An athlete's salary doesn't always correlate to his or her success. Just ask Tom Brady.
Forbes published its 2019 ranking of the world's 100 highest-paid athletes Tuesday, combining each player's "prize money, salaries and bonuses" earned between June 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019, with the money they earned in endorsements.
Guess where Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback of the New England Patriots, ranks on that list? Here are the five Boston athletes to crack Forbes' top 100:
No. 25: Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics ($43.3 million total)
No. 40: Gordon Hayward, Celtics ($34.3 million)
No. 49: Al Horford, Celtics ($32 million)
No. 50: David Price, Boston Red Sox ($31.7 million)
No. 81: Tom Brady, Patriots ($27 million)
No. 94: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox ($25.6 million)
So, why is Brady so low on this list, behind guys like Steven Adams and former Patriots teammate Trey Flowers)
For one, stars in other sports like soccer -- Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar consitute Forbes' top three -- and basketball traditionally earn more than football players.
Secondly, the 41-year-old QB never has sought lucrative contracts, opting instead for team-friendly deals like the current one that paid him roughly $15 million this past year, 15th among NFL signal-callers.
Brady's $12 million in endorsement earnings does seem a bit low for a high-profile athlete with multiple partnerships. But the Brady clan isn't exactly strapped for cash: He and his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, had a staggering combined net worth of $580 million as of Feb. 2019, per Business Insider.
New England Patriots
So, don't shed too many tears for Brady, even if he doesn't get a reworked contract before the 2019 season begins.
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