none of that impacts the nice paycheck Aaron Rodgers gets for what he does on the field. His $30 million net worth is a very low estimate. He’s made $136 million in his career, according to Spotrac, and that number will only increase as Rodgers recently signed a huge contract extension that could be worth as much as $180 million with incentives.
14. Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe at Super Bowl 36. | Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $48 million
Even though he’s famous for getting injured and not leading the New England Patriots to a win in Super Bowl 36, Drew Bledsoe enjoyed a long career. The No. 1 pick in 1993 played until 2006. His years in the NFL and his ownership stake in Doubleback Winery give him a $48 million net worth.
13. Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco makes a ton of money from his bad contract. | Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $55 million
Joe Flacco has one of the worst NFL contracts out there (at least from the team’s perspective), but we’re guessing he doesn’t care at all. The massive deal he signed after leading the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl 47 title makes him one of the highest-paid players in the game and one of the wealthiest NFL QBs ever.
11. Carson Palmer (TIE)
Carson Palmer has plenty of money in the bank for a nice retirement. | Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $60 million
Carson Palmer won college football’s Heisman Trophy, was the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft in 2003, was an MVP candidate in 2015, and has a $60 million fortune. The only honors he doesn’t have are big wins. He’s one of the best quarterbacks without a Super Bowl win, and he came up short of winning an NCAA title at USC, too.
11. Fran Tarkenton (TIE)
Fran Tarkenton. | Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $60 million
Fran Tarkenton’s name might not ring a bell to some 21st-century football fans, but he was an elite quarterback in his time. He passed for 47,000 yards in his career and guided the Minnesota Vikings to three Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s. He started a software company after he retired, and that business success helps give him a $60 million net worth.
10. Ben Roethlisberger
Two big contract extensions give Ben Roethlisberger $70 million in the bank. | Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $70 million
Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL career started in 2004, and he guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to Super Bowl titles in 2005 and 2008. Since joining the league, he’s signed two big contract extensions, which, when combined with endorsement deals, give him a net worth of $70 million.
8. Drew Brees (TIE)
Drew Brees is pumped to have so much money in the bank. | Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $80 million
When Drew Brees decides to retire, he’ll probably be No. 1 on the career passing yards list. And when he hangs up his cleats for good, he’ll do so as one of the wealthiest NFL QBs ever with his $80 million net worth thanks to his contracts and many endorsement deals.
8. Joe Montana (TIE)
Joe Montana has millions in the bank. | David Maxwell/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $80 million
The San Francisco 49ers appeared in four Super Bowls in the 1980s with Joe Montana as the quarterback, and they won them all. Montana retired in 1994, but his investments and $50,000 speaking engagements make him one of the wealthiest NFL QBs ever with $80 million in the bank.
6. Brett Favre (TIE)
Brett Favre made a ton of money during a 20-year NFL career. | Todd Warshaw/Allsport
Estimated net worth: $100 million
Twenty years worth of big-time contracts makes Brett Favre among the wealthiest NFL QBs we’ve ever seen. He played from 1991 to 2010 and was the face of the league for a long time, so he left the game with about $100 million through his contracts and endorsements. Favre also made about $225,000 in severance pay when he retired, according to Forbes, which barely impacts his net worth but is interesting to note.
6. Eli Manning (TIE)
Eli Manning looked at his net worth, and it’s good. | Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $100 million
Eli Manning’s future with the New York Giants is uncertain, and he’s nearing retirement age, but he could sign another contract and add to the net worth that makes him one of the wealthiest NFL QBs out there. Whether or not he retires or keeps playing, he’ll have that $100 million plus some endorsement money to fall back on.
5. John Elway
John Elway won titles in Denver as a player and a general manager. | Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $145 million
Sinking money into a Ponzi scheme and turning down a chance to buy a stake in the Denver Broncos are two terrible investment decisions that haunt John Elway. That said, he’s probably not losing much sleep over it. He’s signed on as the Broncos’ general manager through 2021, and he owns successful restaurants and car dealerships that boost his net worth.
4. Tom Brady
Even Tom Brady is amazed he’s one of the wealthiest NFL QBs of all time. | Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $180 million
We’re not going to spend time guessing when Tom Brady will finally retire or what will happen to the Patriots when he does. Instead, let’s focus on the fact Brady is the winningest quarterback ever and one of the wealthiest NFL QBs in history.
2. Steve Young (TIE)
Steve Young charts his net worth during his NFL playing days. | Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $200 million
Steve Young earned a nice payday as the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, and before that he made a fortune playing in the USFL. In fact, Young still gets a paycheck from his backloaded USFL contract, but a lot of his $200 million fortune comes from being a founding partner in private equity firm HGGC. He earns more from HGGC than he ever did under center.
2. Peyton Manning (TIE)
Career earnings, endorsements money make Peyton Manning one of the wealthiest NFL QBs. | Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $200 million
A storied 18-year NFL career with numerous contracts and signing bonuses make Peyton Manning rich. Endorsements with Buick, Papa John’s, DirecTV, Gatorade, and more make him one of the wealthiest NFL QBs we’re ever going to see.
1. Roger Staubach
Former NFL quarterback Roger Staubach is a multi-millionaire. | Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Estimated net worth: $600 million
The NFL wasn’t doling out million-dollar salaries in the late 1960s and early 70s when Roger Staubach was playing, so he worked in the offseason selling real estate. The two-time Super Bowl winner eventually started his own real estate company, which he sold for $640 million in 2008, according to Forbes, which is how he became the wealthiest quarterback in NFL history.
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