Most Expensive Super Bowl Rosters of the Past Decade
It costs a lot to get to the Super Bowl.
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Cash is king, and the only way to achieve royalty in the NFL is to spend big.
However, as the following slideshow illustrates, teams have to spend wisely. The franchises that win Super Bowl titles often spread out their spending, not devoting too much of their salary cap to one player.
Find Out: Everything You Can Buy for the Cost of One Super Bowl Ticket
GOBankingRates looked at the Super Bowl participants of the past decade and calculated the active roster total cap hit, plus the cap hit for the highest-paid player.
The average cap hit for the highest-paid player on each team was 13.09%, and the only time the percentage was over 20% was in Super Bowl LI, when quarterback Matt Ryan’s salary of $23,750,000 was 21.09% of the team’s salary cap. (Notably, the Falcons lost.)
In the News: Super Bowl Gives Free Tickets to 7,500 Vaccinated Healthcare Workers
Which team had the highest total cap hit, and who were the highest-paid players of the past decade? Read on to find out more about these pricey teams.
18. Denver Broncos, XLVIII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 43-8 to Seattle Seahawks
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2014
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $96,535,491
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Peyton Manning
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $17,500,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 18.13%
Find Out: How Much Is Peyton Manning Worth?
17. Seattle Seahawks, XLIX
- Super Bowl result: Lost 28-24 to New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 1, 2015
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $96,775,515
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Left Tackle Russell Okung
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $11,240,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.61%
16. New England Patriots, XLVI
- Super Bowl result: Lost 21-17 to New York Giants
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2012
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $99,687,539
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $12,950,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 12.99%
Find Out: What Is Tom Brady’s Net Worth?
15. Baltimore Ravens, XLVII
- Super Bowl result: Won 34-31 over San Francisco 49ers
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2013
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $101,262,723
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Outside Linebacker Terrell Suggs
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $11,520,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.38%
Did You Know: 27 Richest No. 1 NFL Draft Picks
14. Seattle Seahawks, XLVIII
- Super Bowl result: Won 43-8 over Denver Broncos
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2014
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $101,503,464
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Left Tackle Russell Okung
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $9,540,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 9.40%
Read More: The Biggest Bargain on Every NFL Roster
13. New England Patriots, XLIX
- Super Bowl result: Won 28-24 over Seattle Seahawks
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 1, 2015
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $102,677,088
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,800,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 14.41%
Find Out: Which NFL Hall of Famer Has the Highest Net Worth?
12. Atlanta Falcons, LI
- Super Bowl result: Lost 34-28 in overtime to New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2017
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $112,615,074
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Matt Ryan
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $23,750,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 21.09%
Did You Know: How Much Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Other QBs Make Per Career TD Thrown
11. New York Giants, XLVI
- Super Bowl result: Won 21-17 over New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2012
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $115,157,173
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Eli Manning
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,100,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 12.24%
Find Out: How Much Is Eli Manning Worth?
10. New England Patriots, LI
- Super Bowl result: Won 34-28 in overtime over Atlanta Falcons
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2017
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $117,616,342
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $13,764,705
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.70%
9. Carolina Panthers, 50
- Super Bowl result: Lost 24-10 to Denver Broncos
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 7, 2016
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $121,004,274
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Defensive End Charles Johnson
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $20,020,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 16.54%
Find Out: Here’s How Rich Every NFL Team Is
8. Kansas City Chiefs, LIV
- Super Bowl result: Won 31-20 over San Francisco 49ers
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2020
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $124,461,112
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $19,200,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 15.43%
7. New England Patriots, LII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 41-33 to Philadelphia Eagles
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 4, 2018
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $129,468,455
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,000,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 10.81%
Find Out: What NFL Teams Are Making With Limited Fan Capacity
6. Philadelphia Eagles, LII
- Super Bowl result: Won 41-33 over New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 4, 2018
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $130,626,348
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $10,750,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 8.23%
Fun Facts: 25 Athletes Who Were Born Rich
5. San Francisco 49ers, XLVII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 34-31 to Baltimore Ravens
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2013
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $130,707,457
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Inside Linebacker Patrick Willis
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $17,777,332
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 13.60%
Did You Know: The Richest Athletes in the World
4. Denver Broncos, 50
- Super Bowl result: Won 24-10 over Carolina Panthers
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 7, 2016
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $134,668,943
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Peyton Manning
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $17,500,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 12.99%
Who’s Richer: These Sports Stars or Their Significant Others?
