Tom Brady is No. 1 in the NFL once again.
The six-time Super Bowl champion has taken over the top spot on the list of highest-paid NFL players of all time with earnings of $303 million through 22 seasons.
The 45-year-old quarterback — who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 19-16 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Day — could have earned $60 million more if he had not signed discounted contracts with his previous team, the New England Patriots.
Brady’s highest single-season earnings came in 2021 at $39.4 million.
- Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is second at $269.7 million.
- Ben Roethlisberger, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, made $267.3 million.
- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan rounds out the top four with $267 million.
- Fifty-three players have made at least $100 million in their careers.
Being a top earner isn’t new for Brady.
In August, the 15-time Pro Bowler became the NFL’s highest-paid active player. Brady is set to earn $75 million this year, including $45 million from off-field endeavors, per Forbes.
Crypto Controversy
A consortium of investors sued FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in November, along with several high-profile athletes including Brady, after the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange.
The investors alleged that Brady and all of those who promoted FTX “took advantage of unsophisticated investors from across the country,” following the exchange’s bankruptcy.
The suit claims U.S. consumers collectively sustained more than $11 billion in damages.
Brady was named in a second suit that claims paid endorsers should be held accountable for FTX’s downfall.
