Maddie Davis
$500 thousand
Mel Owens has an estimated net worth of $2 million. Mel Tyrae Owens is a retired NFL linebacker and sports lawyer from Los Angeles who was selected 9th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and played nine professional seasons. After football, he built a legal career specializing in workers’ compensation and sports injuries and gained renewed public attention in fall 2025 as the star of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor Season 2.
Updated March 2026: According to People and court filings cited by Reality Tea, Owens’ estimated annual income from retirement and law practice is approximately $240,000, consistent with a net worth of approximately $2 million that includes his Aliso Viejo home and retirement assets.
Mel Tyrae Owens was born on December 7, 1958. He grew up in Los Angeles and developed exceptional athletic ability as a linebacker, earning recognition at the high school level that led to a scholarship at the University of Michigan. At Michigan, Owens became a dominant defensive performer, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1980 — his senior season. His combination of size (6’2″), speed, and football intelligence made him one of the top defensive prospects in the 1981 NFL Draft class.
After his playing career ended, Owens pursued a legal education and earned his law degree, building a career that would outlast his football years by several decades. He also pursued a graduate education in sports management, equipping him with both the legal credentials and industry knowledge needed to represent athletes.
The Los Angeles Rams selected Owens with the 9th overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft, one of the highest selections for a linebacker in that era. Over nine NFL seasons, all with the Rams, Owens accumulated 26.5 sacks and 453 tackles, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week recognition in 1986. He was a consistent and reliable starter during a period when the Rams were competitive NFC West contenders, per Pro Football Archives.
Following his retirement from football, Owens leveraged his law degree into a specialized sports law practice. In 2006, he became a founding partner at NBO Law (Nimoy, Bradfield & Owens), a firm focused on workers’ compensation and sports injury litigation in the Southern California market. In 2013, Owens served as lead attorney on a brain injury lawsuit brought by former NHL players — a high-profile case that demonstrated his expertise in the intersection of sports medicine and legal advocacy, and aligned with growing awareness of CTE and athlete injury litigation.
Mel Owens was married to Fabiana Pimentel Owens from 2002 to 2024. The divorce was finalized in 2024, but post-divorce financial matters have been contentious: in September 2025, Fabiana filed a motion seeking enforcement of a $979,000 divorce settlement and the court-ordered sale of the Aliso Viejo home, as reported by Reality Tea. The couple have two sons, Lucas and Andre.
On ABC’s The Golden Bachelor Season 2, Owens was selected as the lead bachelor — a 66-year-old retired NFL player and lawyer seeking companionship. In the November 2025 finale, Owens gave his commitment ring to Peg Munson, according to People. The show generated substantial media coverage of Owens’ personal life and professional background.
Mel Owens’ net worth is estimated at $2 million. The figure reflects his NFL career earnings from nine seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, income from his law practice at NBO Law (approximately $240,000 annually based on 2025 court documents), his Aliso Viejo home valued at approximately $2 million, and recent income from appearing as the lead on ABC’s The Golden Bachelor Season 2 in 2025.
Mel Owens gave his commitment ring to Peg Munson in the November 2025 finale of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 on ABC. Their post-show relationship status has not been confirmed publicly as of early 2026. Owens’ divorce from ex-wife Fabiana Pimentel Owens was finalized in 2024 after a 22-year marriage.
Mel Owens was born on December 7, 1958. As of March 2026, he is 67 years old. He grew up in Los Angeles, played college football at the University of Michigan, and was selected 9th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Mel Owens stands 6 feet 2 inches tall (1.88 m). His size and athleticism were central to his appeal as a top-10 NFL draft pick in 1981, and he has maintained an athletic build throughout his post-football career.
Mel Owens played his entire nine-season NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, from 1981 to approximately 1989. He was selected 9th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft and accumulated 26.5 sacks and 453 tackles during his career, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week recognition in 1986. He earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors at the University of Michigan in 1980.
Mel Owens has two sons: Lucas and Andre, from his 22-year marriage to Fabiana Pimentel Owens. The couple divorced in 2024 after a contentious separation that included ongoing legal disputes over the $979,000 divorce settlement and the family’s Aliso Viejo home, per People.
As of March 2026, Mel Owens continues to practice law as a founding partner at NBO Law, his workers’ compensation and sports injury firm in Southern California. He appeared as the lead bachelor on ABC’s The Golden Bachelor Season 2 in 2025 and selected Peg Munson in the November 2025 finale. He is also managing ongoing legal proceedings related to his 2024 divorce from Fabiana Pimentel Owens.