XFL Football: How Much Do XFL Players Get Paid?

Less than two years after a short-lived relaunch, the XFL is trying again. The reimagined league is set to start play on Feb. 18 and is hoping to make even more of an impression on football fans than the 2020 edition, which ended five weeks into the season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As is the case with all of the recent attempts to provide a viable alternative once the NFL season was done (Remember the AAF? USFL is expected to return later this spring.), only time will tell if this latest iteration of the XFL will last. The good news is that the league appears to be on solid footing with ownership fronted by actor/entrepreneur Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, his longtime business partner Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners. What's more, every XFL game will be broadcasted live on television and available via streaming thanks to the league's exclusive partnership with ESPN.

When it comes to the players, name recognition is important and there will be quite a few that college and NFL fans will recognize, but there's also the question of salaries. So how much will XFL players make this season?

Players who make an XFL roster out of training camp will be signed to a minimum one-year contract. The base salary is $59,000, which is reportedly $5,000 more than what the USFL offers. Players also will be paid $5,000 per game and will receive a $1,000 bonus for every win. (The USFL's new CBA reportedly increases the minimum weekly salary to $5,350.)

Related: Who are the XFL Teams?

And when it comes to winning, it's likely that those bonuses will increase for teams that advance to the playoffs or championship game. These bonuses have yet to be announced, but for comparison's sake, the USFL awarded $10,000 to players who were on the active roster or practice squad of the Birmingham Stallions, who won the championship last spring.

The XFL also is offering nearly $20,000 per player in benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance. Housing and even meals are covered by the league. (The USFL has added a housing allowance of $400 per week to its new CBA.)

There are other ways that players or those who don't make the roster can get paid as well. Players who are inactive on game day will receive $1,500 and be eligible for the $1,000 win bonus. Teams will carry 50 players on their roster after training camp with 45 active on game day. That means there will be at least five players inactive a given week, so this still gives them the opportunity to make some money.

And speaking of training camp, it's reported that teams will invite as many as 66 players before trimming their rosters down to 50. Any player who attends training camp will be paid on a per-week basis, but that scale will change if they make the team.