Colin Kaepernick Net Worth: Protest Doesn’t Pay

The Colin Kaepernick net worth sum of $17.2 million will very probably suffer as a result of his stance on the national anthem. How much is a protest worth? In Kaepernick’s case, $2 million more each year in lost salary earnings plus $3 million a year in endorsements. Factoring in the growth that would have happened without the refusal to stand for the nation’s song, that could amount to $68 million lost over the next five years. Here’s the rationale: Kaepernick wasn’t cut from the 49’ers because of his protest, but he was replaced as starting QB by Blaine Gabbert. If that stands, Kaepernick will see a salary drop of $2 million each year from a clause in his contract and several big companies could drop him as spokesperson. Read on for the details.

I can think of 99 reasons to #boycottNFL but Colin Kaepernick ain't one.

— Nubyjas Wilborn (@nwilborn19) September 9, 2016

Colin Kaepernick Net Worth Facts

The Colin Kaepernick net worth total of $17.2 million is small compared to longtime NFL quarterbacks like the now retired Peyton Manning at $191 million. That number could grow, but by a lot less if he were to continue his sitting protest during the national anthem. Manning’s net worth is 12 times as big as Kaepernick’s. Tom Brady’s net worth of $172 million is 11 times bigger than Kaepernick’s and even bigger if we factor in wife Gisele Bündchen‘s wealth of $360 million. Even relative newcomer Cam Newton has twice as much money as Colin Kaepernick with $32 million. Outside the world of sports, singer Taylor Swift has 19 times more wealth with $310 million and rapper and businessman Jay Z has 33 times more with $554 million. Rapper 50 Cent has slightly less than Kaepernick with $16 million because of a string of bad business deals. Hillary Clinton has twice as much with $32 million. How does Kaepernick measure up to a typical professional career? His average salary of $8.4 million puts him at 84 times the median salary of an MBA graduate.

Colin Kaepernick Net Worth Timeline

The Colin Kaepernick net worth story is a fairly typical one for a star quarterback who’s been in the business for five years. He started with a relatively high salary of $931,000 (20% more than the typical NFL player) and quickly rose to a pay level of nearly $16 million a year. He started for the 49ers in the postseason in 2012 and led his team to the Super Bowl that year. His endorsement deal clout had just begun to grow, reaching an estimated $3 million a year by 2015 with brands like McDonald’s, Nike and Subway. Kaepernick’s contract with the 49ers might have had him earning nearly $20 million a year by 2018 and even more depending on his performance. Again that’s a typical start for a starting QB, but the player’s net worth is at a crossroads. His protest against the national anthem won’t make the graph above take a downturn, but it will flatten the growth. By how much remains to be seen, but his salary could dip by $2 million per year if he doesn’t make it back to starting QB status soon. See the sections below for salary details.

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Colin Kaepernick Net Worth Sources: Salary, Endorsements

Salary and endorsements make up the bulk of the Colin Kaepernick net worth figure. The NFL star has earned $38.4 million from his NFL salary since 2011 and an estimated $11 million in endorsement income. He has earned another $1 million from sales of merchandise, though he has pledged to donate that money to the impoverished. All in all he has earned $50.4 million in his lifetime, with an average salary of $8.4 million and a 2016 salary from all sources of $19.8 million. Taxes take $26 million of that money and expenses blow the whistle on another $7.5 million.

Colin Kaepernick Net Worth from Salary: $38.4 Million.

Kaepernick’s salary by year is released by the NFL and we’ve shown it in the table below. The big story here is not that the QB’s salary has grown from a respectable $930,000 per year to a moderately high (for the NFL) annual pay of $15.9 million, but what will happen in the future. Kaepernick’s contract has a clause in it that says he will lose $2 million per year from his salary unless he either wins the NFC Title Game or is named 1st or 2nd team All-Pro. According to NBC Pro Football Talk, that doesn’t mean he loses a total of $2 million from his annual salary. It means he loses an additional $2 million per year. So a salary of $15.8 million in 2016 would become $13.8 million in 2017 and $11.8 million in 2018 and so on. That would add up to $30 million in lost salary over five years, and that’s not even adding in the growth that would have happened otherwise. The key point here is that it’ll be extremely difficult for Kaepernick to avoid that de-escalation while he’s sitting on the bench. He’s slated to start out the season as second QB behind starter Blaine Gabbert. Even if the team wins the AFC Championship, Kaepernick will still see his salary drop unless he’s on the field for 80% of all playing time. That means he’ll almost certainly lose money for next year. Whether that trend continues remains to be seen. For one, the player has stopped sitting during the national anthem and has instead started kneeling, which he’s said is more respectful to fallen soldiers. That act may get him back in the starting lineup, if not this year then possibly by the 2017 season.

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Colin Kaepernick Net Worth from Endorsements: $11 Million

Endorsement deals make up a growing portion of the Colin Kaepernick net worth number. So far that portion is only $11 million, but if Kaepernick is anything like other star QBs in the NFL, that number should grow to upwards of $15 million a year by 2017. Should is a big word, and in reality it’s doubtful that it will turn into will or is any time soon. The reason is Kaepernick’s protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kaepernick has said he refuses to stand for the national anthem of a country that oppresses “black people and people of color.” In his statement, he referenced bodies in the street and people getting paid leave to get away with murder. While the issue has sparked a robust debate among the American people, with some railing against the star’s protest and others in ardent support, there’s one quarter where the debate will likely be weaker: the endorsement world. Companies seeking brand endorsements from sports stars are traditionally somewhat gun-shy. Certainly those companies run away at full speed from those involved in violent crimes like Floyd Mayweather or Chris Brown. But they also shy away from too much political controversy. It’s debatable whether Nike, Subway, EA Sports or McDonald’s will continue their deals with Kaepernick. If they don’t, the star would lose $3 million a year in current endorsement money, and an estimated $58 million in future deals over the next five years. However, those losses are far from certain. McDonald’s, Beats by Dre and Nike have all targeted black populations with their advertising, and it’s too early to tell whether Kaepernick’s stance will be a plus or a minus for those companies.

Is the Protest Worth the Lost Millions?

The biggest question around all the Colin Kaepernick net worth speculation is really whether it’s worth it. The numbers show that right now the QB has a net worth of around $17 million. He could have a net worth of $167 million in five years. That number could be $68 million lower if he doesn’t stop his protest. Those numbers all tell a story and raise questions, but in the end the only one that matters is, is he doing the right thing? Millions of fans will almost certainly say no, while millions more have come out in support. In Kaepernick’s mind he definitely is doing the right thing. He feels strongly enough to make this decision and the chances are extremely slim that he doesn’t understand the possible financial consequences. He clearly believes that the statement he’s making is well worth the sacrifice. In the end, since this is his money, his opinion on it is the only one that matters.

Colin Kaepernick Net Worth Calculations

The table below shows total annual earnings in one column and all adjustments for taxes, expenses and investments in another. The Colin Kaepernick net worth calculations include the highest combined U.S. and California state tax bracket of 52.9% and expenses of 15%. They also include investment earnings of 6% per year, though those are overwhelmed by the negatives.

If you liked reading about Colin Kaepernick’ net worth, try this post about LeBron James’ net worth or this one about Steph Curry’s net worth. All Colin Kaepernick net worth data in this article are based on our analysis of income streams, tax, expense and investment calculations, estimates and media reports and are provided here for entertainment purposes only.

Sources:

Spotrac.com Colin Kaepernick Salary Data

Business Insider on Colin Kaepernick Protest and Net Worth