The NFL isn’t just about American football and its players. It’s also about the show, the promotional events, the fans, and the Super Bowl that has built a reputation for itself on a global scale. That’s why figures of entertainment like cheerleaders and team mascots on the field have been around forever and play an important role in keeping the show always going.
While cheerleaders have always been a topic of conversation, mascots aren’t exactly as talked about. That’s why we were intrigued to look into that aspect of divertissem*nt and know what it’s like to be a mascot in the top-tier American League.
Unlike in college, mascots in the NFL can earn up to $60,000 a year. Only a very few professionals however are able to earn more than the proposed amount if they signed worthy contracts with their teams.
The Dallas Cowboys’ Rowdy, for example, earns $65,000 per year, which makes sense as the mascot of ‘America’s team.’ Pat Patriot is the second highest-paid mascot in the league, now earning the same amount as Rowdy. They both pocket an hourly rate of $50. San Francisco’s Sourdough Sam comes in third, earning $60,000 per season and an hourly salary of $45.
Not every NFL team has a mascot, however. While the majority of the 32 teams do, five do not have a mascot: New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders.
Lowest-paid NFL mascots
There is no one lowest-paid mascot in the NFL, but there are a few who are paid no more than $50,000 a season, including the Seattle Seahawks’ Blitz and Carolina Panthers’ Sir Purr.
While NFL mascots aren’t making more than these numbers shown above, there are some professional mascots who make six figures or more in a season. NBA Denver Nuggets’ Rocky is making an insane amount and is considered to be the highest-paid mascot in all of sports, $625,000 per year. Rocky, who’s been around for a while, was even inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame back in 2006.
There is no one lowest-paid mascot in the NFL, but there are a few who are paid no more than $50,000 a season, including the Seattle Seahawks' Blitz and Carolina Panthers' Sir Purr.
Many of them have become symbols and their value to fans is incalculable. The Denver Nuggets, reigning NBA champions, have in their ranks Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon... and Rocky The Mountain Lion. The Nuggets' mascot is the highest paid in the United States with a salary of $625,000 a year!
Four teams — the Chargers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and New York Jets — do not have mascots, but they are included on the list, so you can check out one of their games as well.
Some teams have chosen to recognize the contributions of their mascots by presenting them with specially designed rings. For example, the Philadelphia Eagles awarded their mascot, Swoop, with a ring after their Super Bowl victory in 2018.
NFL waterboys actually make a fairly decent salary. Typically speaking individuals earn around $35,000 per year. Those who have been in the game for an extended period of time, however, can earn significantly more, with some even reported to be starting well above $50,000.
How much do Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders earn? The average cheerleader in the NFL earns approximately $150 per game, according to ESPN. But everything is bigger in Texas, right? Cowboys Cheerleaders reportedly make $500 per game or approximately $10,000 for a season's worth of games.
The minimum salary rose to $705,000 in 2022. This year, the minimum salary for an NFL player is $750,000. This amount applies exclusively to NFL rookies during their debut season. As they advance, the minimum rises to $870,000 and $940,000 by the third year.
Rocky doesn't just get the money for clapping hands and hyping the crowd up, but also because of its over-the-top stunts that it pulls off during the games. The Nuggets' fearless animal leader was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006, solidifying its legacy and justifying the paycheck.
NFL waterboys actually make a fairly decent salary. Typically speaking individuals earn around $35,000 per year. Those who have been in the game for an extended period of time, however, can earn significantly more, with some even reported to be starting well above $50,000.
As one of the most experienced members in the mascot community of the NFL, Meers is supposedly earning around $65,000 annually at present. On a general level, NFL mascots average approximately $50,000 to $60,000 a year. More experienced and those with better deals with the team can cross $65,000 as well.
As for Swoop, his salary is reported somewhere in the region of $55,000 to $60,000. While most of the NFL mascots earn a similar figure when it comes to their salaries, there are a few that are above the average and a few below it.
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