Aaron Rodgers was the 4th-highest paid athlete in the world in 2013

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took home $40 million in 2013, making him the fourth-highest paid athlete in the world, according to the ESPN The Magazine/SportingIntelligence Global Salary Survey. 

Included in Rodgers' salary last season was a $35 million signing bonus he received as part of the five-year, $110-million contract he signed with the Packers in April 2013 - a deal that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The survey, which does not include endorsement deals, ranks boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the highest-paid athlete at $73.5 million. Rounding out the top three are soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo ($50.2 million) and Lionel Messi ($50.1 million). 

Other NFL players listed among the top 25 are Matthew Stafford ($31.5 million), Tom Brady ($31 million), Matt Ryan ($30 million), Joe Flacco ($30 million), Tony Romo ($26.5 million), Calvin Johnson ($25 million), and Peyton Manning ($25 million).

[Courtesy: ESPN]