3. New England Patriots, LIII
- Super Bowl result: Won 13-3 over Los Angeles Rams
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2019
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $155,807,993
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $22,000,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 14.12%
2. Los Angeles Rams, LIII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 13-3 to New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2019
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $158,606,483
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,500,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 9.14%
1. San Francisco 49ers, LIV
- Super Bowl result: Lost 31-20 to Kansas City Chiefs
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2020
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $167,604,341
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $20,000,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.93%
More From GOBankingRates
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- How To Rebound From a Bad Financial Year: 2020 Edition
- Top 100 Banks Leading the U.S. in 2021
- Tips To Keep Your Finances in Order Without Sacrificing What You Want
Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only.
Methodology: In order to discover the most expensive Super Bowl rosters of the past decade, GOBankingRates first used Pro-Football Reference’s “Super Bowl History” data to identify the participants of the last decades’ Super Bowls, as well as the date the games were played. GOBankingRates then found for each Super Bowl’s participating teams: (1) active roster total cap hit for that season; (2) highest-paid player on the roster that season; (3) what the highest-paid player’s cap hit was for that season; and (4) what percent the highest player’s cap hit made up of the total active roster’s cap hit. All data was collected on and up to date as of Jan. 13, 2021.
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Cash is king, and the only way to achieve royalty in the NFL is to spend big.
However, as the following slideshow illustrates, teams have to spend wisely. The franchises that win Super Bowl titles often spread out their spending, not devoting too much of their salary cap to one player.
Find Out: Everything You Can Buy for the Cost of One Super Bowl Ticket
GOBankingRates looked at the Super Bowl participants of the past decade and calculated the active roster total cap hit, plus the cap hit for the highest-paid player.
The average cap hit for the highest-paid player on each team was 13.09%, and the only time the percentage was over 20% was in Super Bowl LI, when quarterback Matt Ryan’s salary of $23,750,000 was 21.09% of the team’s salary cap. (Notably, the Falcons lost.)
In the News: Super Bowl Gives Free Tickets to 7,500 Vaccinated Healthcare Workers
Which team had the highest total cap hit, and who were the highest-paid players of the past decade? Read on to find out more about these pricey teams.
18. Denver Broncos, XLVIII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 43-8 to Seattle Seahawks
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2014
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $96,535,491
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Peyton Manning
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $17,500,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 18.13%
Find Out: How Much Is Peyton Manning Worth?
17. Seattle Seahawks, XLIX
- Super Bowl result: Lost 28-24 to New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 1, 2015
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $96,775,515
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Left Tackle Russell Okung
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $11,240,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.61%
16. New England Patriots, XLVI
- Super Bowl result: Lost 21-17 to New York Giants
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2012
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $99,687,539
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $12,950,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 12.99%
Find Out: What Is Tom Brady’s Net Worth?
15. Baltimore Ravens, XLVII
- Super Bowl result: Won 34-31 over San Francisco 49ers
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2013
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $101,262,723
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Outside Linebacker Terrell Suggs
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $11,520,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.38%
Did You Know: 27 Richest No. 1 NFL Draft Picks
14. Seattle Seahawks, XLVIII
- Super Bowl result: Won 43-8 over Denver Broncos
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2014
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $101,503,464
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Left Tackle Russell Okung
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $9,540,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 9.40%
Read More: The Biggest Bargain on Every NFL Roster
13. New England Patriots, XLIX
- Super Bowl result: Won 28-24 over Seattle Seahawks
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 1, 2015
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $102,677,088
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,800,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 14.41%
Find Out: Which NFL Hall of Famer Has the Highest Net Worth?
