Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning made more money in the NFL than any player in history

Published Mar. 9, 2016 4:24 a.m. ET

Andre Vergara

You can't blame Peyton Manning for wanting to stick around the NFL. Not only was he an all-time great, but he also made more money than any other player in league history.

Manning made more than $248 million in his 18-year career, according to Spotrac.com. Even in his last season, which was statistically terrible — just ask DeAngelo Williams — Manning cleaned up, earning $15 million in base salary and another $4 million for winning the AFC championship game and the Super Bowl.

Manning has raked in an estimated $150 million in endorsements too, according to Forbes, from Papa John's, Nationwide and other sponsors. And he'll be in high demand if he decides to join the broadcast booth. So Manning's stock is sitting pretty.

"Peyton is an intellect and will succeed if he chooses broadcasting or a front office role," David Schwab, a senior VP at Octagon who matches brand clients with celebrity endorsers, told FOXBusiness.com. "He prepares better than anyone. He is a fantastic business speaker and those opportunities will grow as he has more time. He presents himself very well to the C-suite audience and we have used him in several times for clients and [he] continues to deliver."

And while Peyton may have collected his last paycheck as an NFL player, the highest-paid active player will remain a Manning — Eli, with $187.7 million in career salary.