Kurt Benkert went undrafted in 2018, spent five NFL seasons mostly on practice squads, and still managed to build multiple income streams that most backup quarterbacks never attempt. His net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1 million as of 2025 — a figure built not just from football paychecks, but from YouTube, a growing football equipment company, and an esports organization.
This article breaks down exactly where that money comes from, how accurate the numbers are, and what his financial trajectory looks like going forward.
Kurt Benkert’s Background and Football Career
Benkert was born on July 17, 1995, in Cape Coral, Florida, and attended Cape Coral High School before transferring to Island Coast High School for his senior year. He committed to East Carolina University, where he redshirted in 2013, appeared in three games in 2014, then suffered a torn ACL heading into 2015. He transferred to the University of Virginia in May 2016.
At Virginia, he became the starting quarterback immediately, completing 228 of 406 passes for 2,552 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in his first season. In his senior year, he broke the school record for passing yards in a single game, throwing for 455 yards. He finished his college career with 5,817 passing yards and 46 touchdowns across two programs.
NFL teams passed on him in the 2018 draft, citing concerns about arm strength and mobility. The Atlanta Falcons signed him as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2018.
NFL
Benkert spent five NFL seasons with three franchises: the Atlanta Falcons (2018–2020), the Green Bay Packers (2021), and the San Francisco 49ers (2022). He worked primarily as a practice squad player throughout, providing scout team value and backup insurance.
His most notable NFL moment came on December 12, 2021, with the Packers. He was elevated to the active roster after Jordan Love was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. Benkert entered the final seconds of a 45–30 win over the Chicago Bears and took two quarterback kneels — his only regular-season NFL snaps. After the 49ers released him in November 2022, he was assigned to the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL, but declined to sign and spent early 2023 with his family.
XFL (2023)
On March 23, 2023, the Roughnecks traded Benkert’s rights to the San Antonio Brahmas following an injury to Reid Sinnett. In his second start for the Brahmas, Benkert suffered three broken ribs mid-game against the Vegas Vipers but stayed on the field. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 181 yards in two XFL games before being placed on the reserve list. He announced his retirement from football on August 26, 2023.
NFL Career Earnings: $1,022,549
Benkert’s total documented NFL cash earnings come to $1,022,549 across five seasons. The table below shows the breakdown by year, sourced from contract tracking data:
| Year | Team | Contract Type | Base Salary | Cash Paid |
| 2018 | Atlanta Falcons | Practice Squad | $129,200 | $129,200 |
| 2019 | Atlanta Falcons | SFA | $495,000 | $378,000 |
| 2020 | Atlanta Falcons | Practice Squad | $170,282 | $170,282 |
| 2021 | Green Bay Packers | Practice Squad | $165,600 | $193,067 |
| 2022 | San Francisco 49ers | Practice Squad | $207,000 | $0 |
| Career Total | 3 Teams | 5 Seasons | — | $1,022,549 |
A few things stand out in these numbers. The Falcons’ 2021 one-year SFA deal and the Packers’ 2022 SFA deal were both terminated before Benkert earned any cash. The 49ers’ practice squad signing in 2022 also ended without any cash payment. His largest single-year payout was $378,000 in 2019. None of his Packers or 49ers contracts included guaranteed money — all $60,000 in career guarantees came from his original 2018 Falcons UDFA deal.
Most undrafted quarterbacks with similar career paths earn between $150,000 and $250,000 per season on practice squads. Benkert’s total reflects the volatility of that path — contracts get terminated, guarantees are minimal, and cash paid often falls well short of headline contract values.
Kurt Benkert Net Worth Estimate: $500,000 – $1,000,000
Benkert’s estimated net worth sits between $500,000 and $1 million as of 2025. This range accounts for taxes, living expenses during his playing years, and reinvestment back into his business ventures.
