Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA, via Wikipedia: Braxton Berrios
Braxton Berrios has an estimated net worth of $7 million, accumulated across seven NFL seasons as a wide receiver and return specialist for the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Houston Texans. Born on October 6, 1995, in Raleigh, North Carolina, Berrios parlayed a decorated college career at the University of Miami into a professional football tenure defined by elite special-teams play and the distinction of earning first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner in 2021.
Updated March 2026: According to Spotrac, Berrios has accumulated career earnings of approximately $16.85 million across eight NFL seasons. His most recent contract — a one-year, $1.8 million deal signed with the Houston Texans in March 2025 — included a $300,000 signing bonus and performance incentives. Industry estimates, consistent with figures cited by EssentiallySports, place his net worth at approximately $7 million as of 2025, accounting for NFL salary earnings, signing bonuses, and off-field income from endorsements.
Braxton Berrios was born on October 6, 1995, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Rico Berrios and Lee Smothers. His parents met at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina — Rico was a scholarship soccer player, and Lee played softball — and divorced in 2002. Braxton and his older brother Austin were raised primarily by their mother, who later earned a law degree from Wake Forest University and remarried Chad Smothers, who coached Braxton throughout all four years of high school. Rico Berrios, whose own father was born in Puerto Rico, remarried in 2009 and has three sons — Jackson, Carson, and Brooks. Braxton is of mixed ethnicity with Puerto Rican heritage through his paternal grandfather, though he grew up in Raleigh rather than Miami.
Berrios attended Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, where he starred as a quarterback and wide receiver. A four-star recruit rated by ESPN and Rivals, he earned selection to the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game and was invited to “The Opening,” Nike’s elite all-star prospect camp, after posting the fastest 20-yard shuttle time — 3.81 seconds — in the 2013 SPARQ competition. He committed to the Miami Hurricanes over offers from Ohio State, Clemson, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Oregon, fulfilling what he described as a lifelong goal.
At the University of Miami, Berrios excelled both academically and athletically. He majored in finance and entrepreneurship, graduating in December 2017 with a 3.96 GPA — earning Dean’s List recognition every semester, President’s List honors three times, and seven appearances on the Provost’s Honor Roll. He was named a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete in 2017. On the field, he led Miami in receptions (55), receiving yards (679), and touchdowns (9) as a senior in 2017, finishing with an ACC-best 16.3-yard punt return average and earning ACC Receiver of the Week honors after a multi-touchdown game against rival Florida State — the Hurricanes’ first win over the Seminoles since 2009.
Berrios was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, 210th overall, and signed a four-year rookie contract worth $2,578,408. He spent his rookie season on injured reserve but earned a Super Bowl LIII ring when New England defeated the Los Angeles Rams. He was released by the Patriots during roster cuts ahead of the 2019 season.
The Jets claimed Berrios off waivers on September 1, 2019, beginning a four-year tenure during which he developed into one of the NFL’s premier return specialists. In 2020, he scored his first career touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Sam Darnold. His breakout came in 2021, when he ranked third in the NFL in kickoff return yards (852) and yards per punt return (13.4 yards per attempt), earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 16 after returning a kickoff for a touchdown, and was named first-team All-Pro as a kick returner — the first such honor of his career. He also caught 46 passes for 431 yards and two receiving touchdowns that season. In March 2022, Berrios re-signed with the Jets on a two-year, $12 million extension that included $7 million in guaranteed money and a $5.465 million signing bonus — his most lucrative deal to date. The Jets released him following contract restructuring disputes heading into 2023.
On March 16, 2023, Berrios signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins — reuniting with the team he grew up rooting for. He played all 16 games, catching 27 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown. He re-signed with Miami on March 21, 2024, on a one-year, $2.15 million contract, but his season ended in Week 7 when he suffered a torn ACL in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. On March 14, 2025, Berrios signed with the Houston Texans on a one-year, $1.8 million deal, taking the roster spot vacated by Christian Kirk. He appeared in four games with Houston in the 2025 season, finishing with six catches for 37 yards, per NFL.com. Over his career spanning 91 games, Berrios compiled 140 receptions for 1,360 receiving yards, six receiving touchdowns, 2,265 kickoff return yards, and 1,130 punt return yards.
