For some NFL Draft prospects, joining the league now means a pay cut from CFB

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Chambliss, 23, was projected as a middle-round NFL prospect with potential to be the third quarterback taken in next week’s draft. But in a sign of the shifting landscape of college football, his lawyers made the case that going pro would actually cost Chambliss millions of dollars compared to the value of his name, image and likeness deal at Ole Miss.

And Chambliss isn’t alone.

Last year, Vanderbilt star quarterback Diego Pavia waged a similar fight, getting a court to rule in his favor, gaining another year of eligibility. This year, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris fought to extend their college careers, too, though judges ultimately ruled against them.

The influx of NIL money in college sports has changed the dynamic. For some, running out of eligibility means facing something new when they enter the NFL: a pay cut. Chambliss’ case was an extreme, but it’s a trend that began before this year. Both starting quarterbacks in the 2025 national title game told The Athletic they earned less in their first year as NFL players than they did in their final seasons at Ohio State and Notre Dame.

“You can create generational wealth now and it doesn’t have to start in the NFL,” said quarterback Will Howard, who won the national title at Ohio State two seasons ago.

Chambliss is expected to make between $5 million-$6 million this season at Ole Miss. Only the first 11 picks in this year’s draft will make more than $5 million in the first year of their contract, according to Spotrac. If Chambliss was a second- or third-round draft pick, his salary would range from $1.2 million to $2.35 million as a rookie.

And the gap is growing between what athletes — especially quarterbacks — can make as college stars and what they earn as NFL rookies.

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Last year, Howard and former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard faced off with the national title at stake.

Howard won and, a few months later, became a sixth-round pick for his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. Leonard landed with the Indianapolis Colts four picks after.

After being drafted by the Colts, Leonard signed a four-year contract worth $4.4 million total. Howard signed a nearly identical deal that averaged out to $1.1 million annually.

“I’m definitely making less with the Colts,” Leonard said. “And you see the numbers flying around college football. The money’s doubled since I’ve been there.”

Leonard declined to say how much he was making in his final season at Notre Dame but said reported numbers of $1.5 million were “overshooting it a little bit.” He said he made more than 10 times at Notre Dame what he was making the previous year at Duke.

Howard, too, said he made less as an NFL rookie than he did leading Ohio State to the national title as a transfer from Kansas State in 2024.

“It’s weird,” he said. “It’s definitely different.”

And in the NFL, there’s a catch.

“In college, the money is way more guaranteed,” Leonard said. “Only like $200,000 of my contract is guaranteed. You have to make the team every year for four years straight to earn it all.”

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