Unlike athletes who rely on a single income source, Benkert has built several distinct revenue streams since 2017. The table below breaks down the estimated contribution of each:
| Income Source | Estimated Contribution | Notes |
| NFL Career Earnings | $400,000 – $500,000 | After taxes and living expenses across five seasons |
| YouTube Revenue | $150,000 – $250,000 | Cumulative ad revenue and sponsorships since 2017 |
| The Dime Lab | $100,000 – $200,000 | Equity value and profits from $850K first-year sales |
| Consulting & Partnerships | $50,000 – $100,000 | Spacestation Gaming, brand deals, speaking engagements |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED NET WORTH | $500,000 – $1,000,000 | Conservative estimate as of 2025; accounts for taxes and reinvestment |
The $500,000–$1 million range is more conservative than some estimates floating online, but it is more defensible. NFL practice squad players spend a significant portion of their earnings on living expenses and taxes during their playing years. Benkert’s post-NFL income is growing, but The Dime Lab is still early stage, and YouTube ad revenue, while consistent, is not enough on its own to push net worth significantly higher.
YouTube and Content Creation Income
Benkert started his YouTube channel on April 1, 2017 — more than a year before he signed with the Falcons. By December 2024, the channel had surpassed 310,000 subscribers and 80 million total views. Current subscriber counts are closer to 347,000.
His content mixes quarterback technique breakdowns, NFL analysis, and Madden NFL gameplay. The technical football content is what separates his channel from typical athlete vlogs. He explains complex NFL concepts — route concepts, coverage reads, pocket mechanics — in language that both serious players and casual fans can follow.
YouTube Revenue Estimates
Content creators at his subscriber level and view volume typically earn between $3 and $5 per 1,000 views from ad revenue alone. With 80 million total views since 2017, cumulative ad revenue likely falls in the $240,000–$400,000 range. That is a career total over seven years, not an annual figure.
Monthly earnings depend heavily on upload frequency and seasonal interest in football content. Channels in the sports education space with 300,000+ subscribers can earn $5,000–$15,000 per month from combined ad revenue and sponsorships during peak NFL season. Off-season months see lower numbers.
Sponsorship deals add additional income per video. Gaming companies, sports betting platforms, and football training brands regularly pay creators in his demographic $500–$5,000 per integration. His engaged, sports-focused audience makes him attractive to advertisers targeting young male fans.
The Dime Lab: His Most Important Business Project
The Dime Lab is Benkert’s football equipment company, and it is arguably the most commercially meaningful thing he has done since retiring. The company, which he co-founded, manufactures premium footballs designed specifically for quarterbacks. The product retails at $60 and targets players who want better grip and performance than what traditional mass-market brands provide.
The Dime Lab generated approximately $850,000 in sales during its first year of operation. For a startup football equipment company competing against entrenched brands like Wilson, that is a strong first-year result.
Business Model and Why It Works
The company sells directly to consumers through its website, cutting out retail margins. This direct-to-consumer model allows for higher gross margins — typically 30–50% in sporting goods — and more direct relationships with customers.
Benkert’s YouTube channel functions as a free marketing channel for The Dime Lab. Every video about quarterback mechanics is, implicitly, an argument for why quarterback-specific equipment matters. This integration between content and product reduces customer acquisition costs significantly.
The company also sells training resources and digital educational content alongside the physical footballs. These digital products have near-zero production costs and benefit from the same audience that watches his YouTube content.
Sports equipment companies that survive their first year often see 30–100% revenue growth in year two as brand awareness compounds. If The Dime Lab follows that trajectory and Benkert holds a meaningful equity stake, the business could add substantially to his net worth over the next three to five years.
Spacestation Gaming and Esports
Beyond YouTube and The Dime Lab, Benkert is a signed member of Spacestation Gaming, a competitive esports organization. His role there includes producing gaming content, competing in tournaments, and holding an investment stake in the organization’s network.
His gaming content — particularly Fortnite and Madden NFL — overlaps naturally with his football audience. Gaming organizations typically compensate content creators through a mix of sponsorships, revenue sharing, and equity. He has earned minor tournament prize money from competitive Fortnite play, though this is not a meaningful income source. The more relevant upside is the equity and sponsorship infrastructure that comes with being affiliated with an established esports brand.
Additional Income Sources
Benkert has additional revenue from brand partnerships, consulting, and the post-NFL speaking circuit. His combination of NFL experience and media presence makes him useful to companies wanting access to the sports and gaming demographics.
