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How Much Was John Madden Worth at the Time of His Passing at Age 85?

January 2, 2022

2 min Read

Written by Dawn Allcot

Edited by Cory Dudak

Tony Dejak / AP / Shutterstock.com

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Famed NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden died on Dec. 28 at the age of 85. No cause was detailed in the media, and the NFL said it was unexpected. With a winning percentage of 0.759, the former Oakland Raiders coach had the best record in the NFL among coaches with more than 100 games. As a commentator and analyst, Madden won 16 Emmy Awards. He was also the name behind the EA Sports video game franchise Madden Football. Yet, ESPN reported, Madden always considered himself a coach first and foremost. How much was the sports legend worth when he passed away?

John Madden was worth $200 million in 2021 when he died, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He was the first broadcaster to earn a $1 million salary, and was also one of the first entertainers to earn more than$1 million per year through celebrity endorsements, the website stated.

Although Madden had aspirations to play in the NFL after college, he suffered a career-ending injury in his first training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. He went on to earn a teaching degree and, by 1960, had begun his coaching career as an assistant coach at Allan Hancock College, Celebrity Net Worth noted.

Madden joined the Oakland Raiders in 1967 as linebacker’s coach, and, two years later, became the youngest head coach in NFL history.

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Once Madden retired in 1979, he began his career as a broadcaster, where he earned as much as $8 million a year.

However, Madden’s true cash cow was an agreement with EA Sports to sell NFL video games bearing his name and image. Between 2005 and 2009, he earned roughly $2 million per year for his involvement with the video games. He also received $150 million for allowing EA Sports to use his name and likeness on the video games in perpetuity.

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