Rashard Mendenhall Net Worth: How Rich is the NFL Player?

Rashard Mendenhall is a retired American football running back. He is best known for playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. As of 2023, Rashard Mendenhall net worth is approximately around $3 million.

Early Life

Rashard Mendenhall was born in June 1987 in Skokie. He was raised by his parents, Sibyl and Walter Mendenhall Sr. Rashard grew up with a brother, Walter, and a sister, Vanessa. Regarding his education, he initially studied at Niles West High School. Then, he attended Lincoln Jr. High School. Following high school graduation, he joined the University of Illinois.

Rashard Mendenhall Net Worth & Career

Rashard Mendenhall was rated the best recruit in Illinois by Scrout.com. As a junior, he had an average of 11.6 yards per carry. By reaching his last year in high school, he had an average of 9.1 yards per carry. After completing high school, he competed in the 2005 U. s. Army All-American Bowl.

Mendenhall started playing for the University of Illinois football team after he joined the University. In his first season with Illinois, he added 82 yards receiving and rushed for 218 yards. The following year, he gained 640 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. In the final season with Illinois, he made a school record by rushing 1,681 yards, and 17 touchdowns.

Rashard was included in the Illini Hall of Fame in May 2023. Following his amazing season with Illini, the Sporting News featured him on the cover of High School Football Magzine. Mendenhall began his professional career after he was selected in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He agreed to sign a 5-year contract with Pittsburgh.

Then, Mendenhall appeared in the third pre-game season with the Steelers. In the game, he fumbled twice in returning kicks. After a few days, his teammate, Hines Ward kept a ball in his locker room. Along with the ball, Hines left a note stating if anyone got the ball away from Mendenhall, he would get $100 from him. Taking a challenge seriously, Mendenhall kept the ball within himself until the team’s another game.

Rashard decided to fix his problem with coach Kirby Wilson after he fumbled once again in Pittsburgh’s pre-season game. In 2008, he entered the regular season as the youngest player for the Steelers. He was given the return duties and was also made responsible for his running back position. In the fourth week of the 2008 season, he made his first NFL start.

In his debut NFL game, he rushed for 30 yards. However, he got his shoulder fractures in the third quarter after colliding with Ray Lewis. As a result, he was forced to exit from the game. In the 2009 season, he replaced Willie Parker and appeared in a game against the San Diego Chargers. In the game, he rushed for 165 yards and had two touchdowns.

Mendenhall continuously improved his game in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. However, he had difficulty in the 2011 season when he rushed for more than 100 yards in 15 games. In January 2012, he left his last regular season with a knee injury during a game against the Cleveland Browns. He finished the 2011 season with 928 rushing. In December 2012, the Steelers suspended him for not appearing in a game against the San Diego Chargers.

In March 2013, he signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He scored eight rushing touchdowns for the team and announced his retirement from the NFL in March 2014. While announcing retirement, Mendenhall said he doesn’t want to play anymore, rather, he wants to travel the world and write.

Personal Life

Rashard Mendenhall is married to a holistic health coach, Sandra Mendenhall. Together, they share three kids. The pair collaboratively runs and manages a production company. On December 18, 2023, he received a ton of criticism on social media after he said a Pro Bowl would prove Black superiority. He wrote on X that the Pro Bowl should be replaced with an All-Black vs. All-White.

Mendenhall didn’t stop his hatred for Whites, as he stated Whites are so bad at football, and they shouldn’t be commentators as well. The self-claimed great football running back further reiterated in a tweet saying he is great in football, and that proves his point. Mendenhall also got into controversy in 2011 when he posted comments on Twitter now X supporting 9/1 conspiracy theories.

Rashard Mendenhall Net Worth

As of 2023, Rashard Mendenhall’s total net worth is estimated to be around $3 million. He has bagged a whopping sum of over $13 million by appearing in the six-season games in the NFL. Mendenhall received $11,005,000 as a signing contract amount from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. He alsos received a guaranteed signing bonus of $7,125,000, and an average salary of $2,201,000 per annum.