Who’re the NFL’s highest-paid gamers at every place?

Within the NFL, the bar is at all times rising. Every offseason, superstars reset the market, altering the salaries that the most effective gamers at every respective place count on to obtain. The Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, the Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Bengals‘ Ja’Marr Chase are the newest to take action.

This offseason, Barkley turned the highest-paid working again of all time, agreeing to a two-year extension value $41 million. A day later, Maxx Crosby not solely turned the highest-paid defensive participant, however he additionally turned the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL historical past. He solely held that title for a couple of days, nonetheless, till Garrett’s deal surpassed his. Cleveland gave Garrett a record extension with a mean annual wage of $40 million.

Just a few weeks later, Chase’s new contract topped Garrett’s, with the receiver now incomes a mean of $40.25 million per yr. 

They may not be the one ones this offseason, both. Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons could possibly be the following candidate to change into the highest-paid participant at his place. 

With that, we took a take a look at the NFL’s highest-paid gamers per common annual worth (AAV), with all wage numbers coming through Spotrac.

Prescott turned the NFL’s highest-paid participant when he signed his extension on the eve of the Cowboys’ Week 1 recreation in opposition to the Cleveland Browns final season. The four-year, $240 million deal was the fruits of a clumsy offseason wherein Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones was wishy-washy about paying Prescott. 

Prescott earned his long-term deal after the most effective season of his profession in 2023, when he accomplished a career-high 69.5% of his passes and threw a league-leading 36 touchdowns. His completion proportion dropped to 64.7 throughout the primary eight video games of the 2024 season earlier than lacking the ultimate 9 video games with {a partially} torn hamstring. 

The value of running backs is continually being disputed and Barkley did lots to assist his friends, and himself, out. Barkley was rewarded with a two-year, $41 million extension after profitable NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr in his first yr with the Eagles. The New York Giants did not need to pay Barkley after six seasons with the workforce, so the Eagles took benefit of that, scooping him up in free company final offseason. Now, they’ve doubled-down on their funding, locking up Barkley after he rushed for a career-high 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns through the common season and helped them win Tremendous Bowl LIX.

After ready on a brand new deal for the reason that starting of the 2024 season, Chase lastly acquired the contract he was ready for — signing a four-year deal value $161 million with $112 million assured. That makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL historical past, breaking the file that was held by Myles Garrett. He’s additionally the primary receiver ever to eclipse $40 million a yr on an annual common. Chase earned the deal after a stellar 2024 marketing campaign, having change into the fifth receiver for the reason that merger to guide the league in all three receiving classes — becoming a member of Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992), Steve Smith Sr. (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021). Since he entered the league in 2021, no participant has caught extra touchdowns than Chase (46 receiving touchdowns). 

Just a few days after the 2025 NFL Draft ended, Kittle agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension with the 49ers. His new deal is value a mean of $19.1 million, surpassing the contract Trey McBride ($19M AAV) signed with the Arizona Cardinals earlier in April. 

The 31-year-old Kittle is the one remaining participant from San Francisco’s 2017 draft class, the primary with head coach Kyle Shanahan and common supervisor John Lynch. Because the 49ers drafted him within the fifth spherical that yr, Kittle has been one of many high tight ends within the league. 

In his eight seasons, he is been a reliable receiver and blocker for the Niners offense. He is made an All-Professional workforce 5 instances and earned six Professional Bowl nods, totaling 538 receptions for 7,380 yards and 45 touchdowns.

Kittle is coming off his fourth season, and second straight, with not less than 1K receiving yards. He had 78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024, main the 49ers in every class.

Wirfs signed a five-year, $140.6 million deal final summer season to change into the highest-paid offensive deal with, whether or not it is the best or left aspect. Wirfs, although, performs either side of the road and does so at a excessive stage. Actually, he turned the primary participant ever to be named a first-team All-Professional at each left and proper deal with. 

Wirfs earned the best pass-blocking grade of any offensive lineman in 2024 at 94.1, together with the postseason, and allowed zero sacks and only one QB hit, per Professional Soccer Focus. Wirfs additionally gained Tremendous Bowl LV with the Buccaneers. 

Regardless of being considered one of two NFL gamers to receive the franchise tag this offseason, Smith is about to be the highest-paid offensive guard on the one-year tender. He and the Chiefs may nonetheless agree on a long-term deal earlier than the July 15 deadline, although.

Smith performed 1,288 snaps on the proper guard spot and gave up only one sack, based on PFF. Joe Thuney and Nick Allegretti have been the one guards to play extra snaps than he did this previous season. 

Humphrey, Smith’s neighbor on the offensive line, had PFF’s highest pass-blocking grade of any middle in 2024 at 91.5, together with the postseason. He allowed zero sacks and simply two QB hits. In two of his 4 NFL seasons, he didn’t enable a sack — and has surrendered simply seven in his profession, per PFF. The Humphrey and Smith tandem was essential to the Chiefs’ Tremendous Bowl victories within the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and their contracts are important to the workforce’s long-term success. 

