Huddle Up and See How Much Money Sports Stars Make

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Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates started their training camp on July 22. In a recent podcast episode with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis expressed excitement for the new season, stating that he’s “ready to rock and roll” and eager to get back on the field. This will be Travis’ 13th year in the NFL, a fortunate number for pop star Taylor Swift, who he’s been dating since summer 2023. Despite losing to the Eagles at the 2025 Super Bowl, Travis is optimistic about the upcoming season, as the Chiefs have several key players returning and are looking to improve their performance on the field. He also mentioned that they have made changes to both the offensive and defensive lines, which has him excited for the new season.

In the year 2024, the athlete extended his contract with the Chiefs for a period of two years, as reported by NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, which amounted to $34.25 million. Travis emphasized the significance of fulfilling this agreement to him.

He emphasized during an episode of “New Heights” in March that he’s dedicated a great deal of effort and concentration to becoming his best for the Kansas City Chiefs, expressing regret over last season’s disappointing conclusion. He believes it’s important for him to honor the contract he initially signed by giving everything he has to Kansas City and the Chiefs organization. In other words, he plans to give it his all, gentleman.

While football fans may be longing for the start of the new season this summer, you might spend this time learning about how much stars like Patrick Mahomes, Simone Biles, LeBron James, and more make from their competitions instead.

For numerous sports celebrities, earning as much as Cristiano Ronaldo is equivalent to scoring goals. This is because the renowned Portuguese soccer player often leads the pack in lists that rank the highest-paid athletes.

In June 2025, Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia for two more years. Although the specifics of the agreement weren’t disclosed, various sources reported that he received an estimated annual salary of around $200 million when he initially joined the team in 2022, following his departure from Manchester United in England.

Lionel Messi began his tenure with Inter Miami CF with a substantial paycheck. The average yearly guaranteed earnings for this Argentine player, who joined David Beckham’s team in 2023 following stints at Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, are estimated to exceed $20.4 million by the MLS Players Association’s 2025 salary guide, with an annual base salary of $12 million currently.

Even though efforts have been made to close the pay gap between male and female athletes, significant differences persist. For instance, no women appeared on Forbes‘ 2025 list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes.

Alex Morgan, who retired from soccer in 2024 following her game with the San Diego Wave, ranked No. 16 on the outlet’s list of the highest-paid female athletes last year. The publication estimated that she earned $600,000 on the field and an additional $7 million off the field through lucrative endorsement deals in 2024.

Although the U.S. Soccer federation was the first to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money for both their women’s and men’s national teams, there is still a long journey towards achieving a more level playing field regarding salaries.

Following her selection as the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark agreed to a four-year deal with the Indiana Fever. As reported by The Athletic, this contract was valued at $338,056, with her earning a rookie salary of $76,535 in her first year.

The numbers left many people surprised given that the base salary for NBA players is substantially greater.

Additionally, Caitlin has secured endorsement deals, one of which with Nike, according to The Athletic, is worth a whopping $28 million.

For the upcoming NBA season from 2025 to 2026, Stephen Curry leads ESPN’s salary list, earning an impressive $59.6 million. But the Golden State Warriors didn’t want to pass up on keeping him around longer. In fact, in August 2024, Steph agreed to a $62.6 million contract extension that will tie him to the team until 2027, as confirmed by his agent to CNBC.

Besides banking all that money too, huh LeBron James? ESPN reports that the Los Angeles Lakers’ forward pocketed an impressive $52.6 million during the seasons of 2025 and 2026.

In 2024, Coco Gauff was ranked number one on Forbes’ list of the highest earning female athletes, with a total income of approximately $34.4 million. This included $9.4 million from her tennis career and an additional $25 million from endorsements.

It seems that Naomi Osaka is excelling in her endorsement deals, as Forbes reported she made approximately $12.9 million in 2024, with $12 million of that amount coming from sources other than prize money from her matches.

In 2024, Simone Biles, the renowned Olympic gymnast, not only secured the gold medal but also pocketed approximately $11.2 million, with a significant portion, around $11 million, originating from sources other than her competition winnings, as reported by Forbes.

If you’re wondering how much money Travis Kelce earns while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, here’s some information: In 2024, Kelce inked a two-year contract worth a total of $34.25 million, as reported by NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Speaking of Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback, he earned a substantial sum upon signing a 10-year deal with the Chiefs in 2020, reportedly totaling $450 million by his management company, Equity Sports.

The Buffalo Bills were determined not to let Josh Allen slip away from their roster. In March 2025, the quarterback signed a six-year contract reportedly valued at $330 million, with $250 million of that amount guaranteed.

In March 2025, following stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Russell Wilson inked a one-year contract with the New York Giants for a reported $10.5 million, as per NFL Network Insiders Rapoport, Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo. The deal has potential to earn him up to $21 million through incentives.

Taking over as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers is none other than Aaron Rodgers, who has previously played for teams such as the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.

Although he’ll be sporting jersey number 8, his earnings from this one-year contract signed in June 2025 are quite substantial. The total value of the contract is $13.65 million, with a guaranteed sum of $10 million, according to NFL Network Insiders Rapoport and Pelissero. However, they also pointed out that he stands to make as much as $19.5 million if certain incentives are met.

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2025-07-26 10:17