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NFL · 45 CAREERS FROM ONE PROGRAMME

Michigan NFL player earnings

$820,436,969 earned in the NFL by 45 players from Michigan, led by Rashan Gary on $100,994,194.

That is 13th of the 253 colleges the file names, and 42nd 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 $820.4m
PER PLAYER $18.2m
PLAYERS 45
IN THE LEAGUE NOW 28
FIRST ROUND PICKS 7

The richest Michigan careers in the NFL

Money paid across a whole career

Rashan Gary $101.0m

Rashan Gary $101m Brandon Graham $98m Mike Onwenu $64m Nico Collins $57m Graham Glasgow $54m Cesar Ruiz $47m Jabrill Peppers $46m Jon Runyan $36m Aidan Hutchinson $36m Michael Danna $29m Kwity Paye $27m Devin Bush $24m Jourdan Lewis $21m J.J. McCarthy $18m Mazi Smith $13m Daxton Hill $12m Josh Metellus $11m Josh Uche $8.4m David Ojabo $7.9m Maurice Hurst $7.3m

Rashan Gary alone holds 12.3% of everything Michigan has earned in the league. 7 men of the 36 with a round on record went in the first, and they have earned $50.1m a career against $12.4m for everybody else.

Every Michigan player ranked by NFL earnings

Money paid, and what is still contracted

45 careers

# Player Position Franchise Seasons Contracted Career earnings
001 Rashan Gary Defensive End Green Bay Packers 9 $22.5m $100,994,194$101.0m
002 Brandon Graham Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles 15 $97,755,925$97.8m
003 Mike Onwenu Right Tackle New England Patriots 7 $63,848,351$63.8m
004 Nico Collins Wide Receiver Houston Texans 7 $21.9m $57,497,400$57.5m
005 Graham Glasgow Guard Detroit Lions 11 $54,226,094$54.2m
006 Cesar Ruiz Guard New Orleans Saints 8 $9.5m $47,179,206$47.2m
007 Jabrill Peppers Safety New England Patriots 11 $6.8m $46,256,988$46.3m
008 Jon Runyan Guard New York Giants 7 $36,126,633$36.1m
009 Aidan Hutchinson Defensive End Detroit Lions 4 $35,715,388$35.7m
010 Michael Danna Defensive End Kansas City Chiefs 7 $29,440,097$29.4m
011 Kwity Paye Defensive End Indianapolis Colts 5 $27,031,833$27.0m
012 Devin Bush Outside Linebacker Cleveland Browns 6 $23,751,766$23.8m
013 Jourdan Lewis Cornerback Dallas Cowboys 8 $20,964,787$21.0m
014 J.J. McCarthy Quarterback Minnesota Vikings 4 $3.8m $18,079,596$18.1m
015 Mazi Smith Defensive Tackle Dallas Cowboys 4 $13,274,696$13.3m
016 Daxton Hill Safety Cincinnati Bengals 4 $11,667,013$11.7m
017 Josh Metellus Safety Minnesota Vikings 6 $11,385,602$11.4m
018 Josh Uche Outside Linebacker New England Patriots 5 $8,425,217$8.4m
019 David Ojabo Defensive End Baltimore Ravens 4 $7,909,120$7.9m
020 Maurice Hurst Defensive Tackle Cleveland Browns 7 $7,295,555$7.3m
021 Ben Bredeson Guard Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 $6,827,630$6.8m
022 Luke Schoonmaker Tight End Dallas Cowboys 4 $6,266,688$6.3m
023 Kris Jenkins Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals 4 $1.9m $5,993,582$6.0m
024 Mike Sainristil Cornerback Washington Commanders 4 $1.8m $5,857,018$5.9m
025 Khaleke Hudson Inside Linebacker Cleveland Browns 6 $5,370,066$5.4m
026 Jake Moody Kicker San Francisco 49ers 4 $5,304,082$5.3m
027 Ambry Thomas Cornerback San Francisco 49ers 4 $4,688,237$4.7m
028 Junior Colson Inside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers 4 $1.6m $4,410,141$4.4m
029 Roman Wilson Wide Receiver Pittsburgh Steelers 4 $1.6m $4,166,736$4.2m
030 Zak Zinter Guard Cleveland Browns 4 $1.6m $4,157,730$4.2m
031 Olu Oluwatimi Center Seattle Seahawks 4 $4,156,456$4.2m
032 Hassan Haskins Running Back Los Angeles Chargers 4 $3,957,220$4.0m
033 Ronnie Bell Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers 4 $3,917,776$3.9m
034 Mike Morris Defensive End Seattle Seahawks 4 $3,775,410$3.8m
035 Chris Evans Running Back Cincinnati Bengals 4 $3,652,888$3.7m
036 A.J. Barner Tight End Seattle Seahawks 4 $1.2m $3,585,108$3.6m
037 Brad Robbins Punter Cincinnati Bengals 4 $3,553,336$3.6m
038 Blake Corum Running Back Los Angeles Rams 4 $1.6m $3,170,967$3.2m
039 Trevor Keegan Guard Philadelphia Eagles 4 $1.2m $3,084,276$3.1m
040 Jaylen Harrell Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans 4 $1.2m $2,910,736$2.9m
041 Josh Wallace Cornerback Los Angeles Rams 3 $2,890,000$2.9m
042 Cameron McGrone Outside Linebacker Indianapolis Colts 5 $2,875,153$2.9m
043 Braiden McGregor Defensive End New York Jets 3 $2,850,000$2.8m
044 LaDarius Henderson Guard Houston Texans 4 $1.2m $2,588,716$2.6m
045 Josh Ross Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens 3 $1,601,556$1.6m

