How Much Was NFL Star John Madden Worth When He Died?

John Madden, the legendary NFL sportscaster and Hall of Fame coach famous for leading the Oakland Raiders to win the 1977 Super Bowl XI, died on December 28 at 85. The NFL said that his passing was "unexpected."

"We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden." Goodell concluded, "We will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today." Madden was every bit the legend Goodell made him out to be. "I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement, per USA Today. 

ESPN noted that Madden had one of the best winning percentages among coaches, and upon retiring, he helped educate Americans with his in-depth football knowledge through sportscasting. He was also a best-selling author and the face of one of the most successful video games in history, "Madden NFL Football." With innumerable accomplishments, one can't help but wonder how much Madden was worth at the time of his death.

Although John Madden was, by all means, a legendary football coach, his claim to fame was arguably his talent as a sports commentator. When he retired from coaching in 1979, he worked for CBS and then switched to FOX, where he was lead NFL analyst from 1994 to 2002, per NBC Sports. He also became an analyst for ABC's "Monday Night Football" and helmed Sunday Night Football at NBC Sports. "My knowledge of football has come from coaching. And on TV, all I'm trying to do is pass on some of that knowledge to viewers," he wrote in "Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a Book!)," according to ESPN.

It's his impressive mastery of football that landed him a deal with game company EA to use his name and likeness in perpetuity for a brand new video game. In 2005, he inked a $150 million deal with the brand, allowing him to rake in millions in royalties year after year. He could have earned more when the company went public and offered him $7.50 per share, but he declined when he thought EA was taking advantage. He said it was the "dumbest thing [he] ever did in [his] life," per The Athletic.

Still, Madden was a multi-millionaire at the time of his passing. Celebrity Net Worth notes that he was worth around $200 million at the time. With "Madden NFL Football" being a $4 billion franchise, per CNN, he'll likely continue to earn more posthumously.