2. Tom Brady – $196,157,208
Tom Brady was selected with the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. The Michigan product was not destined for NFL stardom by any stretch of the imagination, but that is exactly what he accomplished during his career. A five-time Super Bowl champion, Brady is arguably the best quarterback in the history of the NFL, and his story from being a sixth-round pick to a four-time Super Bowl MVP is the stuff of legend.
Brady’s first contract with the Patriots was a tiny one, as team owner Robert Kraft signed him to a 3yr/$866k contract. However, once Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe and started winning rings, it was time for him to get paid. In 2002, Brady got his first pay day, as the Pats and he agreed to a four-year, $30.145 million deal. That would just be the beginning, as the team would commit over $160 million more to him over the next 14 seasons. In 2016, Brady signed a two-year extension with the team, with $28 of the $41 million being guaranteed.
A 12-time Pro Bowl selection, Brady has done everything a quarterback could possibly do during his NFL career. He is a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and has led the league in touchdowns on four separate occasions. Brady currently sits fourth all-time on the NFL passing yardage list, as he has tallied over 61,000 yards throughout his career.
Brady wants to play well into his 40s and based on his play in 2016, there is no doubt that he is going to make over $200 million in career earnings before all is said and done.