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Despite his high-profile, Tom Brady isn’t the highest-paid player in the NFL. Of course, he has an astonishingly high net worth. So you don’t have to feel bad for the Patriots quarterback. But many people — especially those who believe Brady to be the greatest NFL quarterback of all time — think that some of the other quarterbacks in the league don’t deserve to make more than Brady.

Ahead, we’ll take a look at Tom Brady’s net worth. We’ll also answer the question of how much the quarterback makes. And we’ll even discover the reason why he doesn’t make the list of the highest-paid players in the league.

What is Tom Brady’s net worth?

Tom Brady and Alex Guerrero
What is Tom Brady’s net worth? | Elsa/Getty Images

Tom Brady’s net worth is even higher than you might expect. But it’s definitely lower than that of his wife, Gisele Bündchen. Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Tom Brady is worth $180 million and Gisele Bündchen is worth $400 million. That brings their combined net worth as a couple to a whopping $580 million. The Street characterizes the couple’s massive net worth as the reason why “he can splurge on things like $16,000 diets.”

However, the publication also points out that during his nearly two-decade career in the NFL, Brady has voluntarily become “something of a bargain for the Patriots.” He has restructured his deals multiple times to help his team’s budget. That explains the amount of money he makes. And, of course, it highlights the reason why he doesn’t make nearly as much as some of the league’s highest-paid players.

How much does Tom Brady make?

Tom Brady will get paid $20 million in 2018, according to Spotrac. His base salary is $4 million, and his average annual salary is $15 million. He has a two-year $30 million contract, including a $10 million signing bonus and $10 million guaranteed. That doesn’t sound shabby at all. But it pales in comparison to what some of the other top players in the league will earn this season.

SB Nation counted 43 players who will have a higher salary than Tom Brady in 2018. The publication reports that Brady agreed to below-market deals in both 2013 and 2016. And the amount of money that Brady makes doesn’t “nearly capture the prolific quarterback’s value.” 43 players will earn higher annual average salaries than Brady’s $15 million base. And 16 will make more than the $20 million that Brady could make if he hits all of his benchmarks.

Where does he stand among the highest-paid NFL players?

Tom Brady work out
How much does Tom Brady make compared to the league’s highest-paid players? | Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Because of the complexity of NFL contracts, experts don’t find it easy to define “highest-paid” when it comes to players. Business Insider reports that depending on what criteria you use, lists of the highest-paid NFL players can look completely different. But Tom Brady doesn’t actually appear on any of the six different lists that the publication compiled:

  1. NFL players who will be paid the most in 2018: Aaron Rodgers ($66.9 million), Jimmy Garoppolo ($42.6 million), Khalil Mack ($41 million), Aaron Donald ($40.9 million), Alex Smith ($40 million)
  2. Players with the largest base salaries: Kirk Cousins ($22.5 million), Ezekiel Ansah and DeMarcus Lawrence ($17.1 million), Russell Wilson ($15.5 million), Calais Campbell ($15 million)
  3. NFL players with the largest average-annual salaries: Aaron Rodgers ($33.5 million), Matt Ryan ($30 million), Kirk Cousins ($28 million), Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5 million), Matthew Stafford ($27 million)
  4. Players with the largest salary cap hits: Jimmy Garoppolo ($37 million), Matthew Stafford ($26.5  million), Derek Carr ($25 million), Joe Flacco ($24.8 million), Andrew Luck ($24.4 million)
  5. NFL players with the largest contracts: Matt Ryan ($150 million), Khalil Mack ($141 million), Jimmy Garoppolo ($137.5 million), Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald ($135 million)
  6. Players who have contracts with the most guaranteed money: Matt Ryan ($100 million), Aaron Rodgers ($98.7 million), Matthew Stafford ($92 million), Khalil Mack ($90 million), Andrew Luck ($87 million)

USA Today noted that Jimmy Garoppolo — who appears on almost all of the lists above — will make nearly twice as much as Tom Brady this year. As the publication reported at the time, “Brady, to be fair, should be making far more then he does, but has famously given the Patriots a discount so the team can spread money to other positions.”

Why Tom Brady settled for lower earnings

Business Insider notes that Brady signed less lucrative contracts to keep his team competitive. The Washington Post reports that “Football has become religion” for Brady. The Post learned from Brady’s friend, Gotham Chopra, that “It is his vocation — it’s what gives his life meaning and purpose.”

Celebrity Net Worth reports that Tom Brady has given up somewhere between $60 million and $100 million during his career to keep the Patriots winning. As he enters his 19th season in the NFL, he’s earned about $197 million so far in his career. As the publication notes, “Had Brady made as much money as the highest-paid quarterback during his contract extension years (2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017), he could have potentially made in the neighborhood of $276 million over his career.”

Of course, his last contract extension came when he was 40 years old. (So he probably couldn’t have commanded the highest salary in the league.) So Celebrity Net Worth targets $60 million as a “realistic estimate” of what Brady has sacrificed throughout his career. “But don’t cry for Brady,” SB Nation advises fans. Given his net worth, he’s doing just fine.

Read more: Inside the Spectacular Homes of Tom Brady

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Jess Bolluyt

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