What is Russell Wilson's net worth and salary?
Russell Wilson is an American professional football player who has a net worth of $165 million. Russell Wilson played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2012 to 2021. He moved to the Broncos ahead of the 2022 season. As of this writing, he has appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one.
He is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. His NFL average salary of $48.5 million makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in terms of per-season earnings. Between June 2018 and June 2019, Russell Wilson earned $90 million from his various endeavors. His career NFL earnings top $238.3 million in salary alone.
Salary and Contracts
Russell spent a decade playing for the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Denver Broncos. In his last two seasons with the Seahawks, Russell earned $35 million per year. He then earned an annual salary of $48.5 million with the Broncos.
On July 31st, 2015, the Seattle Seahawks signed Wilson to a four-year contract extension valued at $87.6 million. The contract came with a signing bonus of $31 million and $60 million of guaranteed money.
For the 2016 season, his base jumped up to $12.34 million, up again the next season to $12.6 million, then $15.5 million in 2018, and $17 million in 2019.
On April 16, 2019, Russell and the Seattle Seahawks signed a four-year $140 million contract extension. The contract, which came with a whopping $65 million signing bonus, was the richest deal in NFL history at the time. The deal came with a total of $107 million in guaranteed money.
When he was acquired by the Broncos ahead of the 2022 season, Russell's previous contract with the Seahawks was carried over. The deal will entitle Russell to $24 million for the 2022 season and $27 million for the 2023 season. Then, in September 2022, Russell Wilson and the Broncos agreed on a five-year, $242.5 million contract extension. As it turned out, Russell only played 30 games over two seasons with the Broncos before he was cut in March 2024. The Broncos are still on the hook for $39 million owed to Wilson in the 2024 season. They can reduce their payout by whatever salary Russell earns from another team. However, teams are somewhat incentivized to sign him for the veteran league minimum of $1.21 million, which would mean the Broncos would have to cover the difference. By cutting Wilson, the Broncos accept an $80 million dead cap hit. That's the largest dead cap hit in NFL history, which has led many to call it the worst contract in NFL history.
Early Life
Russell Wilson was born on November 29, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He began playing football with his father and brother before he started kindergarten. He went on to distinguish himself as a football player throughout high school, finishing his four years with multiple all-district, all-region, and all-state honors, as well as being named Conference Player of the Year. He was featured in "Sports Illustrated" his senior year. He was also a star player on his high school baseball and basketball teams.
MLB Draft
Russell was drafted into Major League Baseball straight out of high school by the Baltimore Orioles. He was the fifth pick in the 41st round of the 2007 MLB draft, technically the 1,222nd overall pick.
Technically, Wilson is also still available to play Minor League baseball and was recently acquired by the Texas Rangers. He played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011 as a second baseman.
College Career
Wilson turned down the contract and opted to attend North Carolina State. Russell went on to play football, very successfully, for North Carolina State but was never invited to the NFL's Scouting Combine. He then surprised everyone by announcing his intention to play professional baseball. In 2011, Russell reported to spring training with the Colorado Rockies. Over the next two summers, Russell had moderate success playing minor-league baseball. He also transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he spent one more year. During the 2011 season, Wilson set the FBS record for passing efficiency (191.8) in a single season and led the team to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks. Wisconsin lost the bowl game.
NFL Career
In another move that shocked family and friends, in January 2012, Russell announced he was going to begin training for the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine. He entered the 2012 NFL draft as a projected middle-round pick. The Seattle Seahawks chose Russell Wilson in the third round as the 75th pick overall.
Russell went on to earn multiple honors while on the Seahawks, including being named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year, PFF Offensive Rookie of the Year, and ranked #51 on the NFL Top 100 of 2013. He was a 2012 Pro Bowl selection. At the XLIX Super Bowl, Wilson and the Seahawks almost repeated as champions but were defeated 28-24 by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Wilson has been named to seven Pro Bowls and has started in two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLVIII. He holds the record for most wins by an NFL quarterback through seven seasons (75) and is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history with a career passer rating over 100.
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Personal Life
Wilson is a devout Christian. He frequently talks about his faith on his social media accounts.
Russell Wilson met Ashton Meem while they were both in high school in Richmond, Virginia. She was also a star athlete in high school, and went to the University of Georgia when he enrolled at North Carolina State. When Wilson transferred to Wisconsin in 2010, she followed him there. The couple got married in January 2012, a few months before he was drafted by the Seahawks. A month after being drafted, Russell signed a 4-year, $3 million contract with the Seahawks. Unfortunately, Ashton and Russell divorced in April 2014. In July 2015, Russell signed a 4-year, $88 million extension with the Seahawks. A month later he paid $6.7 million for a mansion in Bellvue, Washington.
In early 2015, Wilson began dating singer Ciara. They pledged to be celibate until they got married. They announced their engagement in mid-March 2016. They got married at a castle in England on July 6, 2016. On April 28, 2017, their daughter was born. Ciara also has a son from a previous relationship. Wilson and Ciara announced in January 2020 that they were expecting their second child together.
Wilson was very active in the Seattle philanthropic community. He visited the Seattle Children's Hospital weekly on his days off during the NFL season. During the offseason, he puts on the Russell Wilson Passing Academy, a youth football camp. He's also visited with soldiers at a local military base.
Wilson is the National Ambassador of the Charles Ray III Diabetes Association. In 2012, the proceeds from his youth football camp were donated to this foundation.
He also co-hosts an annual charity golf tournament with NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne at the Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington, which is east of Seattle.
Wilson's Why Not You Foundation presented a check for slightly more than $1 million to Seattle Children's Hospital in 2016 for its Strong Against Cancer program. In 2022, Wilson and Ciara donated $500,000 to nonprofit organizations in Colorado.
Wilson and Ciara wrote a children's book, "Why Not You?" to help kids pursue their dreams. It was released in March 2022 and was a New York Times bestseller.
Real Estate
In 2015, Wilson paid $6.7 million for a waterfront mansion in Bellevue, Washington. The mansion sits on Lake Washington and had been on the market since 2010. It was built in 2008. The two-story, 10,700-square-foot home has seven bedrooms and 6.75 bathrooms and sits on two-thirds of an acre of property with views of Lake Washington, downtown Seattle, and nearby mountain ranges. It comes with five fireplaces, a wine cellar, skylights, and a walk-in pantry. In April 2022, Russell listed this home for sale for $28 million. He sold this property in April 2024 for $21.15 million. They also sold the undeveloped lot next door for $5 million. Here is a video tour:
Right around the same time he listed the Bellevue mansion, Russell and Ciara paid $25 million for a mansion in the Denver area. The purchase set a record for the most expensive home sold in Denver. The 20,000-square-foot home has four bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, an indoor pool, a game room, a home theater.
