Once upon a time, quarterback Tom Brady was all the rage in the world of American football.
However, the athlete seems to have taken a backseat in the recent years despite continuing being one of the main players in the sport. In fact, while he is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the league, his current salary doesn’t seem to reflect it so much…
The 42-year-old athlete isn’t even among the top-paid quarterbacks in the league by a long shot. He doesn’t care at all about that, though.
Not About the Money
You see, playing the sport isn’t about the money for Brady, as he reveals in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. As the footballer explained, he doesn’t really need the money. What more, he says that his New England Patriots teammates make his life easier because of his willingness to take a smaller payout for an athlete of his status.
For Brady, winning and keeping his team’s legacy going are much more important. He also explained how other players will get less if one takes more.
The athlete is currently taking home about $15 million a year. Seems like a lot, huh? Well apparently, the amount is a relatively paltry sum when compared to other NFL players’ salaries. For example, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson signed a contract that gets him $35 million a year until 2024.
A Rich Wife
He also mentioned how his wife makes a lot of money anyway. Being one of the fashion industry’s top-paid models for 10 consecutive years before retiring, Gisele Bundchen has made quite a fortune for herself.
The 38-year-old former Victoria’s Secret angel has an estimated net worth of around $400 million. Add this to Brady’s $180 million and you’ve got a power couple with an impressive fortune of $580 million.
Surely, anybody with that kind of fallback can care less about a little pay cut to continue playing a sport they’re passionate about, right? Besides, the athlete has other sources of income.
He reportedly rakes in some $8 million a year from his endorsement deals with brands like Under Armour, Uggs, and Aston Martin. Safe to say, he wouldn’t be losing his status as a hundred millionaire anytime soon.
Top Paid Player
While he isn’t one of the highest earners in the NFL today, his total career earnings still qualify Brady a spot on the top paid players list in the league’s history. Brady has earned a reported $217.2 million during his almost two decades in the game. And this number is only set to grow as he continues to play for the New England Patriots.
According to Brady, he intends to keep playing the sport until he turns 45. With the $15 million a year deal he currently has, it looks like he’ll be retiring a very rich man nonetheless.