How much did Vikings contract plump up Brett Favre's net worth? A look at iconic QB's final contract
Brett Favre has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. He has been accused of allegedly diverting funds meant for poor people in Mississippi to build volleyball courts at the University of Southern Mississippi. The university is both his alma mater and where his daughter was a volleyball player at the time of the scandal. He has been further accused of taking speaking fees and not attending the speeches. He has returned the fees, but the interest is reportedly still pending. This is, of course, not the first time he has been in the news for the wrong reasons. During his playing career, he was embroiled in a sexting scandal that took some sheen to his achievements on the field.
His achievements on the field, though, were pretty special. He was the franchise quarterback for the Green Bay Packers and won a Super Bowl with them before reaching another championship game. He also played for the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings after Aaron Rodgers took over from him in Green Bay. He was as good a quarterback as there ever was and that contributed a lot to his net worth, which stands at around $100 million today.
His achievements on the field also caused him to be in demand until the end of his career. He was already 39-years-old when he signed his final NFL contract with the Minnesota Vikings. It was a substantial amount and helped add immensely to his net worth.
How much did the Minnesota Viking's contract contribute to Brett Favre's net worth of $100 million?
Brett Favre left the Green Bay Packers to go to the New York Jets after coming out of retirement. A year later, in 2009, he was at it again after retiring from the Jets that left him free to turn up at the Minnesota Vikings.
Brett Favre signed a $25 million contract, which paid $12 million in the first season and $13 million the next season. The $12 million for the first season was deferred in instalments of $4 million in 2009, 2010, and 2011. All of it was guaranteed and not related to any performance clauses. To give the Minnesota Vikings a way out if something went wrong considering his age, they had a skill and injury clause inserted. It allowed them to pay him only $6 million, if he got injured or did not play up to a starting quarterback caliber. As it happened, they never had to use the clause.
Brett Favre played a magical 2009 season when he took the Minnesota Vikings all the way to the NFC Championship. Despite losing that game to eventual Super Bowl winners the New Orleans Saints, he set pass completions and yards record in that game.
That allowed him to return next season and demand more from the Vikings. They were willing to oblige him and gave Brett Favre a new $3 million signing bonus and a $4 million conditional bonus depending on his playoff performances. They also brought back Randy Moss, hoping that would put them over the top and help them win their first Super Bowl. As it turns out, they finished with a 6-10 record and bottom in the NFC North and did not qualify for the playoffs. Randy Moss moved to the Tennessee Titans during the season and Brett Favre would retire for good after the season.
In total, he earned $25 million from the initial contract he signed with the Vikings and $3 million in signing bonuses in 2010, for a total of $28 million. While his career did not end the way he would have hoped, he certainly earned quite a bit in Minnesota to add to his net worth.