The 15 NFL Players Who Make the Most Money From Endorsements

These players have made some nice money on the side.

By George Malone January 8, 2021 Net Worth 101

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FOXBORO, MA - AUGUST 13: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers drops back to pass in the first quarter against the New England Patriots during a preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 13, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

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It pays to be an NFL quarterback. And companies that quarterbacks sell, too.

Signal callers dominate the list of 15 NFL players who made the most money from endorsements in 2020, GOBankingRates has found. Eleven of the 15 are quarterbacks, with two running backs and two receivers rounding out the list. It doesn’t pay to play defense, apparently.

Did You Know: Here’s How Rich Every NFL Team Is

The average in endorsements for 2020 is impressive, at $4.7 million per year. However, that’s only a small part of the average total of earnings of $34.95 million for these players. It’s important to note that the endorsement and salary information for this list came from Forbes’ 2020 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, which used earnings information from June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020.

The top three players on the list are no surprise, as they’re among the biggest names in sports. However, the distance between the top three and the rest of the list is unexpected. Read on to see the list.

Last updated: Jan. 8, 2021

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 09: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburg Steelers throws a pass against the Cincinnati Benglas at Paul Brown Stadium on January 9, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Andy Lyons / Getty Images

15. Ben Roethlisberger

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 91
2020 Endorsement Money: $1 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $23 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $22 million

Did You Know: 13 NFL Players Who Lost Millions

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©Bruce Kluckhohn/AP/Shutterstock

14. Amari Cooper

Team: Dallas Cowboys
Position: WR
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 75
2020 Endorsement Money: $1 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $24.9 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $23.9 million

Find Out: Which NFL Hall of Famer Has the Highest Net Worth?

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©iStock.com

13. Derek Carr

Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 99
2020 Endorsement Money: $2 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $22 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $20 million

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©AP/REX/Shutterstock

12. Ezekiel Elliott

Team: Dallas Cowboys
Position: RB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 89
2020 Endorsement Money: $2 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $23.3 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $21.3 million

Find Out: The 25 Richest NFL Team Owners

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Duane Burleson/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10050933v)Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) passes the ball against the Detroit Lions during the second half of an NFL football game, in DetroitRams Lions Football, Detroit, USA - 02 Dec 2018.

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Duane Burleson/AP/REX / Shutterstock.com

11. Jared Goff

Team: Los Angeles Rams
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 15
2020 Endorsement Money: $2 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $49 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $47 million

Did You Know: 27 Richest No. 1 NFL Draft Picks

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10. Kirk Cousins

Team: Minnesota Vikings
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 9
2020 Endorsement Money: $2.5 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $60.5 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $58 million

Fun Facts: The Highest-Selling Football Memorabilia of All Time

Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Zalubowski/AP/Shutterstock (11680999ib)Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) in the first half of an NFL football game, in DenverRaiders Broncos Football, Denver, United States - 03 Jan 2021.

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David Zalubowski/AP/Shutterstock / David Zalubowski/AP/Shutterstock

9. Marcus Mariota

Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 83
2020 Endorsement Money: $3 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $23.9 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $20.9 million

Read More: The Richest Athletes in the World

November 25, 2018 - Christian MCCAFFREY (22) runs against the visiting Seattle Seahawks at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

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Action Sports Photography / Shutterstock.com

8. Christian McCaffrey

Team: Carolina Panthers
Position: RB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 63
2020 Endorsement Money: $3 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $26.5 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $23.5 million

Find Out: The 50 Best Rookie Deals in NFL History

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones net worth

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Jeff Haynes/AP/REX / Shutterstock.com

7. Julio Jones

Team: Atlanta Falcons
Position: WR
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 26
2020 Endorsement Money: $3 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $40.5 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $37.5 million

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 30: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws in the first quarter during a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Arlington, Texas.

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Tom Pennington / Getty Images

6. Carson Wentz

Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 10
2020 Endorsement Money: $4 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $59.1 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $55.1 million

Learn More: What NFL Teams Are Making With Limited Fan Capacity

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Matt Patterson/AP/Shutterstock (11028862pu)New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton (1) looks to celebrate after a touchdown pass during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, in HoustonPatriots Texans Football, Houston, United States - 22 Nov 2020.

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Matt Patterson/AP/Shutterstock / Matt Patterson/AP/Shutterstock

5. Cam Newton

Team: New England Patriots
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 97
2020 Endorsement Money: $5.5 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $22.2 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $16.7 million

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons throws a pass during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome on January 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

4. Matt Ryan

Team: Atlanta Falcons
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 47
2020 Endorsement Money: $5.5 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $29.5 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $24 million

Find Out: The Biggest Bargain on Every NFL Roster

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Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

3. Aaron Rodgers

Team: Green Bay Packers
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 45
2020 Endorsement Money: $9 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $30.1 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $21.1 million

Read More: 27 Richest No. 1 NFL Draft Picks

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Danny Karnik/AP/Shutterstock (11659105lr)Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) works during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, in Atlanta.

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Danny Karnik/AP/Shutterstock / Danny Karnik/AP/Shutterstock

2. Tom Brady

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 21
2020 Endorsement Money: $12 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $45 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $33 million

Find Out: How Much Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Other QBs Make Per Career TD Thrown

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 01: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees #9 throws a pass against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 1, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Chris Graythen / Getty Images

1. Drew Brees

Team Played For: New Orleans Saints
Position: QB
Overall Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete Rank: 22
2020 Endorsement Money: $15 million
Total 2020 Earnings: $44.8 million
2020 Salary/Winnings: $29.8 million

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: In order to discover the 15 NFL players who make the most money from endorsements, GOBankingRates looked at Forbes’ “Highest Paid Athletes of 2020” data and isolated all NFL players included. With these 31 NFL players isolated, GOBankingRates found the following data or each: (1) 2020 money earned from endorsements; (2) total overall money earned in 2020; and (3) 2020 money earned from salary/winnings. All players with above $1 million earned in endorsements were included in the final list. GOBankingRates also used Pro-Football Reference to find supplemental data on each player such as (4) team played for and (5) position. All data was collected on and up to date as of Dec. 15, 2020.