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The Highest Earning Active Undrafted NFL Players
One of the most underrated parts of the offseason comes AFTER the last draft pick is selected. This is the time when NFL teams scour the list of players who weren’t selected, and bargain with agents to win their services over. A short list of these players go on to be long-term NFL veterans, and even less turn into stars – but it happens. We’ll take a look at the top earning active NFL players who went undrafted out of college.
Top 3 Undrafted Earners
Tony Romo (DAL), QB, $105,920,000
Romo broke into the league by way of a 2 year $540k contract with the Cowboys back in 2003. It included a $10,000 signing bonus, the only guaranteed money. As a restricted free agent he was awarded a 2 year $1.88 million contract, and was extended an extra year at $3.9M shortly after. By now Romo had established himself as the starter in Dallas, who gave him 6 year $67.5 million extension through the 2013 season. He played this contract through 2012, before the Cowboys extended him yet again, this time at $108 million through the 2019 season.
He’ll earn $17M in 2015, and can reel in a total of $79.5M should he finish the contract out.
Jason Peters (PHI), OT, $70,607,385
The Bills took a chance on the undrafted tackle back in 2004, but waived him out of camp. He was activated from their practice squad a few weeks later, and he hasn’t looked back from there. He remained a Bill through the 2008 season, following a 5 year $16.5M extension, but was traded to Philadelphia after voicing his displeasure with the Buffalo franchise. Though injuries have hampered Peters, he’s signed back to back 4 years extensions of $51.45M and $41.3M respectively, the latter running through 2018 season.
Peters’ is set to earn $8.05 million in 2015, and can reel in $36.8M more should he play his current contract out.
Antonio Gates (SD), TE, $57,927,000
After showing signs of decline, the 34-year-old had a bounce back season in 2014. He’ll enter a contract year in the upcoming 2015 season, quite possibly his last. Gates has been a Charger for life, agreeing to a 2 year $537k contract in May of 2003. San Diego saw what they had almost immediately, extending Gates 6 years, $24M in the summer of 2005. That was followed up by his current 5 year $36.175 million extension in 2010.
He’s set to earn $5.9M in 2015, bringing his career total up to nearly $64M through 13 NFL seasons.
Top Active Undrafted Earners by Position -- Start Team/Current Team
QB
Tony Romo QB DAL DAL $105,920,000
Shaun Hill QB MIN MIN $19,279,225
Matt Moore QB DAL MIA $18,948,000
RB
Arian Foster RB HOU HOU $30,805,000
Fred Jackson RB BUF BUF $17,384,900
Danny Woodhead RB NYJ SD $8,383,928
WR
Miles Austin WR DAL PHI $38,141,400
Nate Washington WR PIT HOU $27,000,870
Lance Moore WR CLE DET $20,803,500
TE
Antonio Gates TE SD SD $57,927,000
Jeff Cumberland TE NYJ NYJ $4,490,000
Logan Paulsen TE WAS WAS $3,600,000
OL
Jason Peters OL BUF PHI $70,607,385
Donald Penn OL MIN OAK $35,672,000
Austin Howard OL PHI OAK $13,056,824
DE
Chris Clemons DE WAS JAC $31,679,700
Cullen Jenkins DE GB NYG $30,092,000
Stephen Bowen DE DAL NYJ $23,958,461
DT
Tony McDaniel DT JAC SEA $14,223,383
Colin Cole DT MIN CAR $10,211,875
Chris Baker DT DEN WAS $7,038,000
OLB
James Harrison OLB PIT PIT $38,602,970
Junior Galette OLB NO NO $9,570,000
Vontaze Burfict OLB CIN CIN $8,471,000
ILB
Dannell Ellerbe ILB BAL NO $17,209,000
David Hawthorne ILB SEA NO $13,583,000
Wesley Woodyard ILB DEN TEN $12,760,000
CB
Tramon Williams CB HOU CLE $37,633,419
Brent Grimes CB ATL MIA $28,188,958
Sam Shields CB GB GB $18,300,836
S
Mike Adams S SF IND $12,354,885
Craig Dahl S NYG SF $8,497,500
Barry Church S DAL DAL $6,685,000
K
Adam Vinatieri K NE IND $32,622,999
Phil Dawson K OAK SF $22,909,000
Robbie Gould K NE CHI $21,661,100
P
Michael Koenen P ATL TB $20,649,500
Steve Weatherford P NO NYG $10,037,735
Jon Ryan P GB SEA $8,545,000
LS
Mike Leach LS TEN ARI $10,689,647
Jon Condo LS DAL OAK $8,299,000
Jon Dorenbos LS BUF PHI $7,726,619
Top 3 Undrafted Earners
Tony Romo (DAL), QB, $105,920,000
Romo broke into the league by way of a 2 year $540k contract with the Cowboys back in 2003. It included a $10,000 signing bonus, the only guaranteed money. As a restricted free agent he was awarded a 2 year $1.88 million contract, and was extended an extra year at $3.9M shortly after. By now Romo had established himself as the starter in Dallas, who gave him 6 year $67.5 million extension through the 2013 season. He played this contract through 2012, before the Cowboys extended him yet again, this time at $108 million through the 2019 season.
