Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 SEPT. 14, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE I rish All-American offensive guard Zack Martin holds an enviable dis- tinction among all former Fighting Irish players that the Dallas Cowboys great likely isn't even aware of. In a rankings list recently compiled by Spotrac.com, the future NFL Hall of Famer checked in as the former Irish player to earn the most career money while playing in the NFL. Entering his 11th season with the Cowboys, the seven-time first-team All-Pro right guard has already earned $148.8 million and counting. After signing a six- year contract in 2018 worth $84 million, Martin held out for more money during the 2023 preseason and was rewarded with an $8 million raise that brought his annual income to $18 million for the final two years of his deal. "Back to work," was the succinct re- action Martin posted on X (formerly Twitter) upon completion of the deal. Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was second on the ca- reer earnings list among former Irish players at $140.5 million. Veteran safety Harrison Smith was third at $127.3 mil- lion, and retired tight end Kyle Rudolph ($100.5 million) rounds out the list of four former Notre Dame players who have made more than $100 million in the league. These four perennial Pro Bowlers headline a list of 173 former Irish players who have collected NFL paychecks all time. Even former Notre Dame quarter- back Tommy Rees made the list for the $3,000 check he collected after having a cup of coffee with the Washington Red- skins in 2014. As a football program, the 38 former Notre Dame players who suited up in the NFL last season combined to earn $180,765,211, the seventh-most lucrative mark among all colleges and universities. With a head-spinning $539,490,388, Alabama easily took top honors in the earnings category last year. LSU ($333,116,957) was second and Oklahoma ($305,731,679) was third, rounding out the list of three schools that had former players earn more than $300 million. TRIMMING DOWN In what will forever be considered the most nerve-racking day for players dur- ing each NFL offseason, franchises had until Aug. 27, to make their final roster cuts in order to trim opening-day ros- ters down to 53 players. Unfortunately, 14 former Irish were handed their pink slips on the final cut- down day. Among the most notable re- leases, center Sam Mustipher was let go by the Denver Broncos after becoming a five-year NFL starter with the Bears and Ravens. Other notable cuts included wide receivers Kevin Austin Jr. (Saints) and Miles Boykin (Giants), along with quarterbacks Ian Book (Chiefs) and Sam Hartman (Commanders). Many of the 14 former Irish who were released on the last day of roster cuts have already landed on NFL practice squads. Hartman's cut was a mild sur- prise given his unusually large guar- anteed contract ($245,000) for an un- drafted free agent, but he has landed on Washington's practice squad. On the other side, 35 former Notre Dame players made the final cut and landed on active opening-day rosters. Rookie linebacker JD Bertrand, who was only a fifth-round draft pick in 2024, enjoyed a solid training camp and secured a roster spot with the At- lanta Falcons in what was a long-shot achievement. Isaiah Foskey (Saints), a 2023 second-round draft pick, was re- portedly on the roster bubble entering his second season but survived the cut. The graybeard of this group, 38-year- old long snapper J.J. Jansen, made the Carolina Panthers roster for a 16th straight season. Jansen already holds the Panthers' franchise record with 243 games played, and counting. To nobody's surprise, seven-time first-team All-Pro offensive guard Zack Martin made the cut and returns to the Dallas Cowboys for an 11th season. What is somewhat s u r p r i s i n g i s t h a t Martin, a 2014 first- round draft pick, re- cently told the Dallas Morning News that he's considering retirement and this could be his final NFL season. "I'm not saying 100 percent, but I think it's definitely in the realm of pos- sibilities," said Martin, 33. "But I want to stay in the moment, and I want to play the best that I can play at this point, and be the best right guard this team needs on a weekly basis. And then, after the season, we'll figure out what's going on." ✦ Former Fighting Irish Are Flexing Their Financial Muscle Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Zack Martin has made more money playing in the NFL than any former Notre Dame player, earning $148.8 mil- lion during his first 10 years in the league. PHOTO BY JAMES D. SMITH/DALLAS COWBOYS I R I S H I N T H E P R O S EARNING POWER The top 15 former Notre Dame players who have made the most money in the NFL, ac- cording to Spotrac.com (in millions): Rk. Pos. Name Earnings 1. OG Zack Martin* $148.8 2. OT Ronnie Stanley* $140.5 3. S Harrison Smith* $127.3 4. TE Kyle Rudolph $100.5 5. OG Quenton Nelson* $98.0 6. LB Jaylon Smith $74.4 7. DT Bryant Young $73.9 8. WR Golden Tate $70.9 9. DE Stephon Tuitt $65.8 10. OT Mike McGlinchey* $64.5 11. C John Sullivan $61.6 12. OT Luke Petitgout $46.4 13. DE Justin Tuck $44.2 14. C Nick Martin $43.0 15. RB Jerome Bettis $41.2 * Active player