After many years of dedication in high school and college, most players finally have the opportunity to earn money once they enter the NFL, the wealthiest league in the world.
That is why the selection process that takes place through the Draft causes nervousness and anxiety in many of these young people, since not only their professional future depends on it, but also the salary they will receive.
Why does the draft position matter in determining the salary?
The NFL has a strict collective contract, signed by the league, owners, and the players' union, that establishes the salary that rookies will receive according to the place they were selected in the Draft.
It is also defined that the contract signed by rookies must have a minimum of four years. During this period, they can be transferred to other teams, but the player must agree, and their salary must also be respected.
By 2024, considering each team’s salary cap limit, the number one pick in the Draft -Caleb Williams (former quarterback from USC)- will sign a four-year, $38,540,000 contract with the Chicago Bears, according to Spotrac. He will receive $7 million during the first season.
The second pick, on the other hand, Jaylen Daniels, will drop to 36.8 million dollars with the Washington Commanders. The third pick -Drake Maye- will sign a contract for one million dollars less over four years with the New England Patriots.
The numbers are progressively decreasing until the last selection of the Draft, number 257, who has a contract worth 4 million dollars over four years, with a salary of 750 thousand dollars in their first year as a professional.
Do NFL rookies earn more than NBA rookies?
The NBA has a system similar to the NFL for rookies: a figure is set according to the Draft selection spot and then each team negotiates with the player with a margin that does not exceed 120% of the amount or fall below 80%.
In 2023, the figure for the first selection was set at 10.1 million dollars, and the French player Victor Wembanyama signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs that earned him 12.1 million dollars, a much higher figure than what the number 1 in the NFL Draft receives.
While the NFL is a league that generates higher profits than the NBA, the teams obviously have very different rosters: the American football roster during the regular season consists of 53 players, while in basketball it is only 12 players.
In any case, the top salaries are indeed similar. In the NBA, the highest-paid player is Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) with 52 million dollars per season, while in the NFL, the list is led by Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) with 55 million dollars.