Who are the highest paid NFL players? As the salary cap climbs, the top NFL player salaries are skyrocketing each year with record-setting contracts resetting the market.
While quarterbacks are the highest-paid NFL players, teams are beginning to spend a lot more money on edge rushers, cornerbacks, offensive tackles, and wide receivers. Between the skyrocketing NFL salary cap, TV rights deals worth more than $100 billion and stadium revenue, the highest-paid players in NFL are cashing in.
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Here are the highest paid NFL players in 2024.
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is one of the highest-paid wide receivers in NFL history. Following his trade from the Green Bay Packers to the Raiders, Adams signed a five-year deal worth $140 million. Following a $25.35 million cap hit in 2024, Adams will carry a $44.1 million cap hit with a $35.64 million base salary in 2025 and ’26. Adams will be a free agent in 2027 as a 35-year-old.
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On the same day they extended the Amon-Ra St. Brown contract, the Detroit Lions also made Penei Sewell one of the highest-paid NFL players. It’s fitting considering Sewell and St. Brown both came from the historic Lions draft class in 2021. Sewell is now the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL, so we’ve seen this offseason that these marks can be topped quickly.
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Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt is one of the highest-paid NFL players in 2024. Selected with the 30th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Watt is a four-time first-team All-Pro selection and a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He is poised to record his 100th career sack during the 2024 NFL season. Watt has two years left on his contract, becoming an NFL free agent in 2026 as a 32-year-old.
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Less than two years after the Carolina Panthers turned down multiple first-round picks from the Los Angeles Rams for edge rusher Brian Burns, they traded him to the New York Giants for second- and fifth-round picks. Burns landed a new contract with the deal, signing a five-year, $11 million extension. He joins the growing list of the highest-paid NFL players in 2024 landing market-setting contracts. In the first two years of his contract, Burns is receiving $66.25 million with $90 million total coming in the first three seasons.
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We’ll start with the obvious. The Josh Allen contract would’ve been much cheaper a year ago if the Jacksonville Jaguars extended him in 2023. Instead, they waited and were forced to pay more while also costing themselves the ability to keep Calvin Ridley. At least something positive came out of this, Allen’s outstanding play for the Jaguars’ defense landed a lucrative extension that made him one of the highest paid defensive players in the NFL.
Tyreek Hill led the way for his peers, becoming the first wide receiver to make a $30 million AAV, setting a benchmark for others to follow. It’s possible he gets another extension in the next year or so, but the talk of retirement after his original contract expires raises some doubts about that. Still, Hill is in a rare club of the highest paid NFL players making at least $30 million annually that are non-quarterbacks.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown at least got to be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL for a few days, until A.J. Brown got paid again. Still, life is good for the former 112th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. St. Brown, one of the best offensive weapons in football, signed a four-year extension worth $120.01 million, just surpassing the AAV of the Tyreek Hill contract. Detroit kept its home-grown star out of NFL free agency, while St. Brown landed one that should only be the first of life-changing contracts to come. Everyone won.
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A.J. Brown is the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. He shattered the previous record held by Tyreek Hill then Amon-Ra St. Brown, agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles that pushes his annual average value to $32 million. For comparison, no receiver even cleared a $30.1 million AAV until Brown’s deal. Given the length of the contract and that he’ll be 33 years old when he’s eligible for NFL free agency, Philadelphia is probably where Brown will call home for the majority of his NFL career.
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Chris Jones is the highest paid defensive tackle in NFL history. After winning his third Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jones landed a new deal that topped the Aaron Donald contract as the largest contract ever for an interior lineman. While Jones fell just short of matching the Nick Bosa contract, he still walked away with $95 million guaranteed in the first three years of his deal.
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Nick Bosa is the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. The San Francisco 49ers signed the All-Pro edge rusher to a five-year, $170 million contract extension in 2023. Bosa is the only defensive player in the NFL to make more than $32 million per season. He also holds the NFL records among defensive players for total guarantees ($122.5 million), guaranteed at signing ($88 million) and signing bonus ($50 million).
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Here is a full rundown of the 20 highest-paid NFL players entering the 2024 season. We have excluded quarterbacks from our lists of highest paid NFL players, which you can find here.
Contracts courtesy Spotrac. All salary figures and cap hits for the highest paid NFL players are for 2024.
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Christian McCaffrey is the highest paid running back in the NFL right now. McCaffrey earns an average salary of $16.016 million per season.
