The short answer
The 2026 NFL rookie minimum salary is $885,000. After federal tax, payroll taxes, road-game taxes, and a 3% agent fee, a player keeps about $546,018 in Texas, or about $485,808 with the Giants living in New Jersey. That is about $30,334 per weekly game check in Texas.
Numbers from the KeepMyCheck calculator using 2026 tax rules. Estimates, not tax advice.
Minimums rise with experience, to about $1.3 million for players with 7 or more credited seasons. Remember that the minimum is only paid for the weeks a player is on the roster.
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