How much did Peyton Manning make in his final NFL payday? Gauging iconic QB’s net worth
Peyton Manning was born into footballing royalty, but he is the one that became the undisputed king. The son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, Peyton established himself as one of the greatest QBs of all time. His signal calling and ability to read defenses were legendary, helping change the game forever.
Manning was named the NFL MVP five times for his achievements and won the Super Bowl twice in his career. His success on the field cannot be merely quantified by statistics, though. He was as good a player as fans had ever seen, making him the face of football during his playing career.
That brought in large contracts from the teams he played for, and brands were keen to get his endorsements. Taken together, that made Peyton Manning's net worth rise to the $250 million it is today.
But there was a time when it looked likely that it would all go away. Manning could not play the entirety of the 2011 NFL season after undergoing neck surgery while at the Indianapolis Colts. There was no certainty that he would return; even if he did, there was no guarantee that Manning would still perform at the level he used to.
That was when the Denver Broncos took a chance on him in 2012, and it paid off handsomely. He won another MVP award in 2013, in what was statistically the best season of his career. The Broncos also won another Super Bowl with him at the helm in the final season of his career, and they haven't been back in the big game since his retirement.
It was a mutually beneficial deal in terms of sporting achievements, but how much did Peyton Manning earn at the Broncos? We have taken a look below.
How much did playing with the Denver Broncos help Peyton Manning make his net worth of $250 million?
Peyton Manning signed a five-year $96 million deal with the Denver Broncos in 2012. The Broncos were cash-strapped at that point, so they gave him all his payments as a guaranteed base salary. Due to his injury, the five-year contract had injury clauses that allowed Denver to consider it year on year. Manning would go on to play four seasons with them.
He received $18 million in his first year of signing. The Broncos paid his salary weekly over 17 games weeks of the NFL season. The following year, he received only $15 million in guaranteed base salary, but he got a restructuring bonus of $10 million to top it up. Manning earned $25 million in 2013, repaying the Broncos as he won the MVP and leading them to an appearance in the Super Bowl.
Because of the restructured contract, he would receive another $10 million in 2014. In 2016, he earned another $15 million in his final season and capped it off with a Super Bowl win that gave him an incentive of a further $4 million.
"It was the perfect finish to a legendary career."
Jim Nantz has fond memories of Peyton Manning after Super Bowl 50.
Watch this classic @Broncos victory tonight at 10 PM ET on @CBSSportsNet. https://t.co/vGalHeLjbI
In total, Peyton Manning earned $77 million with the Denver Broncos. This included $63 million in guaranteed salary over the four seasons he played and $14 million in restructuring bonuses and incentives.
He earned far more in his 14-year career with the Indianapolis Colts, making above $170 million during his time with them. However, Manning's earnings per season with the Denver Broncos were much higher at $19.25 million compared to a little over $12 million with the Colts.
Hence, when we look at Peyton Manning's net worth today, the Hall-of-Famer should be content that he took the Denver Broncos gig. Not only did it win him his second Super Bowl, but it also contributed massively to his current financial standing.