Looks like the San Francisco 49ers' "record-breaking" contract with one of its star players is paying off.
CNBC Make It used data from sports contract website Spotrac to find the 2019-2020 average salary for each player on the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, who are competing in Super Bowl LIV. The highest-paid player in this year's Super Bowl is 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whose average annual salary is an astounding $27.5 million.
That far surpasses the highest-paid player in last year's game, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who earned an average annual salary of $22.5 million during the 2018-2019 season.
Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark is the Super Bowler earning the highest average salary this year after Garoppolo, at $20.8 million, per Spotrac.
Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was drafted in 2017, is a steal for Kansas City, with an average salary of $4.1 million — at least until he signs a new contract extension.
The 28-year-old Garoppolo signed a record five-year, $137.5 million contract with the 49ers in 2018, with $74 million guaranteed (unlike other professional sports leagues, NFL contracts are not fully guaranteed. They can be guaranteed for three purposes: skill, a team's salary cap and/or injury). At the time, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo called it the "biggest deal in NFL history on an average-per-year basis."
An NFL player's earnings depend on a variety of factors, including their base contract, NFL salary caps, bonuses, performance incentives and endorsement deals. So while Garoppolo's contract averages $27.5 million per year, what he actually earns in a given year varies.
The top-earning NFL players in 2020
Despite his record-breaking contract, Garoppolo comes in eighth in the league in average pay this year. Here are the other top earners this year:
- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson: $35 million
- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: $34 million
- (Tied) Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff: $33.5 million
- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz: $32 million
- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan: $30 million
- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins: $28 million
If the 49ers win, Garoppolo can expect a bonus payday: Sunday's champs will take home an additional $124,000 each, per the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.
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