Markus Golden career earnings: How much did former Steelers LB make in nine seasons?

Markus Golden surprisingly retired on Friday, just before the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 NFL preseason opener against the Houston Texans. The linebacker played nine years in the NFL and made a small fortune through his pro football career.

As per Spotrac, Golden made $22,688,095 in career earnings through his NFL career. He played for three teams during his sojourn in the big league.

Golden signed a reported four-year, $3.918 million rookie contract with the Arizona Cardinals in May 2015. In 2019, he joined the New York Giants on a one-year, $3.75 million contract.

In March 2021, Golden signed a two-year, $5 million deal with Arizona. He then signed a one-year, $4.5 million extension with the Cardinals in September 2022.

In May 2023, Golden signed for the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year, $1.3 million deal. He re-signed with the Steelers on Aug. 1 this year but hung up his cleats on Friday.

The Steelers, who suffered a 20-12 loss against the Houston Texans in their preseason opener, had placed Golden on the reserved/retired list a few hours before kick-off.

A glimpse into Markus Golden's NFL career and honors

Former Pittsburgh Steelers LB Markus Golden (Source: Getty)

Markus Golden played college football at Hutchinson Community College in 2011 before transferring to Missouri, where he played for three years. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Golden with the No. 58 pick in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Golden spent four seasons with the Cardinals in his first stint with the franchise. He signed for the New York Giants in the 2019 offseason.

In October 2020, Golden returned to Arizona for his second stint when the Giants traded him for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick.

After being released by the Cardinals in March 2023, Golden signed for the Steelers two months later. He played one season with the Steelers.

Golden was expected to serve as a backup to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in the 2024 season, but he announced his retirement just before the team's preseason opener on Friday.

Across his NFL career, Golden racked up 343 tackles, of which 220 were solo. He also posted 51.0 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, eight passes defended and one interception.