Even if it's not the NFL, it pays to be a football player in America.
That's true even of the revamped XFL, which returns in 2023 to compete with the USFL after the former had its 2020 season cut short amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The season gets under way on Saturday with a four-game slate that will see each of the league's eight teams vie for the XFL championship.
A question that naturally will arise throughout the course of the season is how much the players are getting paid, and on what salary structure. Though it's not nearly as much as what players in the NFL make, the XFL's salary structure had to be good enough to persuade players to compete in the fledgling league.
With that, The Sporting News looks at how much XFL players can expect to make in 2023, as well as how those salaries compare with those offered by the USFL and NFL.
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How much do XFL players get paid?
According to ESPN — citing XFL senior vice president of player personnel Doug Whaley and executive vice president of football operations Marc Ross — the average XFL player can expect an estimated annual salary of $60,000 from training camp through the end of the season.
XFL salary structure
- Average salary: $60,000
- Weekly paycheck: $5,000
- Win bonus: $1,000 per win
Whaley and Ross' pitch to player agents reportedly include a salary structure wherein players make $5,000 a week, with a per-win bonus of $1,000.
Using that structure as a guideline, a player on a winless team in the XFL would make $50,000 for the 2023 season. A player on the same payment structure on an undefeated, 10-0 team would make $60,000 at the end of the regular season (earning an additional $10,000, at $1,000 per win).
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ESPN's report did not specify whether the average annual salary referenced by Whaley and Ross reflected only the regular season, or also encompassed the playoffs, which comprises of a semifinal and championship round.
Assuming it only pertains to the regular season (and applying the same structure to the playoffs), then a player on the championship-winning team could potentially make an additional $12,000 in the postseason: $10,000 for two games played, plus another $2,000 for two wins.
With that, an active player on an undefeated XFL championship team could potentially make up to $72,000 in 2023.
Of course, that would apply only to baseline player salaries. However, Whaley and Moss told the outlet "some quarterbacks are expected to receive higher salaries." ESPN also reported the XFL values its benefit package to be worth $20,000, "in addition to paying for housing and two meals a day during the season."
How much do NFL players get paid?
Unsurprisingly, player salaries offered by the XFL pale in comparison to those of the NFL. That's true even of practice-squad players in the latter league, who will reportedly make a minimum of $12,000 per week in 2023 — good for an annual salary of $216,000.
The minimum salary for players on an active NFL roster in 2023 is $750,000.
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How much do USFL players get paid?
The USFL agreed to a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with its parent company, Fox Sports, in December. Multiple reports indicate that, under the new CBA, active players will make $5,350 a week in 2023, 2024 and 2025 — a raise from $4,500 per week from last season. That's good for a minimum annual salary of $53,500 for active players.
According to a Dec. 15 report by the USFL Newsroom, other facets of the CBA include:
- Minimum $2,500 per-week salary for inactive players
- League-funded housing for all players during training camp
- Weekly housing stipend of $400
- $5,000 championship bonus
- $26,000 in benefits, including retirement, training camp housing, and education program
At present, the XFL offers the lowest base salary for players — sans bonuses — when compared to the NFL and USFL. That's important, especially when comparing the XFL and USFL, who will compete against each other while recruiting talent to play in their respective leagues.
It remains to see whether — and how — they update their base salaries in the coming seasons.
