SALARYSPORT
★ 0
NFL · 15 CAREERS FROM ONE PROGRAMME

California NFL player earnings

$1,103,696,594 earned in the NFL by 15 players from California, led by Aaron Rodgers on $418,158,010.

That is 8th of the 253 colleges the file names, and 1st of the 78 schools with 8 players or more on money per man. Nothing here is college money: it is what these men were paid once they reached the league, grouped by where they came from.

EARNED IN THE NFL $1.10bn
PER PLAYER $73.6m
PLAYERS 15
IN THE LEAGUE NOW 2
FIRST ROUND PICKS 3

The richest California careers in the NFL

Money paid across a whole career

Aaron Rodgers $418.2m

Aaron Rodgers $418m Jared Goff $312m Cameron Jordan $151m Keenan Allen $133m Bryan Anger $26m Patrick Mekari $18m C.J. Goodwin $10.0m Ashtyn Davis $9.1m Camryn Bynum $7.0m Jaylinn Hawkins $5.7m Jordan Kunaszyk $4.4m Elijah Hicks $3.7m Daniel Scott $3.4m Jake Tonges $1.5m Cameron Goode $1.3m

Aaron Rodgers alone holds 37.9% of everything California has earned in the league. 3 men of the 10 with a round on record went in the first, and they have earned $293.6m a career against $18.6m for everybody else.

Every California player ranked by NFL earnings

Money paid, and what is still contracted

15 careers

# Player Position Franchise Seasons Contracted Career earnings
001 Aaron Rodgers Quarterback New York Jets 21 $418,158,010$418.2m
002 Jared Goff Quarterback Detroit Lions 13 $87.0m $312,127,068$312.1m
003 Cameron Jordan Defensive End New Orleans Saints 15 $150,520,690$150.5m
004 Keenan Allen Wide Receiver Chicago Bears 12 $133,112,117$133.1m
005 Bryan Anger Punter Dallas Cowboys 13 $25,712,768$25.7m
006 Patrick Mekari Left Tackle Baltimore Ravens 6 $17,998,663$18.0m
007 C.J. Goodwin Cornerback Dallas Cowboys 11 $9,968,033$10.0m
008 Ashtyn Davis Safety New York Jets 5 $9,072,919$9.1m
009 Camryn Bynum Safety Minnesota Vikings 4 $6,953,473$7.0m
010 Jaylinn Hawkins Safety New England Patriots 5 $5,718,820$5.7m
011 Jordan Kunaszyk Linebacker Minnesota Vikings 6 $4,393,514$4.4m
012 Elijah Hicks Cornerback Chicago Bears 4 $3,737,008$3.7m
013 Daniel Scott Safety Indianapolis Colts 4 $3,402,836$3.4m
014 Jake Tonges Tight End San Francisco 49ers 3 $1,493,670$1.5m
015 Cameron Goode Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins 3 $1,327,005

The table holds every one of the 15 careers the programme has put into the league. Money still written into a future season is in its own column and is not counted in the career figure beside it.

What California produces

NFL earnings of its alumni, by position

10 positions

Quarterback $730m Defensive End $151m Wide Receiver $133m Punter $26m Safety $25m Left Tackle $18m Cornerback $14m Linebacker $4.4m Tight End $1.5m Outside Linebacker $1.3m

Quarterback is where the programme's NFL money is, $730,285,078 across 2 players. Every position is ranked across the league here.

Where California players are drafted

Career earnings by the round they went in

10 with a round on record

Round Players Per career Earned
Round 1 3 $293.6m $880,805,768$880.8m
Round 3 3 $56.0m $167,897,804$167.9m
Round 4 2 $6.3m $12,672,293$12.7m
Round 5 1 $3.4m $3,402,836$3.4m
Round 7 1 $3.7m $3,737,008$3.7m

3 men of the 10 with a round on record went in the first, and they have earned $293.6m a career against $18.6m for everybody else. The whole draft is ranked here.

Where the California alumni are now

The franchises holding them, and what those careers are worth

11 franchises

# Franchise Players Career earnings
01 New York Jets 2 $427,230,929$427.2m
02 Detroit Lions 1 $312,127,068$312.1m
03 New Orleans Saints 1 $150,520,690$150.5m
04 Chicago Bears 2 $136,849,125$136.8m
05 Dallas Cowboys 2 $35,680,801$35.7m
06 Baltimore Ravens 1 $17,998,663$18.0m
07 Minnesota Vikings 2 $11,346,987$11.3m
08 New England Patriots 1 $5,718,820$5.7m
09 Indianapolis Colts 1 $3,402,836$3.4m
10 San Francisco 49ers 1 $1,493,670$1.5m
11 Miami Dolphins 1 $1,327,005

What California alumni are paid each season

Every year of every career, added together

Peak in 2024

2024 is the programme's biggest year on record at $174,135,612 across 15 players. The whole 2024 payroll is ranked by player here.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest paid NFL player from California?

Aaron Rodgers, $418,158,010, a first-round pick in 2005, 24th overall. Jared Goff is second on $312,127,068.

How much have California players earned in the NFL?

$1,103,696,594 across 15 careers, which is 8th of the 253 colleges on record and 1st of the 78 schools with 8 players or more on money per man.

Which position does California send to the NFL?

Quarterback more than any other on money, $730,285,078 across 2 players. The programme has put men into 10 positions in all.

How many California players are in the NFL now?

2 men of the 15 here was on a roster in 2026, with $87,000,000 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.

Which NFL team has the most California players?

New York Jets, 2 players worth $427,230,929 between them.

Where to next

The schools either side of this one, and the rest of the money

Louisiana State · Clemson · Georgia · Mississippi State · Texas A&M · Southern California · Wisconsin · Notre Dame · Every college · NFL career earnings

California in the NFL

Colleges near this one

By season

Elsewhere in American football