Interested in discovering who the highest-paid NFL coach is? You’ll find that out and plenty more in this breakdown of football coach salaries. Although it should be noted these numbers are not official. Most coach salaries are not revealed to the public.
Highest-paid NFL coach in 2023-24
11. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles, $6-7 million per year
The Philadelphia Eagles hired Nick Sirianni away from the Indianapolis Colts after three seasons coordinating the offense. Sirianni immediately helped lead the Eagles to the playoffs in his first year. In 2022, Sirianni’s Eagles were the last undefeated team in football and they also made it to the Super Bowl.
10. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders, $7 million per year
After a solid playing career as a linebacker, playing his role with the ’85 Bears, Ron Rivera has since turned into a respected coach with 11 years at the helm. His peak came in 2015 when the Carolina Panthers went 15-1 on the way to a Super Bowl appearance. Riverboat Ron has been trying to get back ever since.
9. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills, $8 million per year
Leading the Buffalo Bills to five playoff appearances in six seasons, coach McDermott will be back aiming for a seventh in 2023. Only after reaching the AFC Conference Championship in 2020, now he’s aiming for a Super Bowl instead.
8. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs, $8 million per year
Andy Reid, or sometimes affectionately called Big Red, has been an NFL head coach for 24 years, but it wasn’t until he got to the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes that he won the big game, becoming a Super Bowl champion in 2019. He also won AP Coach of the Year back in his fourth season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002. Now, he’s a two-time Super Bowl champ, after winning again in 2023. He deserves a raise.
7. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers, $8 million per year
Mike Tomlin had zero previous head coaching experience when hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. While he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, Tomlin has since become one of the best coaches in football, and his paycheck reflects his skills.
Related: Predicting NFL playoff bracket and Super Bowl 2023 winner
6. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, $9 million per year
John Harbaugh signed on to be the Baltimore Ravens head coach with a specialty in special teams in 2008. Ever since, he’s experienced just two losing seasons and even won a Super Bowl ring in 2012.
5. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers, $9.5 million per year
As the son of Mike, Kyle Shanahan was literally born into the game of football. Growing up around the game, he’s now one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, and he’s paid as such.
Related: 2023 NFL Power Rankings
4. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks, $11 million per year
Even at the age of 71, Pete Carroll is still going strong in Seattle, he’s earned this spot among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches by having a career .589 winning percentage in addition to a Super Bowl victory in 2013.
3. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, $12.5 million per year
Amazingly, the greatest coach of all time is no longer the top-earning NFL coach, but he still is believed to make an annual salary of $12.5 million. Six Super Bowl rings suggest Belichick’s worth every penny.
2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams, $15-18 million per year
When hired in 2017, Sean McVay was the youngest head coach in NFL history at 30 years old. The Los Angeles Rams have missed the playoffs just once ever since. In 2022, he won Super Bowl LVI, becoming the youngest coach to do so.
Now, McVay is reportedly the highest-paid NFL coach, which also makes him the highest-paid NFL coach of all time. McVay’s even had opportunities to get involved in media, offering him similar pay and much less day-to-day stress, but then he wouldn’t be able to coach the LA Rams, which is a tough gig to turn down. The Rams announced McVay’s extension after his Super Bowl victory, but there is still no word on the exact dollar amount he’s raking in.
1. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos: $17-20 million per year
Sean Payton is now the highest-paid NFL coach after being acquired from the New Orleans Saints in a blockbuster trade after the 2022 season. In addition to giving up a first-round pick in 2023 and a second-rounder in 2024, Denver inked Payton to a contract that will pay him between $85-$100 million over the course of five years.
The last time we saw a commitment this large was when the Raiders handed Jon Gruden a 10-year, $100 million contract a few years back. Denver hopes making Payton the highest-paid NFL coach turns out a bit differently.
Highest-paid NFL coaches – Honorable mentions
Jon Gruden, Las Vegas Raiders, $10 million
Jon Gruden was living the life in Vegas until he resigned from the league after some foolish emails unsurfaced in 2021. He was just four years into a 10-year, $100 million contract, earning an annual salary that placed him as the third-highest-paid NFL coach.
Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts, $9 million
Despite not being their first choice to become the franchise’s head coach (Josh McDaniels), the Indianapolis Colts were happy to land on Frank Reich after the former NFL QB helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history. After coaching the Colts to the playoffs in two of his five seasons at the helm, Indianapolis fired Reich after a 3-5-1 start in 2022. He has since landed with the Carolina Panthers.
Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers, $8.8 million
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper gave Matt Rhule an enticing seven-year, $62 million contract offer he couldn’t refuse. He made it through parts of just three seasons before being fired after an 11-27 start to his career. Rhule has since taken a job coaching the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
