Who Is The Most Paid Nfl Quarterback?

The highest-paid NFL quarterback for the 2019 season is Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr, who will earn $25 million. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees is second, with an annual salary of $24 million.

The Highest-Paid NFL Players by Position

Quarterbacks are always among the highest-paid players in the NFL. In 2019, the average NFL quarterback made $2.7 million, but the top quarterbacks can make $30 million or more per year. The highest-paid NFL quarterback in 2019 is Russell Wilson, who makes $35 million per year.

Quarterbacks

In the NFL, the quarterback is often the highest-paid player on a team. In 2017, the average salary for a QB was $4.9 million, but some superstars are earning much more than that. Here is a look at the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, based on their average annual salaries.

1. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: $27 million
2. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers: $24.1 million
3. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders: $24 million
4. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings: $23.9 million
5. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: $23.75 million

Running Backs

In the National Football League (NFL), the highest-paid running back is Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott, who has an annual average salary of $15 million. The second highest-paid running back is Arizona Cardinals David Johnson, who earns an annual average salary of $13 million.

Wide Receivers

In recent years, NFL wide receivers have seen a significant increase in their salaries. The average salary for an NFL wide receiver is now $9 million per year, with the top players making over $20 million per year. The highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL is currently Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants, who makes an annual salary of $18 million.

Tight Ends

In the NFL, tight ends are among the highest-paid players. In 2019, the average salary for a tight end was $1,186,667. The highest-paid tight end in 2019 was Jimmy Graham, who made $10 million. The lowest-paid tight end in 2019 was Luke Willson, who made $480,000.

The NFL’s Highest-Paid Quarterbacks

The NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks make a lot of money. In fact, they make so much money that their salaries are almost obscene. But, these quarterbacks are some of the most talented athletes in the world and they deserve to be paid well. Here is a list of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks.

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Wisconsin during the 2011 season, when he was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson has appeared in five Pro Bowls, winning four times. He holds several NFL records, including most passing yards and touchdowns by a quarterback in his first two seasons, and he is ranked as one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
In 2015, he became the second quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season outside of his first three years in the league. In 2016, Wilson became the first quarterback to have a passer rating of over 100 in five consecutive seasons. In 2017, he helped lead the Seahawks to their second ever Super Bowl appearance.

Aaron Rodgers

As of September 2018, the highest-paid NFL quarterback is Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, who earns an annual salary of $33.5 million. He is followed by Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford, who earns $27 million per year.

Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He is the highest-paid player in the NFL, as of September 2019.

Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State, where he was a two-time Academic All-American. After being drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, he was traded to the Vikings in 2018.

In 2016, Cousins was franchise tagged by Washington, and he signed a one-year, $19.953 million contract. After another successful season, he again was tagged by Washington, this time signing a fully guaranteed one-year contract worth $23.94 million—making him the first player in NFL history to be franchise tagged twice in consecutive years. In 2018, Cousins agreed to terms on a three-year, $84 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings with none of the Guaranteed money tied to signing bonuses or salary deferrals making it fully guaranteed at signing—the highest guaranteed money for an NFL player at signing. In 2019, Cousins signed a two-year extension with the Vikings worth $66 million with $61 million due at signing—the largest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history— keeping him under contract through 2022.

The NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers is the highest-paid player in the NFL, as of September 2018. He is set to earn an annual salary of $33.5 million. This is more than $10 million higher than the second-highest-paid player, quarterback Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. Here is a look at the 10 highest-paid players in the NFL, all of whom are quarterbacks.

Khalil Mack

Mack, who will turn 30 in February, is in the fifth year of the six-year, $141 million extension he signed with the Raiders in 2014. He is set to make $13.8 million this season and $15.4 million in 2020. In 2018, Mack became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, eclipsing the six-year, $135 million deal defensive end Olivier Vernon signed with the Giants that offseason.

Von Miller

At the top of the list is Von Miller, who plays outside linebacker for the Denver Broncos. Miller signed a six-year, $114.5 million contract extension with the Broncos in 2016 that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the time. His base salary for the 2019 season is $17.5 million, but he also has a $500,000 roster bonus and a $500,000 workout bonus that brings his total compensation to $18.5 million.

DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, is the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. In September of 2020, he signed a contract extension with the Cardinals worth $54.5 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $27.25 million. His total compensation for the 2020 season is $40 million.

Hopkins is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2015. He has led the league in receiving touchdowns twice and is currently eighth in career receiving yards. He has averaged over 1,000 yards per season since 2013 and is one of only eight active players with at least 50 career receiving touchdowns.

Julio Jones

Julio Jones is the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. The four-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro signed a three-year, $66 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015 that included a then-league record $47 million guaranteed. His average annual salary of $22 million was also the most ever for a wide receiver.

At the time of his extension, Jones was just 26 years old and had already racked up 5,858 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns in five seasons. He would go on to eclipse 1,400 yards receiving in each of the next three seasons, including a league-leading 1,871 yards in 2015, en route to being named a first-team All-Pro for the second time in his career.