College football has become a strange and lucrative game for some players. NIL has altered the way schools handle sports, and those with big-money donors often hold sway. In fact, a college football player can often make more money than they do in the NFL initially. That is the case with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard.
In a recent article by David Ubben of The Athletic (subscription required), the author talked with several former college quarterbacks at big schools about how much money they were making. In the case of Leonard, he began at Duke before transferring to Notre Dame. That is when he began to get lots of cash.
Leonard did not disclose how much exactly he made for the Fighting Irish, but stated, "I’m definitely making less with the Colts. And you see the numbers flying around college football. The money’s doubled since I’ve been there."
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard took a pay cut from what he was making at Notre Dame
The implication was that Leonard made a bit more than he does for Indianapolis, but slightly less than $1.5 million a year. That, of course, is easily enough to pay for whatever a college student needs, especially one already on scholarship for playing a sport. It is also more than many people will ever come close to seeing in a single year of working.
None of that is Riley Leonard's fault, of course. He got paid to play, and that is how the current structure of college sports works. Many players get even more money than Leonard.
Getting paid in college also might allow a player to not enter the NFL so quickly, and that could be a good thing. Anthony Richardson announced he was entering the NFL draft in 2023, but the NIL money at the time was nowhere near what it is now. Had Richardson only played a couple of years later, he might not have felt pressed to get paid as a pro.
Would that have helped him? Maybe. What has seemingly always held Richardson back is his complete lack of the fundamentals to play quarterback in the league. He only started one full season at the University of Florida. With another year, he might have been further along in his mental understanding of the game.
To be fair, one reason that Riley Leonard is getting paid less with the Colts than he did at Notre Dame is where he was chosen in the NFL draft. All draft selections have a slotted amount they could get paid, and Leonard was taken No. 189 overall. The most he will make in his rookie contract is in year four (2029), when he will be due $1,235,000.
Of course, many Indianapolis Colts fans might hope that Leonard's next contract dwarfs what he made at Notre Dame. Perhaps he develops into a good starting quarterback in Indy and ends up making $40 million a season or more.
Add us as a preferred source on Google