American football's big earners
Though Aaron Rodgers (left) and Tom Brady are arguably the two best quarterbacks in the NFL, both are outside the elite level of earners this season. Here are the top 20 highest-paid NFL players for 2017, based on average yearly salaries in their contracts. (Source: NFL.com)
American football's big earners
No. 19 (tie): Sam Bradford, $18 million – After six mostly disappointing seasons in St Louis and Philadelphia, the first overall pick of the 2010 draft has finally found a home. Although Minnesota did not qualify for the playoffs with an 8-8 record, Sam Bradford was mostly error-free, throwing 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions on his way to an excellent 99 passer rating in 2016.
American football's big earners
No. 19 (tie): Brock Osweiler, $18 million – Brock Osweiler has endured a bumpy road on his way back to Denver. Peyton Manning's former understudy experienced a difficult 2016 spell at Texas (15 TDs, 16 INTs) before being traded to Cleveland and subsequently released. The former Arizona State standout was 5-2 as a starter in Denver filling in for Manning, and Broncos fans hope he can restore some of that magic this season.
American football's big earners
No. 18: Ndamukong Suh, $19.1 million – Ndamukong Suh was signed by the Miami Dolphins for a six-year, $114 million contract in March 2015, making him the highest paid defensive player in history at the time -- hefty numbers for a 30-year-old lineman who has yet to match the 10 sacks achieved during his rookie season with the Detroit Lions.
American football's big earners
No. 17: Von Miller, $19.1 million – The MVP of Super Bowl 50 for the Denver Broncos single-handedly badgered Panthers quarterback Cam Newton into submission, with 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 quarterback hurries in the title game. Von Miller promptly signed a $114.5 million deal ($70 million guaranteed) with the Broncos, making him the richest defensive player in NFL history.
American football's big earners
No. 16: Ryan Tannehill, $19.25 million – Though Ryan Tannehill (#17) has shown promise in his five seasons in the league, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the pre-season. A former part-time receiver in college at Texas A&M, Tannehill has been one of the speediest quarterbacks in the league -- a quality which will be tested after knee surgery. In a 44-26 win against Houston in 2015, Tannehill became the 64th quarterback in NFL history to record a perfect passer rating, throwing four TDs, with 18 completions in 19 attempts.
American football's big earners
No. 15: Tom Brady, $20.5 million – With five Super Bowl rings, 12 Pro Bowls, four Super Bowl MVP award and two NFL MVP awards, tom Brady is the one player in the list who can claim to be underpaid. At 40, he's on the back end of a two-year, $41 million contract, but has left money on the table in previous negotiations to sign better players around him -- a plan that has yielded a record...
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