Broncos QB Peyton Manning "leads the way" among the NFL's highest-paid endorsers with $12M in off-field earnings, as he "has been the most marketable NFL player for most of the past decade," according to Kurt Badenhausen of FORBES. Manning's "current partners include" Buick, Nationwide, Papa John’s,
Gatorade and DirecTV. He "joined the Nike family last year after 12
years pitching for Reebok." As part of his Papa John’s deal signed in
'12, he "became a franchisee of the pizza brand with more than two dozen
franchises in the Denver area." The four highest-paid NFLers from an off-field perspective "are all signal callers," and of the nine NFLers who "will pull in" at least $5M off the field this year, only two are non-QBs. Forbes' earnings estimates include endorsements, appearances, memorabilia, book royalties and licensing income from the NFLPA (FORBES.com, 10/11).
|
NFL'S HIGHEST-PAID ENDORSERS
|
| PLAYER |
OFF-FIELD EARNINGS
|
| Broncos QB Peyton Manning |
$12M
|
| Saints QB Drew Brees |
$11M
|
| Giants QB Eli Manning |
$8M
|
| Packers QB Aaron Rodgers |
$7.5M
|
| Texans DE J.J. Watt |
$7M
|
| Seahawks QB Russell Wilson |
$6.5M
|
| Patriots QB Tom Brady |
$6M
|
| Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch |
$5M
|
| Cowboys QB Tony Romo |
$5M
|
RIGHT ON TIME: Tag Heuer this morning officially announced an endorsement deal with Brady, who marked the occasion last night by attending the launch event for the new Carrera - Heuer 01 watch. While there, he threw signed footballs to raise money for charitable organization Best Buddies. Model Molly Sims served as MC for the night. The luxury brand is activating around the deal with full-page ads in the N.Y. Times and Wall Street Journal: "#DontCrackUnderPressure." Brady also has endorsement deals with Under Armour and Ugg Australia (
THE DAILY).
