Aaron Hernandez’s dazzling NFL career came to an end when he was arrested for murder. After his suicide in April 2017, Aaron Hernandez’s net worth in 2018 is estimated at $50,000. It’s a far cry from what he would have been earning in the NFL had he not been arrested or if he was alive.
Oxygen’s latest documentary, Aaron Hernandez Uncovered, delved into unanswered questions about the former New England Patriots player who was charged with several violent acts. While serving his prison sentence, Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in his jail cell days after being acquitted of double murder. Since then, his estate has been locked in legal battles to preserve what’s left.
Aaron Hernandez’s net worth in 2018 is estimated at a mere $50,000. It’s a steep decline from the time he was alive.
Here’s a breakdown of Aaron Hernandez’s finances before and after his death.
How Much Did Aaron Hernandez Earn in the NFL?
- In 2018, Aaron Hernandez’s net worth is estimated at a mere $50,000; at the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at around $8.0 million.
- The majority of Hernandez’s wealth went into paying his mounting legal fees.
- Analysts estimate that the footballer would have made millions had his NFL career not ended so soon.
- Hernandez was born on November 6, 1989, in Connecticut; he set various state and national records as a wide receiver in high school.
- At the University of Florida, he decided to forego his senior season and entered himself in the 2010 NFL Draft; he was a fourth-round pick by the New England Patriots.
- Hernandez signed a four-year contract with a signing bonus of $200,000.
- The signing amount was a lot less for a fourth-round pick, so the Patriots offered him additional bonuses up to $700,000.
- In 2012, he signed a five-year $39,582,000 million contract extension with a signing bonus of $12.5 million; the bonus was one of the largest ever for a tight end.
- If his 2013 arrest hadn’t ended his NFL career, his contract would have earned him $9.9 million in 2012 and up to $17.7 million in 2018.
- After Hernandez’s death, his murder conviction was dismissed by a court making him innocent until (re)proven guilty; so the Patriots may have to pay his base salary and bonuses to Aaron Hernandez’s estate.
Also Read: Read All about Former NFL Star Aaron Hernandez Here.
The following table estimates Aaron Hernandez’s career earnings if he was still in the NFL:
| Year | Annual Earnings | Cumulative Earnings |
| 2012 | $9.99 million | $9.99 million |
| 2013 | $0.0 | $9.99 million |
| 2014 | $3.75 million | $13.74 million |
| 2015 | $1.0 million | $14.74 million |
| 2016 | $1.0 million | $15.74 million |
| 2017 | $1.0 million | $16.74 million |
| 2018 | $1.0 million | $17.74 million |
Aaron Hernandez’s Legal Troubles
- Aaron Hernandez has a long criminal history that includes drug use and shooting charges.
- The football player was arrested and charged for the murder of semi-pro player, Odin Lloyd.
- After his arrest, the Patriots released Hernandez, which meant automatic forfeiture of his salaries from 2015 to 2018, totaling around $19.3 million.
- CytoSport, Muscle Milk, and Puma canceled their endorsement deals with Hernandez.
- The Patriots lost millions in adjusting their salary cap and removing Hernandez’s merchandise from their store.
- Hernandez was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
- While serving his sentence for Lloyd’s murder, he was indicted for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado; but a 2017 trial acquitted him of the double homicide.
- Days after his acquittal, on April 19, 2017, he was found dead in his cell; his death was ruled as a suicide.
- Hernandez died during the appeal for the conviction for Lloyd’s murder; the court dismissed his conviction and deemed Hernandez innocent.
Also Read: Did Aaron Hernandez Kill Odin Lloyd? Find Out Here.
The Aftermath of Aaron Hernandez’s Suicide
- With Hernandez posthumously declared innocent of the murder charges, the Patriots may owe his estate the salaries and bonuses he lost at the time of his conviction.
- He had a home in Massachusetts worth $1.5 million where he lived with his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, and their daughter, Avielle Janelle Hernandez.
- It was reported that Hernandez’s estate was valued at $0.0; Jenkins was seeking to sell their home for $1.3 million to recover money lost in his legal battle.
- Jenkins and her daughter are looking at big paydays should the Patriots pay Hernandez’s contractual salary.
- If Aaron Hernandez had a life insurance policy, his family could reap its benefits; but if the policy has a condition restricting benefits in the case of the cause of death being suicide, it could spell more trouble for Hernandez’s family.
- Hernandez’s daughter could also be entitled to an NFL pension.
- The footballer also left around $200,000 in two retirement accounts when he died.
- Hernandez’s estate is facing wrongful death lawsuits brought by the families of Lloyd, Furtado, and de Abreu.
- If the court rules in their favor, the victims’ families will also be entitled to a share of Aaron Hernandez’s estate.
