How much do NFL players make after taxes? Which teams are in the friendliest states for taxing income? Two players with identical salaries can have vastly different paychecks once local and state government taxes kick in. Here is an analysis using a simple salary of $1 million. Why does this analysis matter even more than in previous years? NFL teams are playing a record nine international regular-season games in 2026.
NFL Player Paycheck Analysis After Taxes: Which Teams Have the Biggest Take-Home Pay?
NFL Player Paycheck Analysis: NFL Paychecks Breakdown
NFL Salaries After Taxes – Paycheck Breakdown for All Teams
*NFL Player Pay Estimates Based on a $1,000,000 Salary for the 2026-27 NFL Regular Season.
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Team Federal Tax State Tax FICA Local Tax U.S. Jock Tax Intl. Tax Take-Home Pay
Tennessee Titans $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $2,284 $0 $644,576
Tampa Bay Buccaneers $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $2,709 $0 $644,152
Seattle Seahawks $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $5,030 $0 $641,830
Las Vegas Raiders $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $5,176 $0 $641,684
Miami Dolphins $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $5,574 $0 $641,287
Dallas Cowboys $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $4,370 $2,696 $639,795
Houston Texans $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $8,680 $1,961 $636,219
Jacksonville Jaguars $320,000 $0 $33,139 $0 $7,196 $3,922 $635,743
Arizona Cardinals $320,000 $25,000 $33,139 $0 $5,044 $0 $616,817
New Orleans Saints $320,000 $30,000 $33,139 $0 $3,380 $1,471 $612,009
Carolina Panthers $320,000 $39,900 $33,139 $0 $3,096 $0 $603,865
Pittsburgh Steelers $320,000 $30,700 $33,139 $10,000 $6,379 $1,471 $598,310
Denver Broncos $320,000 $44,000 $33,139 $0 $5,168 $0 $597,693
Chicago Bears $320,000 $49,500 $33,139 $0 $3,704 $0 $593,657
Cleveland Browns $320,000 $26,784 $33,139 $25,000 $2,551 $0 $592,526
Indianapolis Colts $320,000 $29,500 $33,139 $16,184 $6,710 $1,961 $592,506
Cincinnati Bengals $320,000 $26,784 $33,139 $18,000 $7,354 $2,353 $592,370
Atlanta Falcons $320,000 $51,900 $33,139 $0 $3,731 $2,353 $588,876
New England Patriots $320,000 $50,000 $33,139 $0 $8,005 $1,551 $587,305
Kansas City Chiefs $320,000 $46,883 $33,139 $10,000 $4,489 $0 $585,489
New York Giants $320,000 $65,894 $33,139 $0 $3,365 $0 $577,602
New York Jets $320,000 $65,894 $33,139 $0 $4,074 $0 $576,893
Buffalo Bills $320,000 $65,894 $33,139 $0 $4,613 $0 $576,354
Detroit Lions $320,000 $42,500 $33,139 $24,000 $4,018 $1,551 $574,792
Green Bay Packers $320,000 $68,078 $33,139 $0 $4,333 $0 $574,450
Philadelphia Eagles $320,000 $30,700 $33,139 $37,350 $8,172 $1,961 $568,678
Washington Commanders $320,000 $91,525 $33,139 $0 $3,487 $1,961 $549,887
Baltimore Ravens $320,000 $58,385 $33,139 $32,000 $7,113 $2,696 $546,667
Minnesota Vikings $320,000 $92,998 $33,139 $0 $7,225 $2,941 $543,696
Los Angeles Chargers $320,000 $103,837 $33,139 $0 $3,505 $0 $539,519
Los Angeles Rams $320,000 $103,837 $33,139 $0 $6,443 $4,412 $532,169
San Francisco 49ers $320,000 $103,837 $33,139 $0 $7,602 $7,353 $528,069
NFL Player Paycheck Analysis: Big Takeaways
Players on teams in states without individual income taxes generally have the biggest paychecks
There are currently eight NFL teams based in states without an individual state income tax: the Raiders in Nevada, Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Jaguars in Florida, Cowboys and Texans in Texas, Seahawks in Washington, and Titans in Tennessee.
