Super Bowl pay a drop in the bucket for NFL elite
By Jeff Adcox
Reaching the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl is the goal of every player worth his salt in the NFL. But as it turns out, fame, not fortune, is all that awaits many of the players.
Most players receive what can only be classified as a small bonus from the league when their team makes it into the playoffs. The farther the team gets, the more bonuses the players collect, but for the league’s biggest stars these checks pale in comparison to their yearly salary and having a chance to play for a championship.
CBS Sports recently reported the paychecks that players can expect as their teams advance through the playoffs.
Pay scale
- Wild-card game (division winners): $23,000
- Wild-card game (non-division winners: $21,000
- Divisional playoff game: $23,000
- Conference championship game: $42,000
- Super Bowl winning team: $92,000
- Super Bowl losing Team: $46,000
The report also listed some of the biggest individual winners and losers when it comes to being paid to play after the 17-week season is over.
"Most players take a significant paycut in the playoffs because their salaries have no bearing on what they make in the postseason. Players typically receive their entire salary over the course of the 17-week regular season. For example, Peyton Manning made almost $900,000 per week during the regular season from his $15 million base salary but will receive $23,000 for the Denver Broncos’ divisional playoff game, just like the rest of his teammates.For a player like Pro Bowl linebacker Vontaze Burfict, a 2012 undrafted free agent, winning the Super Bowl would be more meaningful financially than to most of his teammates since he is only making his $480,000 league minimum salary this season. An additional $180,000 represents 37.5 percent of his 2013 salary."
I know we should all be so lucky to be in a position to earn a “bonus” that would equal the salary most of us make all year, but sometimes it is fun to see how the other half live.