Highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, 2024 version: Dak Prescott inks record deal

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Who are the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL right now? Have these signal-callers lived up to expectations?

With the 2024 NFL season upon us, these figures are going to change. Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott is expected to land a record-breaking extension at some point unless Dallas allows him to hit free agency.

Stick with this article for continued updates on the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL right now.

Related: Highest-paid NFL players of 2024

Highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL

1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys — Highest-paid player in the NFL

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Immediately ahead of their season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns, Dallas signed Prescott to a record-breaking contract. He’s now the highest-paid player in NFL history on a per-year basis at $60 million. Prescott’s $80 million signing bonus is also a record breaker.

The pressure is now on Prescott big time. It does not matter what the Cowboys do during the regular season. They need to have playoff success in order to justify this eye-opening contract.

2. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

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Sheesh. A year ago, we didn’t even know if Jordan Love could be an NFL starter. Today, he’s the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, receiving a record-breaking signing bonus. The scary part is the 25-year-old quarterback is just getting started, yet he’s already really good.

Love led the post-Rodgers Packers to a playoff berth in his first season as a starter, and he did so with an unproven cast of receivers. Now the unquestioned franchise quarterback for years to come, we’ll see what level Love can take the Packers to next.

Read more: Projecting win-loss records for all 32 teams in 2024

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

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Burrow missed the final seven games of last season due to a wrist injury. He was also hobbled big time early on during the campaign due to a calf strain. It led to an all-around down season for the former No. 1 pick from LSU.

Despite all of this, the Bengals are locked into Burrow for the foreseeable future. It’s not a bad thing given his track record of previous success since Cincinnati made him the top pick back in 2020. That includes 97 career touchdowns with 37 interceptions and a Super Bowl appearance.

4. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

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In his first offseason eligible for an extension, Lawrence saw Jacksonville back up the Brinks Truck for him. The former No. 1 pick joins Joe Burrow and Jordan Love as the highest-paid players in the NFL on a per-year basis at $55 million. He also received the third-most money in total guarantees.

It comes with somewhat of a risk for Jacksonville. Lawrence struggled to the tune of 21 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions in 2023 after leading the Jaguars to a surprise playoff appearance the previous season.

Read more: Most overrated NFL players of 2024

5. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

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Tua and the Dolphins finally came to agreement on an extension heading into the 2024 NFL season. And it’s an absolute whopper. He gets the most-guaranteed cash for a four-year contract in NFL history at $167.1 million. Tagovailoa is also now the fourth highest-paid quarterback in the league.

A first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Tua was set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. That’s now not going to be the case. Throughout his four-year career, the lefty has thrown 81 touchdowns against 37 interceptions.

6. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff more than earned this record-setting contract extension. Since being acquired from the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2021 season, he’s turned into an upper-echelon signal caller. Last season saw Goff throw for 4,575 yards with 30 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.

Goff’s ability to turn things around after some struggles late in his Los Angeles Rams career can’t go unnoticed. He now has Detroit looking very much like a Super Bowl contender after playing in the NFC Championship Game last season.

Related: Worst NFL contracts of 2024

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Like with other top-end signal callers this past season, Herbert dealt with injuries. He missed the end of the campaign with a broken index finger. At that point, the Los Angeles Chargers were simply playing out the string after firing head coach Brandon Staley.

After committing to Herbert last offseason on a huge contract, the Chargers hired head coach Jim Harbaugh. That’s even more commitment from the Los Angeles’ brass. It’s going to lead to a long marriage between these two in Southern California.

Related: Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert names toughest defenders he’s played against

8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Remember the entire contract stalemate between Jackson and his Ravens back in the spring of 2023? Remember him requesting a trade? It really does seem like eons ago with the former first-round pick now coming off his second NFL MVP award. Boy, was it deserved.

At 27, Jackson is not showing any signs of slowing down. It’s good news for Baltimore given his play style and the fact that the team is pretty much committed to him from a financial perspective through the 2027 season.

Related: One optimistic prediction for each NFL team in 2024

9. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

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Hurts followed up a Super Bowl appearance following the 2022 season with team-wide drama in Philadelphia. The Eagles lost five of their final six regular-season games before being blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs. For his part, Hurts has been on the receiving end of criticism since.

“Sources within and around the team say Jalen Hurts ‘changed’ since signing the big $255 million contract extension. His accessibility to media, fans, teammates had been limited. He became less accessible this season, according to numerous sources,” SB Nation’s Joseph Santoliquito on Hurts.

On the field, Hurts threw 15 interceptions compared to six the previous season. This is not what the Eagles had envisioned when they made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL back in the spring of 2023.

Related: NFL insider highlights Philadelphia Eagles’ concerning red flags in Jalen Hurts-Nick Sirianni relationship

10. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

For a while last season, it was an open question whether the Cardinals would retain Murray. He started just eight games after returning from a torn ACL, throwing 10 touchdowns against five interceptions. This came after major struggles in 2022 (14 TD, 7 INT).

General manager Monti Ossenfort and Co. have since made it clear that Murray is their quarterback of the future. It makes sense from a financial perspective with the former No. 1 pick having been handed $103.3 million guaranteed at signing when he signed his current extension with Arizona back in July of 2022.

