Football players in the NFL make a pretty penny. The best ones in the league earn upwards of $45 to $50 million a year, while the median salary average is around $860,000 per year.
While those in the CFL don't sniff that kind of cash, there are still plenty of those who do pretty well financially. The top CFLers make six figures annually, with some of the top contracts getting up to over $400,000 a year.
The top earner in 2022 will be on the field Sunday in Regina, as Blue Bombers QB Zach Collaros has his eyes on winning the team its third consecutive Grey Cup. Winnipeg faces the Toronto Argonauts at Mosaic Stadium for the 109th edition of the event.
Here is a look at the highest earners in the CFL in 2022.
What is the average salary for a CFL player?
The average salary for CFL players isn't exactly known. The league does not make teams publicize their player salaries as the NFL does. However, it is estimated that players make between $60,000 and $100,000.
The minimum salary an American or National player can make is $65,000. For Global players, that floor is set at $54,000.
Highest-paid CFL players in 2022
Those at the top of the CFL's highest-paid player's list shouldn't surprise many. QB is an extremely important position in the league, and the first eight spots are taken up by signal callers.
Collaros owns the highest salary in the league, earning $550,000 in hard money. He is the lone player to make over $500,000 this season in guaranteed cash.
The only starting QB who isn't on the top-10 list is BC's, Nathan Rourke. Since he is a national rookie, he only made $71,500 in hard money playing in the CFL this season.
"Hard money" is a term used to describe the amount of money guaranteed for a player, which includes salary, signing bonus, housing money, workout bonuses, travel allowances, off-season roster bonuses and report-and-pass bonuses.
Here is a look at the top-10 highest-paid players in the CFL in 2022, with the amounts provided by 3DownNation.
| Player | Position | Team | Hard Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Collaros | QB | Winnipeg | $550,000 |
| Cody Fajardo | QB | Saskatchewan | $467,000 |
| Jeremiah Masoli | QB | Ottawa | $432,000 |
| Bo Levi Mitchell | QB | Calgary | $425,000 |
| Dane Evans | QB | Hamilton | $432,000 |
| McLeod Bethel-Thompson | QB | Toronto | $400,000 |
| Vernon Adams Jr. | QB | Montreal | $399,000 |
| Nick Arbuckle | QB | Edmonton | $340,000 |
| D'haquille Williams | WR | Saskatchewan | $255,000 |
| Ja'Gared Davis | DE | Toronto | $230,000 |
