How much do USFL players make? Breaking down the league’s salary structure for 2022

One question was undoubtedly asked during the USFL’s opening weekend: how much are these guys making, and how does it compare to the NFL?

Unlike the NFL, each USFL player is compensated the same amount. According to USFL News, each player on an active roster is paid $4,500 per game, which ends up being $45,000 for the season if a player remains on the active roster for the entire 10-game regular season. Players on the practice squad earn $1,500 per week, a $15,000 payout if a player remains on the practice squad for the entire regular season. Players were also given $600 per week during their team’s four-week training camp. 

Now here’s where it gets interesting. For each win, players receive an additional $850. A member of the USFL’s championship team will receive $10,000. So while the base salary is $45,000, a player could earn nearly $70,000 if his team is able to go undefeated while being a mainstay on the roster. 

Each team has 45 roster spots that includes 38 active spots and seven practice squad spots. Over the season, teams will spend just over $1.7 million on the active roster and $105,000 on practice squad players. 

The USFL’s current approach contrasts the approach of the original USFL from the 1980s. While each USFL team was supposed to operate under a salary cap, several owners broke ranks while signing college stars to record-setting deals. Steve Young famously signed a 43-year, $40 million contract when he joined the Los Angeles Express in 1984 (Young later said he received only a fraction of that contract). Running back Herschel Walker signed a three-year, $4.2 million deal with the New Jersey Generals that included a $1 million signing bonus.  

After a 37-year hiatus, the USFL is hoping to have more staying power the second time around. The league will commence its 2022 season with a four-team playoff at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The championship game will be held on July 3.