- Brand deals: Social media platforms with his reach (296,000+ Instagram followers, 347,000+ YouTube subscribers) can command $2,000–$10,000 per sponsored post, depending on the brand category.
- Tech consulting: He has worked with tech companies as an advisor and consultant. Former athletes with media platforms and business-building experience typically earn $5,000–$25,000 per consulting engagement.
- Speaking and football camps: Youth sports organizations and corporate events pay former NFL players $2,000–$8,000 per appearance, depending on audience size and format.
How Benkert Compares to Other Backup Quarterbacks
Most backup quarterbacks who never start a regular-season NFL game earn between $500,000 and $3 million in career earnings. Their post-NFL trajectories vary widely.
Former Packers backup Matt Flynn, for example, earned roughly $19 million in career contracts but is not known for smart post-career wealth building. Benkert earned a fraction of that, but started building his next career while still playing — which is the key difference.
He launched his YouTube channel in 2017, before he signed his first NFL contract. By the time his playing career ended, he had an audience, a product company, and an esports affiliation. Most players wait until retirement to figure out what comes next. Benkert prepared in parallel.
The financial logic is straightforward: a backup quarterback who earns $1 million in NFL cash, avoids lifestyle inflation, invests in content creation early, and launches a product business with real traction can end up in a more stable financial position than a player who earned $10 million but spent it maintaining an image.
Financial Outlook and Future Projections
Benkert’s financial position looks stable in the near term and has genuine upside if The Dime Lab continues growing. His income is no longer dependent on any one source, which reduces the financial risk that ends many athletes in bad situations post-career.
Conservative projections suggest his net worth could reach $2–3 million within five years, assuming The Dime Lab scales to $2 million or more in annual sales, his YouTube channel grows toward 500,000 subscribers, and his consulting and speaking work continues. Aggressive growth in The Dime Lab — the most likely driver of any significant net worth jump — could push that higher.
Coaching is another potential path. His NFL experience and ability to communicate technical concepts clearly, demonstrated on YouTube, make him a credible candidate for quarterback coaching positions at the college or professional level. These roles can pay $100,000–$500,000+ annually, depending on the level and organization.
The broader takeaway is that Benkert built his post-NFL career the right way: early, specific, and integrated. His YouTube channel sells The Dime Lab. The Dime Lab validates his YouTube content. Spacestation Gaming expands its gaming audience. Each piece supports the others, which is why his income is likely to keep growing even as his NFL career recedes further into the past.
FAQs
What is Kurt Benkert’s net worth?
Kurt Benkert’s net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1 million as of 2025. This accounts for his NFL earnings, YouTube revenue since 2017, income from The Dime Lab, and brand partnerships — minus taxes and living expenses during his playing years.
How much did Kurt Benkert make in the NFL?
Benkert earned $1,022,549 in total cash during his five-year NFL career (2018–2022) with the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers. His highest single-year payout was $378,000 in 2019 with the Falcons. He received only $60,000 in career guarantees, all from his original 2018 UDFA deal with Atlanta.
What is The Dime Lab?
The Dime Lab is Benkert’s football equipment company, co-founded after his playing career. The company manufactures premium quarterback-specific footballs ($60) and generated approximately $850,000 in sales during its first year of operation. The business sells direct to consumers through its website and is supported by Benkert’s YouTube audience.
How many YouTube subscribers does Kurt Benkert have?
Benkert’s YouTube channel has over 347,000 subscribers and 80 million total views as of late 2024. He started the channel on April 1, 2017, before his NFL career began. His content focuses on quarterback technique, NFL analysis, and Madden NFL gameplay.
Did Kurt Benkert play in regular-season NFL games?
Benkert appeared in one regular-season NFL game, with the Green Bay Packers on December 12, 2021, during a 45–30 win over the Chicago Bears. He entered in the closing seconds and took two quarterback kneels. That was the full extent of his regular-season playing time across five NFL seasons.
Why did Kurt Benkert retire from football?
Benkert announced his retirement on August 26, 2023, after a short stint with the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL earlier that year — where he suffered three broken ribs in his second start. He had previously declined to play for the Houston Roughnecks in early 2023, citing family priorities. By retirement, his content creation and business ventures had grown enough to provide a viable career path outside of football.