Garrett was the highest-paid non-quarterback of all-time earlier than Ja’Marr Chase signed his deal, signing a contract value $160 million, together with $123.5 million in ensures, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

The extension got here greater than a month after the Browns’ star pass-rusher had requested a commerce. Cleveland’s entrance workplace, although, was adamant that Garrett wouldn’t be dealt. In the long run, either side got here to an settlement to maintain the 2023 AP Defensive Participant of the Yr in Ohio.

The Browns chosen Garrett with the primary choose within the 2017 NFL Draft. Since then, he has lived as much as the hype, with a franchise-high 102.5 sacks. He is been named a first-team All-Professional 4 instances and has made six Professional Bowls. In 2024, he led the Browns with 14 sacks and a league-leading 22 tackles for loss, however they went simply 3-14. Garrett has solely performed in three postseason video games in his eight seasons in Cleveland.

Jones turned the highest-paid defensive deal with when he agreed to a five-year, $158.75 million deal to stay in Kansas Metropolis through the 2024 offseason.

The Chiefs star definitely made a powerful declare to earn the title of highest-paid participant at his place. The six-time Professional Bowler and three-time first-team All-Professional has recorded not less than 9 sacks in 5 of the final seven seasons, serving to Kansas Metropolis win three Tremendous Bowls throughout that point.

Jones had 37 complete tackles and 5 sacks over 15 video games this previous season. Whereas his field rating stats won’t come out, Jones led all defensive tackles in pass-rush win price (16%) and was second in pressures (74) on the place, per PFF.

The Buffalo Payments’ Josh Allen might need an MVP, however he cannot declare he is the highest-paid participant at his place like Josh Hines-Allen can. The latter turned the highest-paid exterior linebacker within the 2024 offseason when he inked a five-year, $141.25 million cope with the Jaguars.

Hines-Allen has been efficient as a pass-rusher, posting not less than seven sacks in 5 of his first six seasons. He had a whopping 17.5 sacks in 2023, ending within the high 12 in pressures in every of the final three seasons. 

Of the defensive positions, inside linebacker has the most cost effective common annual worth contract chief. Nonetheless, Smith is making a fairly penny. He reached a five-year, $100 million extension ($60 million assured) with the Ravens in January 2023, doing so after the Chicago Bears traded him in the course of the 2022 season.

Smith has arguably been the NFL’s greatest inside linebacker for the reason that Bears chosen him with the eighth general choose within the 2018 draft. He is been named to an All-Professional workforce in 5 of his first seven seasons, together with three first-team nods. He is additionally recorded not less than 100 complete tackles in every season of his profession, registering 120-plus complete tackles in six of them.

Whereas Smith has by no means led the league in tackles, he is completed within the high 10 5 instances and has completed within the high 5 in run stops 3 times, per PFF.

Stingley Jr. earned a giant increase after his first All-Professional season in 2024. The Texans gave the 2022 first-round choose a record-setting three-year, $90 million extension. 

The 23-year-old gives Houston with versatility within the secondary, displaying his playmaking abilities in each man and zone protection. Stingley has come down with 5 interceptions in every of the final two seasons and totaled a career-high 18 passes defensed and 54 tackles in 2024, his first Professional Bowl season. He additionally allowed a passer ranking of 25.5, the most effective of all cornerbacks with a minimal of 100 protection snaps (together with the playoffs), per PFF.

Joseph has been an integral a part of Detroit’s protection since his 2022 rookie marketing campaign. Following back-to-back seasons with 4 interceptions, Joseph led the NFL with 9 picks in 2024, serving to him earn All-Professional honors. Moreover, Joseph ranked first amongst safeties in general grade (90.4) and protection grade (91.1), based on Professional Soccer Focus.

Now, he is the highest-paid security within the sport, as Joseph inked a four-year, $86 million extension with the Lions, based on FOX Sports activities’ Jordan Schultz.

After serving to the Chiefs win a 3rd Tremendous Bowl through the 2023 season, Butker acquired a record-setting contract. He signed a four-year, $25.6 million deal in August 2024.

Butker has really by no means been named a Professional Bowler or All-Professional, however he is been one of many NFL’s most correct kickers since becoming a member of the Chiefs in 2017. He led the league in factors in 2019, whereas his 88.6 discipline aim made proportion is the second-best mark in league historical past. He is made some fairly clutch kicks as nicely, draining a memorable discipline aim on the buzzer to ship the divisional-round recreation in opposition to the Buffalo Payments to time beyond regulation in January 2022 and breaking the file for the longest made discipline aim in a Tremendous Bowl within the Chiefs’ win over the 49ers in February 2024.

Of the gamers on this checklist, Dickson’s contract is the oldest. He signed his four-year, $14.5 million extension in June 2021.

Though Dickson hasn’t been named an All-Professional or Professional Bowler through the length of the contract, the deal has aged nicely. He is third all-time in yards per punt (48.2), ending within the high 10 within the stat in every of the final three seasons.

Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!