He’ll earn $17M in 2015, and can reel in a total of $79.5M should he finish the contract out.
Jason Peters (PHI), OT, $70,607,385
The Bills took a chance on the undrafted tackle back in 2004, but waived him out of camp. He was activated from their practice squad a few weeks later, and he hasn’t looked back from there. He remained a Bill through the 2008 season, following a 5 year $16.5M extension, but was traded to Philadelphia after voicing his displeasure with the Buffalo franchise. Though injuries have hampered Peters, he’s signed back to back 4 years extensions of $51.45M and $41.3M respectively, the latter running through 2018 season.
Peters’ is set to earn $8.05 million in 2015, and can reel in $36.8M more should he play his current contract out.
Antonio Gates (SD), TE, $57,927,000
After showing signs of decline, the 34-year-old had a bounce back season in 2014. He’ll enter a contract year in the upcoming 2015 season, quite possibly his last. Gates has been a Charger for life, agreeing to a 2 year $537k contract in May of 2003. San Diego saw what they had almost immediately, extending Gates 6 years, $24M in the summer of 2005. That was followed up by his current 5 year $36.175 million extension in 2010.
He’s set to earn $5.9M in 2015, bringing his career total up to nearly $64M through 13 NFL seasons.
Top Active Undrafted Earners by Position -- Start Team/Current Team
QB
Tony Romo QB DAL DAL $105,920,000
Shaun Hill QB MIN MIN $19,279,225
Matt Moore QB DAL MIA $18,948,000
RB
Arian Foster RB HOU HOU $30,805,000
Fred Jackson RB BUF BUF $17,384,900
Danny Woodhead RB NYJ SD $8,383,928
WR
Miles Austin WR DAL PHI $38,141,400
Nate Washington WR PIT HOU $27,000,870
Lance Moore WR CLE DET $20,803,500
TE
Antonio Gates TE SD SD $57,927,000
Jeff Cumberland TE NYJ NYJ $4,490,000
Logan Paulsen TE WAS WAS $3,600,000
OL
Jason Peters OL BUF PHI $70,607,385
Donald Penn OL MIN OAK $35,672,000
Austin Howard OL PHI OAK $13,056,824
DE
Chris Clemons DE WAS JAC $31,679,700
Cullen Jenkins DE GB NYG $30,092,000
Stephen Bowen DE DAL NYJ $23,958,461
DT
Tony McDaniel DT JAC SEA $14,223,383
Colin Cole DT MIN CAR $10,211,875
Chris Baker DT DEN WAS $7,038,000
OLB
James Harrison OLB PIT PIT $38,602,970
Junior Galette OLB NO NO $9,570,000
Vontaze Burfict OLB CIN CIN $8,471,000
ILB
Dannell Ellerbe ILB BAL NO $17,209,000
David Hawthorne ILB SEA NO $13,583,000
Wesley Woodyard ILB DEN TEN $12,760,000
CB
Tramon Williams CB HOU CLE $37,633,419
Brent Grimes CB ATL MIA $28,188,958
Sam Shields CB GB GB $18,300,836
S
Mike Adams S SF IND $12,354,885
Craig Dahl S NYG SF $8,497,500
Barry Church S DAL DAL $6,685,000
K
Adam Vinatieri K NE IND $32,622,999
Phil Dawson K OAK SF $22,909,000
Robbie Gould K NE CHI $21,661,100
P
Michael Koenen P ATL TB $20,649,500
Steve Weatherford P NO NYG $10,037,735
Jon Ryan P GB SEA $8,545,000
LS
Mike Leach LS TEN ARI $10,689,647
Jon Condo LS DAL OAK $8,299,000
Jon Dorenbos LS BUF PHI $7,726,619