NFL agent cap 3%NBA agent cap 4%MLB agent cap 5%Top federal rate 2026 37%Bonus withholding over $1M 37%Texas state tax on wages 0%Florida state tax on wages 0%California top rate 13.3%NBA escrow 10% of each check held backNIL money 1099 income, add 15.3% self-employment taxAgent fees for team salary not deductible on your federal returnNFL players file taxes in about 10 to 14 states a year
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NFL | Glendale, AZ

What a Arizona Cardinals contract really pays

Real 2026 take-home numbers for Arizona Cardinals players, from the NFL minimum up. Federal tax, Arizona tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.

At a glance

Home games taxed by
Arizona
Top rate there
2.50%
Rank for take-home
9 of 32
NFL agent cap
3%
Road duty days (est.)
11%
Taxing places visited
23

Take-home by salary

SalaryTaxesFeesKeeps
$885,000min$331,860$60,400$492,740 (56%)
$3,000,000$1,223,952$145,000$1,631,048 (54%)
$10,000,000$4,176,620$425,000$5,398,380 (54%)
$30,000,000$12,613,255$1,225,000$16,161,745 (54%)

Single, living in Arizona, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $25K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.

Run your own Arizona Cardinals numbersCompare all NFL teams

Statement of earnings

$10M with the Arizona Cardinals

One season. Lives in Arizona. Single.

Keeps 54%
Gross pay$10,000,000
TaxFederal income tax($3,650,000)

Top federal rate is 37% on taxable income over $640,600.

TaxMedicare($233,200)

1.45% on every dollar, plus 0.9% on pay over $200,000. No cap.

TaxSocial Security($11,439)

6.2% on the first $184,500 only.

TaxArizona state tax (where you live)($222,314)

Your home state taxes all of your pay, minus a credit for tax you paid other states.

TaxJock tax (road games)($59,666)

About 11% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 23 taxing places your league visits.

FeeAgent (3%)($300,000)

Taken from the gross, before taxes. For team salary it is not deductible on your federal return.

FeeManagers and advisors (1%)($100,000)

Business manager, financial advisor, and similar percentage fees.

FeeCPA and lawyer($25,000)

Multi-state returns, contract review, estate documents.

What you actually keep

$5,398,380

You keep

54%

Arizona Cardinals pay questions

Do Arizona Cardinals players pay state income tax?+

Yes. Arizona taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 2.50%.

How much does a NFL minimum salary player on the Arizona Cardinals take home?+

On the NFL minimum of $885,000, a single player living in Arizona keeps about $492,740 after taxes and a 3% agent fee, or about 56%.

How does the Arizona Cardinals rank for take-home pay?+

At $10,000,000 a season, the Arizona Cardinals rank 9 of 32 NFL teams for what a player keeps, assuming he or she lives in the team's state. The top team on that list is the Dallas Cowboys.

KeepMyCheck is not affiliated with the Arizona Cardinals, the NFL, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.