The table holds every one of the 45 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 Michigan produces

NFL earnings of its alumni, by position

15 positions

Defensive End $208m Guard $154m Outside Linebacker $136m Safety $69m Wide Receiver $66m Right Tackle $64m Cornerback $34m Defensive Tackle $27m Quarterback $18m Inside Linebacker $11m Running Back $11m Tight End $9.9m Kicker $5.3m Center $4.2m Punter $3.6m

Defensive End is where the programme's NFL money is, $207,716,042 across 7 players. Every position is ranked across the league here.

Where Michigan players are drafted

Career earnings by the round they went in

36 with a round on record

Round Players Per career Earned
Round 1 7 $50.1m $350,572,438$350.6m
Round 2 5 $6.9m $34,451,625$34.5m
Round 3 7 $21.4m $149,740,207$149.7m
Round 4 3 $4.8m $14,369,958$14.4m
Round 5 7 $8.0m $55,997,013$56.0m
Round 6 4 $28.7m $114,913,922$114.9m
Round 7 3 $3.1m $9,417,228$9.4m

7 men of the 36 with a round on record went in the first, and they have earned $50.1m a career against $12.4m for everybody else. The whole draft is ranked here.

Where the Michigan alumni are now

The franchises holding them, and what those careers are worth

23 franchises

# Franchise Players Career earnings
01 New England Patriots 3 $118,530,556$118.5m
02 Green Bay Packers 1 $100,994,194$101.0m
03 Philadelphia Eagles 2 $100,840,201$100.8m
04 Detroit Lions 2 $89,941,482$89.9m
05 Houston Texans 2 $60,086,116$60.1m
06 New Orleans Saints 1 $47,179,206$47.2m
07 Cleveland Browns 4 $40,575,117$40.6m
08 Dallas Cowboys 3 $40,506,171$40.5m
09 New York Giants 1 $36,126,633$36.1m
10 Indianapolis Colts 2 $29,906,986$29.9m
11 Minnesota Vikings 2 $29,465,198$29.5m
12 Kansas City Chiefs 1 $29,440,097$29.4m
13 Cincinnati Bengals 4 $24,866,819$24.9m
14 San Francisco 49ers 3 $13,910,095$13.9m
15 Seattle Seahawks 3 $11,516,974$11.5m
16 Baltimore Ravens 2 $9,510,676$9.5m
17 Los Angeles Chargers 2 $8,367,361$8.4m
18 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 $6,827,630$6.8m
19 Los Angeles Rams 2 $6,060,967$6.1m
20 Washington Commanders 1 $5,857,018$5.9m
21 Pittsburgh Steelers 1 $4,166,736$4.2m
22 Tennessee Titans 1 $2,910,736$2.9m
23 New York Jets 1 $2,850,000$2.8m

What Michigan 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 $173,459,556 across 46 players. The whole 2024 payroll is ranked by player here.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest paid NFL player from Michigan?

Rashan Gary, $100,994,194, a first-round pick in 2019, 12th overall. Brandon Graham is second on $97,755,925.

How much have Michigan players earned in the NFL?

$820,436,969 across 45 careers, which is 13th of the 253 colleges on record and 42nd of the 78 schools with 8 players or more on money per man.

Which position does Michigan send to the NFL?

Defensive End more than any other on money, $207,716,042 across 7 players. The programme has put men into 15 positions in all.

How many Michigan players are in the NFL now?

28 men of the 45 here was on a roster in 2026, with $79,225,679 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.

Which NFL team has the most Michigan players?

New England Patriots, 3 players worth $118,530,556 between them.

Where to next

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

Texas A&M · Southern California · Wisconsin · Notre Dame · Oregon · Florida State · Iowa · Florida · Every college · NFL career earnings

Michigan in the NFL

Colleges near this one

By season

Elsewhere in American football