A.J. Brown is the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, earning a record-setting $32 million average annual salary.
Travis Kelce is the highest paid tight end in the NFL right now. The Kansas City Chiefs signed Kelce to a two-year, $34.25 million contract making him the highest paid tight end in NFL history with a $17.125 million AAV.
Penei Sewell is the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL, earning a $28 million annual average salary.
Landon Dickerson is the highest paid offensive guard in the NFL, receiving a $21 millions average annual salary from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Penei Sewell is the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL, earning a $28 million annual average salary.
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Nick Bosa is the highest-paid defensive end in the NFL at $34 million after signing his extension with the San Francisco 49ers.
Roquan Smith is the highest paid linebacker in the NFL. After being traded to the Baltimore Ravens last season, Smith signed a contract extension worth $20 million per season.
Jaire Alexander is the highest-paid NFL cornerback, earning a $21 million average annual salary. Alexander is under contract through 2026, earning $30 million guaranteed over the life of his contract.
Derwin James is the highest paid safety in the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers All-Pro safety has a $19 million average annual salary, with $42 million guaranteed. Derwin James will be a free agent in 2027.
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Justin Tucker is the highest paid kicker in the NFL, earning. a $6 million average annual salary. Tucker is also the highest paid kicker in NFL history. Tucker isn’t a free agent until 2028.
Michael Dixon is the highest paid punter in the NFL, earning a $3.675 million average annual salary from the Seattle Seahawks.
What is the minimum salary for NFL practice squad players?
Veterans players on an NFL practice squad make a minimum salary of $289,000 per season ($16,100 per week) and a maximum salary of $370,800 ($20,500 per week). Non-veterans receive an NFL practice squad salary of $216,000 per season ($12,000 per week).
The lowest salary in the NFL is $750,000, which is the base salary for rookies that aren’t selected with one of the top picks in the NFL Draft. In a player’s second season under a base value contract, they would earn $870,000 in their second year and $940,000 in year three.
The minimum salary for NFL veterans, those with at least seven years of experience, is $1.165 million. The lowest NFL salary in 2023, per Spotrac, is $1.08 million. Heading into the 2023 season, 185 players have a base salary of $1.08 million.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is the highest paid NFL player right now, thanks to a five-year contract worth $262.5 million.
Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are the two highest paid NFL players in 2024.
Joe Burrow ($55 million salary), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million salary), Lamar Jackson ($52 million salary), Jalen Hurts ($51 million salary) and Kyler Murray ($46.1 million salary) are the five highest-paid NFL players in the NFL right now.
Outside of signing bonuses and roster bonuses, which are paid out on specific dates, NFL players are not paid during the offseason. NFL teams expect them to use that time off to prepare for the upcoming season. Once training camp starts, players then start receiving payments.
NFL players are paid each week during the regular season, receiving a weekly percentage of their annual base salary. They can also earn additional incentives in a given week if they reach certain contract incentives that are in place.
Patrick Mahomes isn’t among the highest-paid NFL players in 2023. The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback ranks seventh in average annual salary ($45 million) and eighth in total guaranteed money ($141 million).
NFL players do not pay for their Super Bowl ring. The NFL covers the estimated cost ($5,000-$7,000) for up to 150 Super Bowl rings. Any additional rings a team wants after that must be paid for by the organization and team owner.
You might notice that running backs are not among the highest paid NFL players. The devaluation of this position has continued. Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers is the highest paid running back in the NFL. He’s also the 104th highest paid NFL player on a per-year basis. Three Pro Bowl running back in that of Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard failed to come to terms on contract extensions, too. This means that they’ll play 2023 under the franchise tag with a value of a mere $10.09 million.
Aaron Rodgres is earning a 41.838 million base salary in 2023. He also receives a $7 million signing bonus and has $75 million guaranteed in salary and roster bonuses across 2023 and 2024.
No, there are many NFL players who aren’t millionaires. With 53-man rosters, there are dozens of players in both the NFC and AFC who aren’t millionaires. While the minimum NFL salary is greater than $1 million, that figure is inflated by the highest-paid NFL players.
Tom Brady received $332.962 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac, across 23 seasons in the NFL. This doesn’t account for the record-setting deal he signed with FOX Sports to serve as a color analyst and brand ambassador, which is worth $375 million over 10 years. Brady’s net worth in 2023 is estimated to be over $500 million.