Former New York Giants star Michael Strahan is known for a great many things. The former standout defensive end amassed 141.5 career sacks during his 15-season playing career, good for sixth-most all-time. The 22.5 QB takedowns he registered in 2001 is still tied for the most by any player in a single season.
Strahan’s on-field work earned him, among other accolades, seven Pro Bowl selections, six All-Pro nods, 2001 Defensive Player of the Year honors, a victory in Super Bowl 42, and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When you lay his career accomplishments out like that, it’s easy to see why he’s regarded as one of the best defensive players of all-time.
Strahan earned a pretty penny during his playing days. Spotrac has the New York football icon’s career earnings in the neighborhood of $76 million. But Strahan’s remained in the public eye — and bolstered his net worth in the process — in his post-playing days.
How Did Michael Strahan Accumulate His Net Worth?
The short answer to the inquiry made above is … a lot. The 51-year-old has amassed a considerable $65 million valuation, per Celebrity Net Worth. That puts him in line with one of the highest-earning players in the NFL today in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ $70 million valuation.
Of course, Mahomes will far surpass Strahan’s net worth by the time he calls it a career. But Strahan retired over a decade-and-a-half ago (when contracts weren’t quite so staggering) and played a far-less-lucrative position than quarterback. The fact that he’s valued on par with one of the most profitable players in football today is a testament to his considerable worth.
My timing was pretty good LOL! In honor of @Giants playing on #MNF tonight bringing back this moment. #Sack #yougottablockhim pic.twitter.com/0JRNKHP2eb
— Michael Strahan (@michaelstrahan) October 2, 2023
Now, had Strahan decided to rest on his laurels in his post-playing days his bankroll wouldn’t be hurting any, but it wouldn’t be quite so robust either. Instead, he capitalized on his considerable popularity and natural charisma to become one of the bigger crossover stars ever produced by the NFL.
Sure, football fans still see Strahan with regularity thanks to all of the work he’s done on FOX NFL Sunday. But consumers of some vastly different types of multimedia have gotten to know Strahan quite well since he hung up his No. 92 jersey for good. That includes some folks who’ve probably never even seen Strahan register a sack on the gridiron.
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Strahan’s first memorable foray in non-pigskin related programming came as a fill-in for Regis Philbin on the popular morning show, “Live! with Regis and Kelly.” When Philbin stepped down for good, Strahan slid in to his vacant spot. His eloquence, charm, and chemistry with co-host Kelly Ripa earned him two Daytime Emmy awards.
Are you team #SnoopDogg or team #MarthaStewart?
The $100,000 Pyramid with Michael Strahan, Weekdays at 4p pic.twitter.com/iMn3ulQKhx
— Game Show Network (@GameShowNetwork) August 3, 2022
That opportunity wound up being the tipping-off point for a prosperous second career in television for Strahan. He took his hosting talents to the game show realm in 2016, as the frontman for the revived classic “$100,000 Pyramid.” That’s in addition to dozens of other appearances in commercials, television shows, movies, etc.
No matter what he tries his hand at, it seems like Michael Strahan has a knack for it. And that’s why he makes the big bucks.