What Does a Second Round NFL Draft Earn?

On August 6, 2011, the National Football League and its Players Union signed a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). One of its provisions was a new rookie wage scale, which significantly reduced the value of contracts for first year players. Second round draft picks are players chosen between 33 and 64. Their contracts include a signing bonus and base salary over the first three years. Players can earn more in the fourth year if they meet certain performance incentives.

  1. Base Salary

    • The average base salary over three years for an NFL second round draft pick was approximately $2.62 million.

    Signing Bonus

    • The average signing bonus for an NFL 2nd round draft pick in 2011 was approximately $1.65 million.

    Performance Escalator Clause

    • The performance escalator clause in the CBA is triggered if, in two of his first three seasons, a player succeeds in playing 35 percent of the time, or averages 35 percent playing time over the three years.

    Right of First Refusal Amount

    • Players who trigger the performance escalator clause are paid in the fourth year of their contracts at the rate of the Right of First Refusal. In 2011, the first year of the collective bargaining agreement, this is $1.2 million.