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It’s already common knowledge that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.
But being one of the highest-paid athletes in the world? That’s a different level.
Forbes placed Burrow, 27 years old, at No. 11 on its list of the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world in an article released on May 16, listing $100 million in earnings over the previous 12 months.
Burrow’s earning were split between $96 million in on-field earnings and $4 million in off-field earnings.
“Burrow’s five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 set an NFL contract record with an average annual value of $55 million,” Forbes wrote. “Burrow works with a half-dozen brands off the field, including Nike, Kroger Health and Guinness, and has inspired a multitude of nicknames, including Joe Cool, Joe Brrr and Joe Shiesty.”
Portugese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, 39 years old, topped the list for the fourth time in his career with $260 million in earnings over the previous 12 months.
NFL Players Dot Forbes Top 50 Highest Paid
Burrow wasn’t the only NFL player to make Forbes’ list of the Top 50 highest-paid professional athletes in the world.
In total, 11 NFL playes made the list, led by 7 quarterbacks, including five quarterbacks in the Top 20.
Burrow was the second-highest NFL player to make the list and one spot behind two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at No. 10 — Jackson made a reported $100.5 million over the previous 12 months.
Two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes ($84.4 million) came in at No. 15, followed by New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers at No. 18 ($80.8 million) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert at No. 20 ($67.7 million).
Mahomes had the highest off-field earnings by a wide margin at $25 million over the previous 12 months — Herbert was far behind at $11 million.
Other NFL players to make the list were San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa at No. 22 ($68 million), Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins at No. 24 ($62.5 million), Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones at No. 36 ($54.1 million), New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns at No. 41 ($51.7 million), Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson at No. 45 ($47 million) and Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary at No. 46 ($46.5 million).
Burrow Missed Playoffs After Landing Big Payday
After Burrow secured his big payday in March 2023, he and the Bengals took a big step backwards, missing the playoffs after making the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship Game in 2022.
Burrow’s health status was at the crux of those failures — he suffered a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery in Week 11 and forced him to miss the last 7 games of the season. It was Burrow’s second season-ending injury in four seasons after the Bengals made him the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in 2020.
Burrow returned to throwing the football in May and appears on track to start the 2023 season healthy.
“I’m growing and learning how to handle my body,” Burrow said on May 7. “It’s a process of learning to push through something that might not be there and also learning when the muscles are a little tight and we need to pull back a little today.
“It’s a continued process, day in and day out. It’s part of growing as a pro.”
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