Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth: A Rookie Runs to Riches

The Ezekiel Elliott net worth total of $2.5 million comes from his high-for-a-rookie salary of $4.5 million, plus merchandise and endorsement pay. The rookie running back is already a hit with fans, sporting the top selling jersey in the NFL shop. He’s also landed some fledgeling endorsement deals, like an agreement with Panini trading cards and a partnership with Nike Football. He was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys as the fourth overall draft pick in 2016.

About half of all NFL players make less than $860,000 per year, so Elliott’s $4.5 million salary is very high, especially for a rookie. The player’s annual pay is a lot less than veteran top-earners like Eli Manning or Ben Roethlisberger in the $24 million range. That said, since this is Elliott’s first year in the league, he’s got plenty of time to grow. In fact his $24.9 million contract plus other income streams will likely build him a net worth of $19.5 million by 2019.

It was great shooting at Twins Peaks today. @TwinPeaksLodge #zekeatthepeaks pic.twitter.com/6bC853xUW8

— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) July 15, 2016

Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth Facts

A look at the Ezekiel Elliott net worth sum of $2.5 million shows it’s pretty low for an NFL star. In fact New England Patriots legendary QB Tom Brady has a net worth that’s 81 times bigger than Elliott’s at $209 million. Even relative newcomer Cam Newton has 13 times more accumulated wealth than Elliott with $32 million. About the only big football star Elliott has more money than is teammate Dak Prescott, also a rookie. Prescott’s low salary of $545,848 gives him a net worth of just $315,915 after taxes and adjustments. That means Elliott has nine times more money than Prescott already.

Outside the NFL, the NBA’s LeBron James’ net worth is 121 times bigger than Ezekiel Elliott’s at $311 million. UFC star Ronda Rousey has almost twice as much money as Elliott with $4.1 million. In the world of celebrities at large, rapper and businessman Jay Z’s net worth is 217 times bigger than Elliott’s at $558 million. Dr. Dre has even more than that at $754 million. That’s 293 times more money than Elliott. Finally, Donald Trump has a net worth of $5.4 billion. That’s 2,092 times bigger than Elliott’s net worth.

Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth Timeline

The Ezekiel Elliot net worth story has just begun. Since 2016 is Elliott’s rookie year, his net worth starts at $0 in 2015 and jumps to $2.5 million in 2016. The timeline then progresses into the future, showing estimates for his net worth in 2017, 2018 and 2019 based on his current contract. The future estimates also build in assumed figures for merchandise sales and endorsement deal earnings. So far Elliott’s endorsement career is in its early stages with just a few minor contracts signed. That will almost certainly change, as fame is the coin of the realm when it comes to payouts for pushing products and Elliot’s got it. Barring an injury or a sudden mental implosion, by 2019 his estimated earnings from endorsement deals will rise to an annual $7 million.

Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth Sources: NFL Salary

Where does the Ezekiel Elliot net worth engine get its gas? An incredible aptitude for playing football. That may seem like an oversimplification, but few running backs show the flash and facility Elliott displays with such ease. The star’s stand-out nature is reflected in his high $16.3 million signing bonus. He scored 50 touchdowns in his senior year in high school. At Ohio State he was named the 2015 Amenche-Dayne Running Back of the Year and the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year. His rare combination of athleticism, size, blocking and pass-catching skills made him an NFL favorite in the 2016 draft.

In his first year, Elliott has earned $4.5 million in salary and bonuses, plus an estimated $850,000 in endorsement earnings and another $300,000 from merchandise royalties. That’s a total of $5.6 million pre-tax.

Salary and Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth: $4.5 Million

Salary and bonuses add $4.5 million to the Ezekiel Elliott net worth figures in 2016. Technically Elliott’s rookie-year salary is “only” $450,000, but a $16.3 million signing bonus means he actually gets $4.5 million this year. The star’s salary-plus-bonuses will rise to $7.9 million per year by 2019. His total four-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys is for $24.9 million in guaranteed pay. Fully 65% of that money or $16.3 million is Elliot’s stellar signing bonus. What did Elliott do with that windfall? He used part of it to buy a house for his mom.

Of course the U.S. government gets to keep 39.6% of that pay, since Elliott is now in the top federal tax bracket. The good news for the player is that as a resident of Texas, he pays no state income tax. That fact alone will bump up his net worth by millions by the time he reaches free agency again in 2020.

Whether Elliott deserves his high salary is up for debate, but consider that the Cowboys have only picked two other running backs from the top 20 in the NFL Draft. They were NFL Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.

Also see: Stephen Curry Net Worth

Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth from Endorsements: $850,000

Endorsements chip in $850,000 so far to the Ezekiel Elliott net worth total. That’s not a lot of money in the world of sports sponsorships. Tiger Woods earned an estimated $50 million in 2014 for brand endorsement deals. Outside the world of sports, Kim Kardashian has based a large part of her $150 million fortune on product endorsements. Even so, $850,000 in sponsor money is not bad for a rookie. The figure isn’t an official one, since sports stars are private individuals and aren’t required to disclose exact amounts to the public. Rather, the amount is an estimate built on his known deals.

One such deal is a partnership with Panini trading cards to use his name and image in a commercial. Another is a multi-year deal with Nike Football. Both are seen as small-dollar contracts at this point. That said, the Nike deal stands a very high chance of growing into the millions in the near future. Elliot has also inked deals with the Twin Peaks restaurant chain and with Old Spice cologne.

Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth from Merchandise: $300,000

Merchandise sales pump an estimated $300,000 into the Ezekiel Elliot net worth sum before taxes. That figure is an estimate based on his #1 top selling jersey in the NFL Shop. NFL player jerseys don’t come cheap but run from $31.99 to $124.99. The Dallas Cowboys are the most popular team in the NFL. Before every die-hard fan from every other team attacks that statement, let’s look at the data. They get more “Facebook likes” than any other team. They have 3.7 million Facebook fans, which puts them above any other team in the league for that metric.

Let’s assume 2% of those 3.7 million Cowboys fans buys an Ezekiel Elliott jersey in 2016. Let’s also assume Elliot keeps 5% of the money from each jersey sold. At an average price of $78.50, that means $300,000 in Elliott’s pocket from merchandise sales. It’s true that the number of fans who buy an Elliott jersey could be a lot lower, but then his percentage could be a lot higher. What we’re saying is that $300K is a decent ballpark estimate.

Also see: Lil Wayne Net Worth

Ezekiel Elliott Net Worth Calculations

The table below shows adjustments to the Ezekiel Elliot net worth calculations. The second column shows total earnings by year from all sources. The third column shows adjustments. Those include taxes at 39.6% per year. That’s the top US federal income tax bracket. They also include expenses of 15% of all earnings for agent fees, cost of living and so on. There’s also a calculation in there for investments at 6% added to net worth every year. Finally, the last column shows Elliot’s net worth by year. Since 2016 is the player’s rookie year, we’ve shown the amounts estimated out into the future. His future earnings are based on his current contract, which expires in 2020.

If you liked reading about Ezekiel Elliot’s net worth, try this post about Floyd Mayweather’s net worth or this one about Taylor Swift’s net worth. All Ezekiel Elliot 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