The 15 Richest Current NFL Quarterbacks from California

If there’s one position that warrants merit on the football field, it’s the quarterback, who is generally looked at as the leader of his team and an extension of the head coach. And with it being the most important position in the game, it makes sense for a number of them to get paid handsomely. Since the state of California is such a pipeline for talent, I decided to take a look at the richest quarterbacks in the NFL right now, stretching from third-stringers who need some luck to get a start all the way to future Hall of Fame signal-callers.

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15. David Fales (Chicago Bears) – $659,386

There probably aren’t too many Chicago Bears fans who know about David Fales. A sixth-round pick from San Jose State in 2014, Fales is on the active roster, but sitting behind a couple of other guys, he hasn’t made an appearance in a regular season game, yet. Maybe a new year will bring him some luck on the field, because he has made $659,386 from his rookie campaign, which is pretty cool for him.

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14. Tyler Bray (Kansas City Chiefs) – $733,000

A former stud recruit out of California back in 2010, Tyler Bray went to the University of Tennessee and performed pretty well. Although he wasn’t drafted, Bray remains on the Kansas City Chiefs roster, failing to make an appearance in any of the past two seasons. For being a third-stringer, though, he has brought in $733,000, so riding the pine hasn’t been too bad for him.

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13. McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Miami Dolphins) – $752,722

An absolute athlete in high school, McLeod Bethel-Thompson proved he had natural ability that made him attractive to a number of colleges. After starting his college career at UCLA, he transferred and became an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has since bounced around to a number of NFL teams,  where he spent time with the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings and, currently, the Miami Dolphins in 2014, pulling in career earnings of over $750,000.

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12. Ryan Lindley (Arizona Cardinals) – $1.2 million

Although Ryan Lindley wasn’t drafted coming out of San Diego State in 2012, he was still forced into a starting role in two of the past three years in the league. His 2014 season wasn’t great, but he did help manage the Arizona Cardinals to the playoffs, where they lost in the Wild Card Game. He may be a raw project, but Lindley has some experience, which has led to $1.2 million earnings.

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11. Matt Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles) – $1.4 million

The former No. 1 overall recruit from the Class of 2008, Matt Barkley was hyped as a Heisman Trophy prospect from his freshman year on while with the USC Trojans. Although he never won, he did have an above-average collegiate career, leading him to be drafted in the fourth-round in 2013 by the Philadelphia Eagles. Although he hasn’t performed well in limited duty, Barkley has earned $1.4 million in his two seasons.

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10. Jordan Palmer (Tennessee Titans) – $2.2 million

The younger brother of former USC Trojan Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, Jordan Palmer has made a pretty good living as a backup quarterback in the NFL. Bouncing around between a few teams since being drafted in the sixth-round in 2007, the younger Palmer has earned $2.2 million in his career without performing much, which might not bring bragging rights to family dinners, but allows him to live comfortably.

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9. Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders) – $2.6 million

A second-round selection in 2014 by the Oakland Raiders, Derek Carr showed that he had some serious talent during his rookie campaign. Throwing for over 3,200 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, the former Fresno State product looks to be the real deal, with the franchise looking to build around him through free-agency and the draft this year to see him take an even bigger leap in 2015.

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8. Jimmy Clausen (Chicago Bears) – $3.7 million

Another former No. 1 college prospect, when Jimmy Clausen announced he was playing for the Notre Dam Irish in 2006, he did so with a flashy limo. Since then, though, he hasn’t brought as much attention to himself through his play, only throwing for 5 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his five-year career, which has been split between two teams. Still, he has earned over $3.7 million.

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7. Josh Johnson (San Francisco 49ers) – $5.1 million

Generally looked at as a career backup, Josh Johnson performed well on the collegiate level while at San Diego, but he hasn’t done much in limited opportunities in the NFL. A fifth-round selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2008, Johnson has earned $5.1 million between a handful of teams, throwing for 5 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with just over 1,000 yards passing.

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6. Matt Moore (Miami Dolphins) – $18.9 million

One of the most reliable backup quarterbacks in the NFL right now, Matt Moore might find himself between roles depending on which team he’s on, but he has proven that he can handle the starter’s responsibilities in the past. Playing for three teams over the course of his career, he’s a free-agent who could get a chance to start in 2015 once again. With more than 5,300 passing yards and a 33-28 TD-INT ratio, Moore has made nearly $19 million in his eight seasons.

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5. Matt Cassel (Buffalo Bills) – $35.2 million

Matt Cassel is such an interesting case. Never taking a snap while at USC in college because he was trapped behind two future NFL stars, when he got his chance to start following an injury to Tom Brady in 2008, he owned it, leading to a massive, six-year, $62.7 million deal that offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs after a trade. While he hasn’t had as much success as he did that first season in New England, he has been steady, recently being traded to the Buffalo Bills and earning more than $35.2 million in his career.

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4. Mark Sanchez (Philadelphia Eagles) – $64.3 million

Another stud recruit from California, Mark Sanchez did some great things while with the USC Trojans, causing the New York Jets to select him No. 5 overall in the 2009 draft. Guiding the team to two-straight AFC title games, the Big Apple adored The Sanchize. Falling out of favor, though, he has since found his way to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he has had spot duty and just re-upped with the team this offseason, where he’ll add to his $64.3 million career earnings.

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3. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – $99.6 million

A future Hall of Fame quarterback and last season’s league MVP, Aaron Rodgers may have slipped down the draft board in 2005, but he has more than made up for it. With a Super Bowl win to his credit and numerous passing records, Rodgers inked a huge deal a couple of years ago that led to the majority of his career earnings thus far, with plenty more being added in coming years to his net worth.

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2. Carson Palmer (Arizona Cardinals) – $121.1 million

A former Heisman Trophy winner and older brother of the aforementioned Jordan Palmer, Carson Palmer was the No. 1 overall pick in 2003 and showed he was one of the top passers in the league. Signing a couple big-time contracts following two Pro Bowl appearances in 2005 and ’06, Palmer has always had a big arm and been smart with the football, which had helped him maintain a good reputation around the league. He’ll be working his way back from an injury he sustained last season after signing an extension with the Arizona Cardinals, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs for the remainder of his career.

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1. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – $149.7 million

After winning his fourth career Super Bowl in six tries, Tom Brady is, arguably, the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Setting a number of franchise and league records, Tom Terrific owns two league MVPs, a couple Super Bowl MVPs and one supermodel wife. A team player who has been known to restructure his contract in order for the New England Patriots to sign new and current players, Brady has still managed to rake in nearly $150 million, with more to come before he calls it quits.

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