This February, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams face off at the Super Bowl LVI for the title of national champions—and, of course, a Super Bowl ring.
With the amount of money that flies around the NFL, it is no surprise that the participants of the Super Bowl get a significant pay day for playing in the year's biggest football game —whether they win or lose. Also unsurprisingly, the amount of money players get paid has ballooned over the decades.
And the amount that players get paid is not the only way that players can financially gain from taking part in the contest—apart from the potential for sponsorships it creates for standout players, there is also a significant secondary market for Super Bowl rings that can go into the tens of thousands.
Player payments are also in direct contrast to the halftime show performers, who do not make any money from the show save for travel expenses—though as one of this year's performers is Dr. Dre, who calls himself the "first billionaire in hip hop," he might not mind so much.
How Much Do Super Bowl Winners Get Paid?
In January, the NFL confirmed that every member of the team that picks up the Vince Lombardi Trophy this year will take home a bonus of $150,000.
That is not just the players who play, but all 53 men in their roster. So while a $150,000 bonus may not be much in a league where the average salary is $2.7 million (per Esquire), it is a lot to the players on the NFL minimum salary of around $400,000 a year.
Super Bowl LVI winners will make over eight times as much money if they win had they been playing in the 1970s. The 1978 bonuses given out for the game were $18,000. Even adjusted for inflation, the price has nearly doubled from the nearly $77,000 those '70s players took home in today's money.
Do the Super Bowl Losers Get Paid a Bonus Too?
Oh yes. Whoever wins or loses on February 13, all players are taking home some serious bank.
This year's loser's bonus will be $75,000. Again, this is paid to all the 50-plus members of the team.
In the 1970s, both sides were paid that same $18,000 no matter who won and who lost.
How Much Are Super Bowl Rings Worth?
In terms of the rings themselves, per Fox Business, the 150 winners' rings that a team gets from the NFL have a combined value of about $5 million, meaning each ring is worth around $33,333. Per ESPN, the rings given to the losers are worth half of that.
These rings are for the team to distribute, and to decide who does get one. With so many rings given out to players, coaches, executives and other staff over the years, it is no surprise that they have appeared on secondary markets from time to time.
Prices for these have started at around $30,000, with rings from beloved players or popular Super Bowls making it to $50,000. In 2008, two Steelers rings from 1970 sold for $69,000 each. When Je'Rod Cherry gave his ring to a charity raffle in 2017, it made more than $180,000.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
