Who Is The Highest Paid Wide Receiver In The NFL?

The highest paid wide receiver in the NFL is currently A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals, who signed a four-year, $60 million extension in 2015. Green’s base salary for the 2018 season is $15 million, with a $2 million signing bonus and a $1 million roster bonus.

Antonio Brown- Pittsburgh Steelers

As of 2019, the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL is Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown has a base salary of $17 million for the 2019 season, and is also scheduled to receive a $2 million signing bonus. In total, Brown will earn $19 million in salary and bonuses for the 2019 season.

DeAndre Hopkins- Houston Texans

DeAndre Hopkins is the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. He is currently signed to a five-year, $81 million contract with the Houston Texans, which includes $49 million in guaranteed money. Hopkins has earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in each of the past three seasons.

Julio Jones- Atlanta Falcons

As of September 5th, 2020, the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL is Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons, with an annual salary of $22 million.

Jones was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been selected for six Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2015. In 2019, Jones led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,394.

The second highest paid wide receiver in the NFL is DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals, with an annual salary of $27.25 million. Hopkins was traded to the Cardinals from the Houston Texans in March 2020. He has been selected for four Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns.

A.J. Green- Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed wide receiver A.J. Green to a four-year, $60 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

The extension includes $32 million in guaranteed money and keeps Green under contract with the Bengals through the 2019 season. Green’s average annual salary of $15 million now tops the $14.5 million average annual salary of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who had been the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

Green, who was drafted by the Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL since he entered the league. In six seasons, he has catches for 6,171 yards and 45 touchdowns. He has also been selected to five Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2012.

With his new contract, Green is now signed with the Bengals through 2019. He will be 31 years old when his current deal expires.

Brandin Cooks- New Orleans Saints

The average NFL salary is $2.7 million, but the top wide receivers in the league are paid much more than that. The highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL is Brandin Cooks of the New Orleans Saints, who signed a five-year, $81 million contract extension in 2018. That comes out to an average annual salary of $16.2 million. The second-highest paid wide receiver is Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown, who signed a four-year, $68 million extension in 2017 that averages out to $17 million per year.

Mike Evans- Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, with an annual salary of $18 million. Evans signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract extension with the Buccaneers in March of 2018, which made him the highest paid receiver in NFL history at the time.

Evans has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL since being drafted by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has caught 414 passes for 6,103 yards and 37 touchdowns in his six NFL seasons, and has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times.

T.Y. Hilton- Indianapolis Colts

As of the 2019 NFL season, the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL is Indianapolis Colts’ T.Y. Hilton. He has a base salary of $13 million, a signing bonus of $7 million, and a total compensation of just over $20 million this year.

While there are other wide receivers who earn more in overall compensation (due to larger signing bonuses or higher salaries), Hilton’s $20 million compensation package is the highest of any wide receiver in 2019.

Other high-paid wide receivers in the NFL include DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans ($16.2 million), A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals ($15 million), and Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers ($14.7 million).

Sammy Watkins- Los Angeles Rams

The Rams made Watkins the highest-paid receiver in the NFL when they signed him to a three-year, $48 million extension in September 2018. The deal includes $30 million in guaranteed money and an average annual salary of $16 million.

Watkins was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills and he spent three seasons with the team before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. He had a career-high 1,047 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2015, but his production has been limited by injuries in recent years.

Watkins had just 593 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2018, but he proved to be a valuable weapon for quarterback Jared Goff and the Rams offense. He will continue to play a major role for the team in 2019 as they look to build on their success from last season.

Doug Baldwin- Seattle Seahawks

As of the 2018 NFL season, Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks is the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL with an annual salary of $9.5 million. He is followed by Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers ($8.7 million), A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals ($8.6 million), DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans ($8.5 million), and Brandin Cooks of the New Orleans Saints ($8.4 million).

Amari Cooper- Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL in Amari Cooper. The Cowboys were smart to lock Cooper up to a five-year, $100 million extension this offseason, as he is worth every penny. The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best wideouts in the game, and he is coming off a season in which he caught 79 passes for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns.

Cooper is not only the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, but he is also the highest-paid Cowboy. He eclipses running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is second on the team with an annual salary of $15 million. Quarterback Dak Prescott is third with a salary of $31.4 million, while defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence rounds out the top four with an annual salary of $21 million.