Donovan McNabb and the State of Football
The USFL was reborn last weekend after three decades — and although the league’s salaries are no match for those in the NFL, they are more egalitarian.
Each player makes $600 per week for training camp and $4,500 for being on the active roster during each game, according to USFL News. Practice squad players make $1,500 per game.
While the regular-season “salary” for a player is less than $50,000, there are a few opportunities for bonuses.
Players can earn $850 per win and $10,000 if they win the championship, per CBS.
The numbers differ largely from some of the splashier, multimillion-dollar contracts offered during the USFL of yore — though in at least one case, the full contract reportedly wasn’t paid out.
The NFL’s minimum salary, by contrast, is $705,000 this year, per Spotrac.
The season consists of 10 weeks — with four games played each weekend. The season debut aired on Fox and NBC and drew a combined viewership of about 3 million.
