As salaries for college football coaches skyrocket, NFL head coaches could see their yearly income climb in the coming years thanks to rising NFL revenue and their peers upping the asking prices below them.
Not a great deal is known publicly about how much even of the 32 NFL head coaches is getting paid every year. While salaries play a key factor in how much the leader of a franchise is pulling in, there are other sources of revenue a coach pulls in as part of their contract.
New England Patriots coach/general manager Bill Belichick ranks as the highest-paid NFL coach, pulling in a $12.5 million salary. But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explained this week that many NFL head coaches receive additional compensation through cash funneled through other businesses operated by the team owner.
One example, per Florio, Belichick reportedly pulls in more than $20 million per season. While he’s believed to be the only head coach hitting the $20 million mark, at least three of his peers are reportedly making at least $15 million per year. But the prices could soon get much higher.
With NFL TV ratings climbing and the league agreeing to new partnerships for gambling deals, yearly revenue is expected to skyrocket in the years ahead. With it, salaries for players and coaches are also expected to soar.
According to Pro Football Talk, the upcoming landscape will likely result in multiple NFL head coaches making at least $25 million per year between their salaries and other financial benefits received from team owners.
To put that number in perspective, 33 NFL players currently have an average annual contract value of $20-plus million per season. Quarterbacks and edge rushers account for a majority of those in the exclusive club, but the rising NFL salary cap will likely mean more players pull in at least $20 million each year by 2023.