Berrios grew up in a sports-oriented family in Raleigh, North Carolina. His father Rico Berrios played soccer at Miami Southridge High School and Campbell University; his mother Lee Smothers was a collegiate softball player at Campbell University. His older brother Austin attended East Carolina University. Berrios has three younger half-brothers — Jackson, Carson, and Brooks — through his father’s second marriage.
Berrios dated model and television personality Sophia Culpo from approximately 2021 to early 2023, a relationship that generated tabloid coverage when he began seeing social media personality Alix Earle in early 2023. Berrios and Earle made their public debut at the 2023 ESPY Awards in July 2023 and confirmed their relationship at events including the 2024 NFL Honors. In April 2025, Earle moved into Berrios’ house, though they spent much of mid-2025 apart due to Berrios’ relocation to Houston with the Texans and Earle’s concurrent involvement in Dancing with the Stars, where she finished as runner-up in the show’s 34th season. On December 13, 2025, Earle confirmed via TikTok that she and Berrios had ended their relationship, citing long-distance challenges. Both parties described the split as mutual and amicable, per People. Berrios does not have children as of March 2026.
Off the field, Berrios has volunteered at Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami and participated in the University of Miami football team’s annual bone marrow drive during his college years. His childhood football idols were Ray Lewis and Devin Hester — both University of Miami alumni — which influenced his decision to attend Miami over more prominent football programs.
Braxton Berrios’ net worth is estimated at approximately $7 million as of 2025. This figure reflects his NFL career earnings of approximately $16.85 million across eight seasons, offset by taxes, agent fees, and personal expenses, supplemented by endorsement income from brands including BMW, Coppertone, and REVOLVE. Per Spotrac, his most lucrative single contract was the two-year, $12 million Jets deal signed in March 2022 that included $7 million guaranteed.
Braxton Berrios is 30 years old, born on October 6, 1995, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He turned 30 during the 2025 NFL season, with his then-girlfriend Alix Earle arranging a surprise birthday celebration in Los Angeles during the Texans’ bye week, per People. He is of mixed ethnicity, with Puerto Rican heritage through his paternal grandfather.
Braxton Berrios stands 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) and weighs 185 pounds (84 kg), per his listing on the Houston Texans official roster. His compact frame has not prevented him from thriving as a return specialist at the NFL level; his explosiveness was evident in high school when he posted a 40-inch vertical jump and a 4.52-second 40-yard dash in recruiting combines.
As of March 2026, Braxton Berrios is single following his breakup with social media influencer Alix Earle in December 2025. The two dated from early 2023 through December 13, 2025, when Earle confirmed the split on TikTok, citing the difficulties of long-distance separation during overlapping professional commitments. The breakup was described as mutual by multiple sources, including People. Prior to Earle, Berrios was in a relationship with model Sophia Culpo from approximately 2021 to early 2023.
In 2025, Braxton Berrios was under a one-year contract with the Houston Texans worth $1.8 million, including a $1.3 million base salary, a $300,000 signing bonus, and up to $200,000 in playing-time incentives, per Spotrac. His total cash compensation in 2025 was approximately $1.66 million. His career-high single-season earnings came in 2022 with the New York Jets, when he collected $6.5 million in cash on his two-year, $12 million extension. Over seven full NFL seasons, Berrios has earned approximately $16.85 million in total career cash earnings.
Berrios relocated to Houston, Texas, in 2025 following his signing with the Houston Texans. Prior to that, he maintained a residence in Miami, Florida, during his two seasons with the Dolphins (2023–2024). When he signed with the Texans in March 2025, his then-girlfriend Alix Earle publicly noted on TikTok that she had moved into his house before he relocated to Houston, describing the transition as “weird” given the simultaneous move. His family roots trace back to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he was born and raised.
No, Braxton Berrios does not have children as of March 2026. He has never been married. His immediate family includes his older brother Austin Berrios, who attended East Carolina University and works in sales, and three younger half-brothers — Jackson, Carson, and Brooks — from his father Rico Berrios’ second marriage. Berrios is described as close to all of his siblings, several of whom have attended his NFL games. His family background is well documented through profiles in the Miami Herald.