Read more: Is Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray on the verge of a breakout season?

11. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

Boy, has this contract been a disaster for Cleveland. After acquiring Watson in a blockbuster trade ahead of the 2022 season, he’s started all of 12 games. Watson also missed the end of the 2023 campaign due to a shoulder injury. All said, the numbers are just gross.

At issue here for Cleveland is the fully-guaranteed contract it gave Watson after picking him up from the Houston Texans. Watson’s dead cap hits if released are absurd over the next three years. ($200.92 million in 2024, $136.94 million in 2025 and $72.96 million in 2026). The Browns are stuck with him.

Related: Cleveland Browns provide Deshaun Watson injury update, timeline for return

12. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

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Mahomes restructured his contract ahead of the 2023 season, giving him $208.1 million in practical guarantees. It’s obvious that this was a way for him to lower his cap hit. Kansas City was going to pay that out for the NFL’s best quarterback.

All Mahomes has done since then is help the Chiefs to a second consecutive Super Bowl title while earning the game’s MVP for a third time in his career. He’s not just a generational quarterback, Mahomes is among the best in league history. It’s just the matter of time before Kansas City rips up this deal and makes Mahomes the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Would you blame them?

Related: 7 NFL quarterbacks who could lose their jobs in 2024

13. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

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Cousins, 35, departs the Minnesota Vikings after six up-and-down seasons. He cashed in to the tune of $90 million in fully guaranteed cash and $100 million in total guarantees. This comes after a half-dozen seasons in which Cousins threw 171 touchdowns compared to 55 interceptions.

14. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen put up nearly 5,000 total yards with 44 touchdowns a season ago. He also committed 22 turnovers in 17 starts. Apparently, Buffalo is willing to take the good with the bad here. That includes some major playoff struggles over the past few seasons in Western New York.

Like most top-end quarterbacks, Allen is going to be judged by winning titles. Thus far, that has not been the case. Even then, coming in as the ninth highest-paid quarterback in the NFL has him as a bargain.

15. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Jones inked this contract with New York on the eve of NFL free agency opening this past March. It came after he led the Giants to a surprise playoff appearance despite throwing a mere 15 touchdowns.

To say that things did not go swimmingly for Jones and the Giants in 2023 would be an understatement. The team finished with a 6-11 record. Meanwhile, Jones is now recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the second half of the campaign. The good news here is that New York can get out from this contract following the 2024 season. Recent rumors suggest that the team is potentially looking in to finding an heir-apparent during the upcoming NFL Draft.

16. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford inked his current deal mere months after leading the Rams to the Super Bowl title in his first season with the organization. At that point, it seemed to be a win-win for everyone involved.

Stafford then missed the end of the 2022 season with a spinal cord injury. Los Angeles found itself starting Baker Mayfield to close out the lost season. Upon his return in 2023, the former No. 1 pick picked up where he left off during the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl season. He put up nearly 4,000 passing yards with 24 touchdowns en route to leading Los Angeles to a surprise playoff appearance. Stafford is signed through the 2026 season with an opt for the Rams following 2025.

Related: Get more Los Angeles Rams news here

17. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

After nine up-and-down seasons with the Raiders, Carr found himself released following the 2022 campaign. It did not take him long to latch on with a Saints team that needed to find a major upgrade under center.

Whether that’s the case moving forward very much remains to be seen. Carr led the Saints to a 9-8 record in his first season with the team — throwing 25 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions.

18. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

Four snaps into his career in Jersey, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles. No one wants to see a great player like this deal with something like that. The future Hall of Famer has made it clear he plans on returning better than ever.

The question here is age. Rodgers will turn 41 late in the 2024 NFL season. He’s coming off a potentially devastating injury. We’re intrigued to see how this turns out moving forward.

Related: Top 2024 NFL free agents

19. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

There were some question about whether the Seahawks would retain Smith after a down 2023 season (20 TD, 9 INT). This performance came after he won the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

Barring an amazing performance in 2024, Smith is likely entering his final season with the Seahawks. He is definitely a bargain by today’s standards.

Related: 2025 NFL mock draft

Highest-paid quarterbacks on rookie deals

A focus on NFL quarterback contracts would not be complete without looking at those on their rookie deals. For many teams, this has acted like a competitive advantage.

Patrick Mahomes leading the Kansas City Chiefs to the Lombardi Trophy while on his rookie deal following the 2019 season is a prime example of this. Now that Joe Burrow has inked his deal, rookie No. 1 pick Bryce Young is the highest-paid NFL quarterback on a rookie contract. Brock Purdy is among the lowest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL despite leading his team to the Super Bowl a season ago.

Here’s a look at NFL quarterbacks on their rookie contracts and how they rank from an average annual salary perspective.

NFL free agent quarterbacks

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Highest-paid quarterbacks (FAQs)

Who is the highest-paid quarterback of all-time? Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets ($342.49 million) is the highest-paid quarterback ever.

Who was the highest-paid quarterback 2023? Ryan Tannehill was again the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL on a base salary basis this past season. Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions came in at No. 2 ($20 million).

Who is the highest-paid quarterback 2024? Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns is the highest-paid quarterback in 2024 with a base salary of $46 million.

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