12. Atlanta Falcons, LI
- Super Bowl result: Lost 34-28 in overtime to New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2017
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $112,615,074
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Matt Ryan
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $23,750,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 21.09%
Did You Know: How Much Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Other QBs Make Per Career TD Thrown
11. New York Giants, XLVI
- Super Bowl result: Won 21-17 over New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2012
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $115,157,173
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Eli Manning
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,100,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 12.24%
Find Out: How Much Is Eli Manning Worth?
10. New England Patriots, LI
- Super Bowl result: Won 34-28 in overtime over Atlanta Falcons
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 5, 2017
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $117,616,342
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $13,764,705
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.70%
9. Carolina Panthers, 50
- Super Bowl result: Lost 24-10 to Denver Broncos
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 7, 2016
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $121,004,274
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Defensive End Charles Johnson
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $20,020,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 16.54%
Find Out: Here’s How Rich Every NFL Team Is
8. Kansas City Chiefs, LIV
- Super Bowl result: Won 31-20 over San Francisco 49ers
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2020
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $124,461,112
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $19,200,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 15.43%
7. New England Patriots, LII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 41-33 to Philadelphia Eagles
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 4, 2018
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $129,468,455
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,000,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 10.81%
Find Out: What NFL Teams Are Making With Limited Fan Capacity
6. Philadelphia Eagles, LII
- Super Bowl result: Won 41-33 over New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 4, 2018
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $130,626,348
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $10,750,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 8.23%
Fun Facts: 25 Athletes Who Were Born Rich
5. San Francisco 49ers, XLVII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 34-31 to Baltimore Ravens
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2013
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $130,707,457
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Inside Linebacker Patrick Willis
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $17,777,332
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 13.60%
Did You Know: The Richest Athletes in the World
4. Denver Broncos, 50
- Super Bowl result: Won 24-10 over Carolina Panthers
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 7, 2016
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $134,668,943
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Peyton Manning
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $17,500,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 12.99%
Who’s Richer: These Sports Stars or Their Significant Others?
3. New England Patriots, LIII
- Super Bowl result: Won 13-3 over Los Angeles Rams
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2019
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $155,807,993
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Tom Brady
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $22,000,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 14.12%
2. Los Angeles Rams, LIII
- Super Bowl result: Lost 13-3 to New England Patriots
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 3, 2019
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $158,606,483
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $14,500,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 9.14%
1. San Francisco 49ers, LIV
- Super Bowl result: Lost 31-20 to Kansas City Chiefs
- Super Bowl date: Feb. 2, 2020
- Active Roster Total Cap Hit: $167,604,341
- Highest-Paid Player on Roster: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
- Highest-Paid Player’s Cap Hit: $20,000,000
- Highest-Paid Player’s % of Active Roster Cap Hit: 11.93%
More From GOBankingRates
- These Are the Best Banks of 2021 – Did Yours Make the Cut?
- How To Rebound From a Bad Financial Year: 2020 Edition
- Top 100 Banks Leading the U.S. in 2021
- Tips To Keep Your Finances in Order Without Sacrificing What You Want
Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only.
Methodology: In order to discover the most expensive Super Bowl rosters of the past decade, GOBankingRates first used Pro-Football Reference’s “Super Bowl History” data to identify the participants of the last decades’ Super Bowls, as well as the date the games were played. GOBankingRates then found for each Super Bowl’s participating teams: (1) active roster total cap hit for that season; (2) highest-paid player on the roster that season; (3) what the highest-paid player’s cap hit was for that season; and (4) what percent the highest player’s cap hit made up of the total active roster’s cap hit. All data was collected on and up to date as of Jan. 13, 2021.
