Super Bowl winners get more than a ring and the title of "world champion"
You know the saying, "to the victor go the spoils," and that's certainly the case when it comes to the NFL team that wins the Super Bowl every season. Not only do players from the winning team get to claim a piece of the Lombardi Trophy along with the title of "world champion" that sticks even once their playing days are done, but they also get paid for winning on Super Sunday.
Players from the team that wins Super Bowl LV (55) in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2021, will get $130,000 along with the rest of the spoils that come with victory. The losing team's players will get $65,000, which is nothing to sneeze at but isn't quite the same as the euphoria and accompanying fame and recognition that comes with winning the Big Game.
Postseason shares are nothing new to the NFL, but the amount has certainly changed, even adjusted for inflation. Here's a comparison of this year's playoff shares to what they were back during the 1978 season (Super Bowl XIII):
Game | 2020 Season | 1978 Season |
Wild Card (div. winner) | $33,000 | $3,000 |
Wild Card (other*) | $30,000 | $3,000 |
Divisional | $33,000 | $5,000 |
Conf. Championship | $59,000 | $9,000 |
Super Bowl (winner) | $130,000 | $18,000 |
Pro Bowl (winner, 2019) | $70,000 | $5,000 |
*For the 2020-21 playoffs, this "other" designation also includes top seeds Kansas City and Green Bay, who each got a first-round bye in the expanded bracket.
Source: 2020 NFL Postseason Media Guide