The ´jock tax´ prevents players from completely avoiding state income taxes. Road games can create tax obligations in other jurisdictions.
California continues to be particularly expensive for high-income NFL players. The Chargers, Rams, and 49ers therefore remain among the teams with the lowest estimated take-home pay.
Some cities require local taxes that must be paid to the city. Case in point: The city of Philadelphia has a local tax, while Pittsburgh does not.
NFL Player Paycheck Analysis: How NFL Player Salaries After Taxes Are Calculated
To calculate NFL player salaries after taxes, we start with a hypothetical $1 million salary. From that $1 million, we subtract:
player’s federal income tax
state income tax
FICA
local municipal tax
jock tax
For 2026, the federal tax calculation has been updated using the latest federal tax brackets and standard deduction. The federal government represents the largest single tax obligation for players, with approximately $320,000 going toward federal income taxes.
FICA is then applied to account for Social Security and Medicare. Local municipal taxes are also included where applicable.
State income taxes vary dramatically depending on the player’s home team. Players based in states such as Florida, Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, and Washington don’t have a state individual income tax, while players in California, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C. face significantly larger state-level obligations.
NFL Player Paycheck Analysis: What About International Games?
The NFL’s 2026 schedule includes a record nine international regular-season games, meaning some players can also face tax obligations in the countries where those games are played. For these calculations, we estimate an international game tax separately from the traditional U.S. jock tax. We allocate a portion of the player’s $1 million salary to the international duty day and apply the relevant country’s tax or withholding rate. This is particularly important for teams with multiple international games. For example, the Jaguars play two games in London, while the 49ers play games in both Australia and Mexico.
International taxation can be more complicated than simply applying a foreign tax rate. Tax treaties, withholding rules,s and foreign-tax credits can affect a player’s final liability. Therefore, the international figures in our table should be viewed as estimates rather than individual tax returns.
It’s important to note that this analysis doesn’t account for personal tax deductions, credits, foreign-tax credits, or individual circumstances. Likewise, the vast majority of NFL players have agents who typically take a percentage of their contracts.
NFL Player Paycheck Analysis: What Is the Jock Tax?
The jock tax is important for calculating players’ total tax obligation to the government. Simply put, the jock tax applies to road games played in a different state. First enforced by Illinois in response to California taxing Michael Jordan, the jock tax, known as “Michael Jordan’s revenge”, is effective in the majority of states.
Players are required to pay state income tax for “working duty” days. “Working duty” days include games, practices, meetings, and general team activities. States with no state income tax, such as Florida, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington, are excluded from the jock tax. Conversely, games in the UK and Germany have the largest jock tax — levied at the full rate of 45%.
The jock tax formula is outlined below:
Divide the number of games played in the state by the total number of working days overall for the season (While NFL teams do not disclose working days, we can assume roughly 102 for a 17-game schedule — six days a week over 17 weeks).
1/102 = 0.0098 (0.98%)
Take 0.98% of the player’s salary ($1,000,000) and multiply it by the state’s income tax rate.
Example: 9,800 x 0.133 (13.3% California 2023-24 tax season rate)
= $1303.40 jock tax bill.
When you’re questioning how much footballers get paid after tax, it’s imperative to include the jock tax! It makes a small difference compared to other taxes, but we want to be as precise as possible.
Information provided by Sports Geek in Press Release
The Last Word
NFL player salaries across teams, positions, veteran vs rookie contracts, franchise contracts, and more, but an often overlooked factor for player contracts is their take-home pay. State taxes, local taxes, and “jock taxes” have significant impacts on the amount of money players receive in their paychecks. Players whose teams play in states with no state income tax(Florida, Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, and Washington) reap big benefits, and they also are not subjected to the jock tax that other states impose. The next time a big contract is inked, consider just how much these factors affect the decision to sign. This isn´t chump change.
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