Peter Smith
Jonathan Owens' journey from an undrafted free agent to an established NFL player is honestly one of the most inspiring stories you'll hear. The 29-year-old safety, who's currently suiting up for the Chicago Bears, has fought through setback after setback to build a pretty impressive financial portfolio through pure determination and athletic talent.
Early Career and First NFL Contract: Where Jonathan Owens Net Worth Began
Born on July 22, 1995, in St. Louis, Missouri, Owens showed he had serious game from a young age. Back in high school at Christian Brothers College, he snagged the CBC Linebacker of the Year award, proving he had what it takes to make it big. But let's be real - his path to making his first professional dollar wasn't exactly smooth sailing.
After wrapping up at Missouri Western State University in 2017, where he actually studied pre-physical therapy because he wanted to be a doctor, Owens went completely undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. Talk about a gut punch, right? But the Arizona Cardinals saw something in him and signed him as an undrafted free agent with a three-year deal worth $1.72 million, including a pretty modest $12,000 signing bonus. That's where jonathan owens net worth started building - his annual salary came in at around $574,000.
Here's where things got tough. Owens tore his ACL during the final week of practices before the 2018 season even started. The injury meant he'd spend his entire rookie year on injured reserve, sitting on the sidelines instead of proving himself on the field. And get this - he was dealing with all of this while processing the tragic loss of his stepfather, who was killed in a robbery just before his senior year of college. That's a lot for anyone to handle.
Career Development and Salary Progression
After the Cardinals let him go in August 2019, Owens' persistence finally caught a break when the Houston Texans picked him up for their practice squad on September 30, 2019. His initial Houston contract was worth $570,000 for one year. This kicked off what Owens himself talks about as a rough period of "getting cut and moved up and down on the practice squad" for the first three years of his career. Not exactly the glamorous NFL life people imagine.
But then came his breakthrough moment. In his second NFL start during the 2021 season, filling in for a teammate who was out with COVID, Owens intercepted Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert, helping the Texans pull off a shocking 41-29 upset against the Chargers. People were actually saying the Texans should tank that game to get a better draft pick, but Owens wasn't having it. "Who in their right mind is going to go out there and not compete to the best of your ability?" he said. That's the mentality that got him where he is.
His performance on the field spoke for itself, earning him a two-year extension with Houston worth $1.39 million in 2020, bumping his annual salary up to $695,000. Then in December 2021, Owens locked down another two-year deal with the Texans valued at $1.175 million, showing he was finally proving his worth. During his Houston years from 2019 to 2022, he went from practice squad guy to starting all 17 games in his final season. That's quite the glow-up.
Peak Performance and Maximum Earnings
Jonathan Owens really hit his stride when he signed with the Green Bay Packers in May 2023 on a one-year contract worth $1.01 million. His time in Green Bay was pretty impressive - he racked up 84 tackles and scored his first career touchdown on Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions with a 27-yard fumble recovery. You can't script it better than that.
The real game-changer for jonathan owens net worth came in March 2024 when he signed what's easily his biggest deal yet with the Chicago Bears. The two-year contract is worth somewhere between $3.8-4.75 million depending on who you ask, with $1.5 million guaranteed and a $750,000 signing bonus. His average annual salary jumped to $2.375 million - that's a massive leap from those early career numbers. For 2025, Owens is looking at a base salary of $1.36 million plus a $100,000 workout bonus, with a cap hit of $1.925 million.
His first game with the Bears? Total highlight reel material. Owens returned a blocked punt 21 yards for a touchdown in their season opener against the Tennessee Titans. Fun fact - that was the first time the Bears scored their first touchdown of a season on special teams in 26 years. Throughout 2024, he played in all 17 games with 11 starts, racking up 74 tackles and showing he can do it all on defense.
Current Net Worth and Income Sources
So here's where things stand in 2025 - jonathan owens net worth is estimated somewhere between $2 million and $7 million, with most folks in the know putting it around $2-5 million. Why the range? Well, it depends on how you calculate his property investments, endorsement deals, and private assets. From what we can see from his contracts alone, Owens has pulled in approximately $3.2-4 million through 2024, with career earnings projected around $8.4 million by May 2025.
But he's not just living off his NFL paycheck. Owens has been smart about diversifying his income with brand partnerships. He's the face of Good Sport, a company that makes natural sports drinks packed with vitamins and electrolytes. The partnership includes social media posts and community events where he works with young athletes. He's also teamed up with Dick's Sporting Goods, and his profile definitely got a boost after marrying his wife, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
Speaking of their life together, the couple owns a seriously nice custom-designed mansion in Houston, Texas, valued at roughly $2.5-3 million. We're talking a waterfront property with four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms spread across just over an acre, complete with a massive pool, fancy outdoor entertainment areas, a game room, home theater, and their own gym. They've also got a collection of high-end vehicles and accessories worth more than $20,000.
Looking at his financial records, you can see steady growth over the past few years, and things are looking up for continued increases as he keeps playing for the Bears through 2025 and potentially lands another contract extension if he keeps performing well.
Key Principles for Success: Jonathan Owens' Philosophy
Throughout his incredible journey, Jonathan Owens has shown some core principles that anyone trying to make it - whether in sports or anything else - can learn from:
- Persistence Above All Else - Owens straight-up credits persistence as the number one factor in his success. "Regardless of my role or whatever it's going to be, I'm going to maximize it," he says. After being told he "wasn't good enough for the first three years" of his career and getting cut and shuffled around practice squads, his refusal to give up became his superpower.
- Turn Adversity Into Fuel - When his stepfather was tragically killed in a robbery before his senior year of college, Owens could've crumbled. Instead, he channeled that grief into pure determination. "It gave me a different boost of energy," he explained. "I really wanted to get my mom in a better situation, my family in a better situation." That mindset pushed him to have the best year of his college career despite going through something so painful.
- Embrace the Underdog Mentality - As a Division II player who went undrafted, Owens never let other people's doubts define what he could achieve. He's always reminding folks that "Undrafted to year 7!!! Ain't how you start, it's how you finish." That's the kind of long-game thinking that separates the ones who make it from the ones who don't.
- Always Be Learning - Owens calls himself "a football junkie" and says he's "always a sponge" when it comes to learning from players who know more than him. When he joined the Bears, he immediately started picking the brain of veteran safety Kevin Byard, studying his techniques and how he reads plays. That hunger to keep learning has accelerated his development throughout his career.
- Faith and Mental Resilience - Through all those injuries and roster cuts, Owens kept the faith that "everything was going to work out." Him and Simone Biles have become big advocates for mental health, with Owens being really open about struggling with his identity after getting cut five times and learning to push through self-doubt.
- Maximize Every Opportunity - Instead of complaining about limited playing time or being stuck in backup roles, Owens committed to making the absolute most of whatever opportunity came his way. That attitude caught coaches' attention and eventually led to bigger responsibilities and fatter contracts.
The story of Jonathan Owens proves that success in professional sports isn't just for first-round draft picks or five-star recruits. Through pure persistence, smart career moves, and the ability to turn setbacks into motivation, Owens has built both a solid NFL career and a substantial net worth that keeps growing. His journey from a Division II school to earning millions in the NFL is living proof that determination and resilience can beat even the longest odds.
Peter Smith
