Who Is the Highest Paid NFL Player?
The highest paid NFL player for the 2020 season is quarterbacks Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, who will earn $35 million in salary and bonuses.
Introduction
In the National Football League (NFL), the highest paid player is the one who receives the most total compensation, which includes base salary, signing bonus, and any other guaranteed money. In 2019, that title goes to quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, who will earn an average of $35 million per year.
Wilson’s deal is a four-year extension worth $140 million, with a $65 million signing bonus and a no-trade clause. He is set to make $157 million over the next five years, which makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Other notable names near the top of the list include quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger ($34 million per year), Aaron Rodgers ($33.5 million), and Kirk Cousins ($28 million). All three of these players have signed new contracts within the past year.
Russell Wilson
As of 2019, Russell Wilson is the highest paid NFL player, surpassing Aaron Rodgers who had been the highest paid player since 2013. Wilson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks in April 2019, making him the highest paid player in NFL history at the time. His average annual salary of $35 million is $1 million more than Rodgers’ average annual salary of $33.5 million.
Wilson’s extension included a $65 million signing bonus, the largest signing bonus given to an NFL player at the time. The overall value of his contract made him the second highest paid player in NFL history behind only Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who had signed a six-year, $140 million deal in 2016.
In 2018, Wilson was ranked as the ninth highest paid NFL player by Forbes magazine with an annual salary of $27.7 million. This includes his base salary of $12.6 million, a signing bonus of $6 million, and other endorsements and bonuses totaling $9.1 million.
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers, who plays for the Green Bay Packers, is the highest paid player in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently in the second year of a four-year, $134 million contract extension that he signed in 2018. This contract made him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. Rodgers’ annual salary of $33.5 million is nearly double that of the second highest-paid player in the league, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger is the highest paid NFL player, earning an annual salary of $25 million. He is followed by Eli Manning, who earns $22.2 million per year.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, the highest paid NFL player is currently Russell Wilson, followed by Ben Roethlisberger, and then Aaron Rodgers. These are the only three players who are making an annual salary of over $30 million per year. While there are other players who have the potential to make more money (e.g. Eli Manning and Drew Brees), they are currently not at the top of the list.
