Cam Newton Says He Once Made $1 Million a Week at the Height of His NFL Career

By 2026, Cam Newton has firmly entered a new chapter. The former NFL MVP has reintroduced himself as a media entrepreneur while operating a sprawling Atlanta-based studio that houses his production company, Iconic Saga, alongside other business ventures. At the same time, Newton’s football legacy continues to loom large. The Carolina Panthers have publicly sought to reconnect with the franchise icon. Now, we’re looking back at a 2025 clip that shows Newton discussing his finances. Here’s what he said about how he once earned $1 million a week in the NFL.

NFL legend Cam Newton said he’s never been able to match his previous NFL weekly earnings

Ex-NFL star Cam Newton’s fame is rooted in elite athletic achievement and cultural impact that extends far beyond the football field. After winning the Heisman Trophy at Auburn in 2010 and leading the Tigers to a national championship, Newton entered the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick. And he quickly became one of the league’s most recognizable stars. In his 2015 MVP season, he led the Carolina Panthers to a 15–1 record and a Super Bowl appearance. This cemented his status as a generational quarterback.

Alongside his on-field accomplishments, Newton’s candid interviews made him a polarizing but unavoidable figure in sports culture. And he openly discussed his past financial situation on his podcast, 4th&1 With Cam Newton, in February 2025. According to Benzinga, Newton referenced a clip from Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, where he discussed his finances post-NFL career.

“To be able to have touched the money that I’ve touched, I’ll be a fool to be broke right now,” Newton noted. “… In one given year, I’ve made $20 million-plus dollars. It’s not the flex, it’s documented. Twenty-million dollars in the NFL, you make all that money in 17 weeks…. So, to break this clip down, when saying I’m not able to provide like I once did, I was making a million dollars in a week.”

Newton explained how many athletes make the bulk of their money early in their careers. “I’m used to a million dollars a [week],” he continued, “what in the world could I do that can make me a million dollars a [week] legally? … There’s nothing that I’ve created yet that could provide a million dollars a week. So, when people hear that I’m not able to provide like I once did … I have not made in the last three years, making a million dollars a week.”

Later in the podcast, Newton noted that taxes are the “only thing” that “kill” earners in his tax bracket. “You don’t go broke because you just have these splurging yachts, and houses, and this. You go broke because you don’t understand the value of how to use your money to pay your taxes. That million-dollar-a-week year, I got taxed near $7 million, $10 million.”