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Jake Paul made a whopping $40 million from boxing in 2021. The man who began his career on social media has had the most financial success since he transitioned into boxing. A natural comparison point can then be what other professionals in the field of sports earn and whether the dedication they put `week in and week out can match what Paul earned in 2021.
Since the $40 million that Jake Paul earned is purely from boxing and not from any other endeavors (he earned $5 million from them, including videos), we will be focussing on on-field earnings for NFL players as well. All values are gross before taxes and since two regular-season games were played in 2022, 2021 earnings for NFL players have been accordingly adjusted pro-rata. One regular game of the 2020 season played in 2021 is also included therein.
Note that only half of the base salary is paid out at the end of the regular season, with the balance coming after 36 weeks. Hence, 2021 earnings from regular season represent 44.4 percent of the value.
NFL's top earners on the field compared to Jake Paul in the ring
#5 - Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons - USD 24.72 million
Matt Ryan sneaked into this list due to a salary cap restructure the team had to undergo to increase cap space, but that was beneficial to him in the short term. $21 million from his base salary was converted to a roster bonus and paid out in the form of a signing bonus this year by the Atlanta Falcons. Therefore he received that weekly over the season whereas others received only half of their base salary at the end of the regular season. That makes up the bulk of his earnings in 2021, but it is still less than what Jake Paul earned.
#4 - Leonard Williams, DE, New York Giants - USD 26.07 million
Leonard Williams comes into this list because of the $66 million three-year contract that he signed with the New York Giants. $45 million of it is fully guaranteed, out of which $22.5 million was due last year as a signing bonus. It is the receipt of the signing bonus that makes up the majority of his earnings in 2021 and is the highest ever signing bonus in the Giants' history.
Despite the nature of his earnings and the fact that he is featured in the top five earners in the NFL, it does not come close to what Jake Paul earned in the boxing ring.
Top 3 NFL top earners for 2021 as compared to Jake Paul
#3 - Tom Brady, QB. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - USD 29.74 million
Jake Paul can be the man in the boxing ring, but the real man in the arena is Tom Brady, and he has been so in the NFL for the past two decades. He is the NFL's most marketable brand and if his off-the-field earnings were to be considered, his $45 million would dwarf Jake Paul and all other NFL players.
But when considering on-the-field earnings, Tom Brady does not feature at the top and never has. He has always taken pay cuts to ensure that there are better players around him who can help him win more, because the value of success can then be monetized off the field. Additionally, it helps to have Gisele Bundchen as your wife who can provide economic stability at the same standard of living.
Tom Brady's earnings on the field in 2021 are $29.735 million. He could have earned $15 million more last year but that amount of the signing bonus was deferred to February 2022. The compensation also includes $3.375 million in incentives he received after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl. But that is not enough to beat what Jake Paul earned in 2021 from boxing.
#2 - Trent Williams, OT, San Francisco 49ers - USD 32.14 million
Second on the list of the top five earners in the NFL in 2021 is offensive tackle Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a six-year, $138.06 million contract last year with a base salary of $23.01 million per year. The majority of his earnings last year, though, came from the signing bonus of $30.1 million that he signed last year with the 49ers from free agency. It is the largest of its kind for an offensive lineman. But it is still not enough to beat Jake Paul's $40 million that he earned in three boxing fights in 2021.
#1 - Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys - USD 68.97 million
Dak Prescott sits right at the top on the list of top earners in the NFL in 2021. He signed a new contract and the $66 million signing bonus is almost all payable in 2021. He received $25 million in the first fortnight after signing the contract and the balance of $41 million is spread out in installments across the 2021 NFL regular season.
His total earnings of $68.87 million are far ahead of every NFL player in 2021. He is the only one in the NFL who was higher than what Jake Paul earned. But considering Jake Paul participated in only three fights, his earnings per match remain much higher.
