Highest Paid Athletes with Big Hearts in the NFL: 2021 Edition

It’s easy to search online for the highest paid superstar in the NFL and get an instant result, but this list is about more than just that. Here, we will focus not only on the football players with huge salaries, but the ones who also invest heavily towards giving back.

Patrick Mahomes (Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs)

The Kansas City Chiefs are not going to let Patrick Mahomes go anywhere anytime soon, because the star quarterback just became the NFL’s highest paid athlete with his new 10-year extension for more than half-a-billion US dollars ($503 million). This puts Mahomes’ yearly income at about $45 million from his salary alone, but the star athlete is not just interested in money and football.

His connection and support for his alma mater is strong as the foundation frequently provides athletic and financial resources to the Whitehouse Independent School District. His foundation, aka “15 and the Mahomies” was established only a few years ago in 2019. Unlike several other NFL players who focus on developing charity programs which mostly help kids interested in sports, 15 and the Mahomies is focused on providing any child from any background/ethnicity/community with any aid they may need to improve their condition of life. In its very first year, over 15 grants were awarded, crossing the $225,000 mark in one night.

Being generous is more of a mindset than anything else, and if you feel inspired by your star athletes, you can look into ways to do your bit. For example, Locker Room Direct offers authentic, team issued apparel, and all proceeds from your orders will go exclusively to charities, while you will score an awesome piece of NFL gear in the process.

Deshaun Watson (Quarterback, Houston Texans)

There are a few players who rank even higher on the highest paid list, but Deshaun Watson ($39 million annually) is far more charitable and philanthropic with his money. There are so many scattered instances of the star quarterback donating money or supporting foundational establishments, that it would be impossible to state them all here. However, some of his most famous heartwarming acts are as follows:

• Way back in 2017, Deshaun handed over his very first game check to support the team’s cafeteria workers after Hurricane Harvey
• The Deshaun Watson Foundation generated well over $100,000 for the Pro Vision School in October, 2020
• On top of that, Watson took four kids from Pro Vision to shopping and even bought them Halloween costumes on the 28^th October
• In February, 2021, Watson donated sufficient money to feed over 10,000 people in Gainesville, Georgia during the winter months.

Matt Ryan (Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons)

Matt Ryan is the 10^th ($30 million) highest paid athlete in the sport, but his charity points are still higher than most at 36-years. Every year, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta receives about $250,000 – $300,000 after a celebrity golfing event which Ryan hosts every year. Understand that this single event aids three separate hospitals and 27 healthcare facilities under the CHOA.

There is no shortage of people with money, but a growing tendency to donate money and offer aid is growing among athletes across all forms of sports nowadays. It’s an encouraging sign that creates hope for both today and the future.