RICH PLAYERS

Top Paid NFL Players: Dwight Freeney, Peyton Manning & More (PHOTOS)

They get paid how much to throw a ball around?! From Dwight Freeney to Peyton Manning, the NFL’s top dogs.

Tony Avelar/AP; Jack Dempsey/AP; Denis Poroy/AP; Rich Schultz/Getty

By The Daily BeastFeb 06, 2013

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-tease_aizlmr — The average NFL player is only in the game professionally for 3.3 years, but for those who endure season after season of being tackled by enormous dudes, there are riches galore. As CelebrityNetWorth recently calculated, the highest-earning player in the NFL rakes in more than $19 million a year—and that’s not even counting the millions earned through endorsement deals. With the season freshly concluded, see which players have the biggest paychecks in the league, from Dwight Freeney to Peyton Manning.
Tony Avelar/AP; Jack Dempsey/AP; Denis Poroy/AP; Rich Schultz/Getty

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-freeney_dnp4wz — 1. Dwight Freeney
$19,035,000

Indianapolis Colts veteran and seven-time Pro Bowl selection Dwight Freeney is officially the highest paid player in the NFL—a title Peyton Manning used to hold. The 32-year-old linebacker takes home a hefty $14.035 million plus a roster/signing bonus of $5 million.

George Gojkovich/Getty

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-dumervil_iv7bad — 2. Elvis Dumervil
$18,948,000

Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil’s annual haul—a $14 million base salary plus a roster bonus of $4.525 million—is especially impressive considering his humble beginnings as one of 10 kids raised by Haitian parents (and yes, he donated to relief efforts after the 2009 Haiti earthquake).

Jack Dempsey/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-manning_c8z1zh — 3. Peyton Manning
$18,000,000

As of last July, Sports Illustrated calculated Peyton Manning to be the highest paid player in the NFL—but that was counting endorsements. Minus the dough he earns for shilling products like Papa John’s Pizza, MasterCard, Gatorade, and Oreo cookies, he rakes in $18 million and comes in third on the list of highest-paid players.

Jack Dempsey/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-long_suqksm — 4. Chris Long
$16,360,000

St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long’s total haul comes in at more than $16 million when you combine his $10.3 million base salary and signing bonus of $6.05 million. As for how Chris spends his time with all those millions to roll around in? Posting pictures of his bulldog on Twitter, apparently.

Seth Perlman/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-bradford_qveigt — 5. Sam Bradford
$15,595,000

Long’s teammate, quarterback Sam Bradford, comes in fifth place with a base salary of $6 million and a whopping $9.5 million roster/signing bonus.
Elaine Thompson/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-rivers_h1bw3e — 6. Philip Rivers
$15,310,000

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers also clocks into the $15 million salary range, with a base salary of $10.2 million and a $5.1 million roster/signing bonus.

Denis Poroy/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-allen_eci6sn — 7. Jared Allen
$15,203,194

Minnesota Viking Jared Allen has more than $15 million to keep him company while he recovers from shoulder surgery in the off season.
Genevieve Ross/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-williams_e7kd7k — 8. Trent Williams
$14,000,000

Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams may have had a rough start to 2013—he was reportedly assaulted by a Honolulu nightclub owner, leaving Williams in need of stitches—but he’s got a tidy $14 million to alleviate his pain.
Richard Lipski/AP

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-vick_af0uwn — 9. Michael Vick
$13,900,000

Quarterback Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles has a tumultuous 2013 ahead of him, with his team maybe, probably putting him on the market.
Rich Schultz/Getty

galleries/2013/02/06/top-paid-nfl-players-dwight-freeney-peyton-manning-more-photos/top-nfl-fitzgerald_ekwjqa — 10. Larry Fitzgerald
$13,250,000

So Larry Fitzgerald, Edward James Olmos, and Jan Brewer walk onto a private jet ... (This really happened. See proof here.) When he’s not hanging out with the governor of Arizona, however, the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver plays to the tune of a $5 million base salary and an $8.2 million roster/signing bonus.
Tony Avelar/AP

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