Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL?
Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL?

Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL?

Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL? Discover who commands the highest salary in the NFL as a quarterback. Explore factors driving these massive paychecks and learn about the top earners in the league.

Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL?
Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL?

The Quarterback: NFL’s Golden Arm

What sets quarterbacks apart from other positions? The answer lies in their multifaceted role.

  • Throwing Accuracy and Decision Making: 

A quarterback’s ability to deliver pinpoint passes and make split-second choices under pressure is paramount. Elite passers can turn ordinary plays into touchdowns and minimize turnovers.

  • Leadership and Play Calling: 

As the on-field general, quarterbacks must inspire their teammates, communicate effectively, and make adjustments based on the opposition.

  • Athleticism and Mobility:

 While not always essential, the ability to evade defenders and create plays with one’s feet adds an extra dimension to a quarterback’s skill set.

The Highest Paid Quarterback in NFL History


1.Joe Burrow$55 million
2.Trevor Lawrence$55 million

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals:

Joe Burrow has quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier quarterbacks. His exceptional playmaking ability and leadership have earned him a lucrative contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals. With an annual average value of $55 million, Burrow joins the ranks of the NFL’s highest-paid players.

Joe Burrow,
Joe Burrow,

Trevor Lawrence: A New Era of Quarterback Pay

Trevor Lawrence has etched his name into NFL history by securing a record-breaking contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His deal, worth a staggering $55 million per year, places him at the pinnacle of quarterback salaries. This unprecedented figure underscores the immense value placed on young, franchise quarterbacks and sets a new benchmark for future contracts in the league. Lawrence’s rapid ascent to the top of the pay scale is a testament to his exceptional talent and potential.

trevor lawrence
trevor lawrence

Top 10 Highest-Paid NFL Quarterbacks for 2024

T-1Joe BurrowCincinnati Bengals$55 million
T-1Trevor LawrenceJacksonville Jaguars$55 million
3Jared GoffDetroit Lions$53 million
4Justin HerbertLos Angeles Chargers$52.5 million
5Lamar JacksonBaltimore Ravens$52 million
6Jalen HurtsPhiladelphia Eagles$51 million
7Kyler MurrayArizona Cardinals$46.1 million
8Deshaun WatsonCleveland Browns$46 million
T-9Patrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs$45 million
T-9Kirk CousinsAtlanta Falcons$45 million
11Josh AllenBuffalo Bills$43 million
Top 10 Highest-Paid NFL Quarterbacks for 2024

The Money Machine: Quarterback Contracts

The combination of talent, leadership, and the ability to win games translates into massive paydays for quarterbacks. Let’s break down the components of these lucrative deals.

  • Guaranteed Money: A Quarterback’s Safety Net:

 A significant portion of a quarterback’s contract is guaranteed, ensuring financial security regardless of performance. This reflects the immense risk teams take when investing heavily in this position.

Quarterback Contracts and Salaries

PlayerTeamAgeTotal ValueAvg./YearTotal GuaranteedFully GuaranteedFree Agency
Joe BurrowBengals28$275,000,000$55,000,000$219,010,000$146,510,0002030 Void
Trevor LawrenceJaguars25$275,000,000$55,000,000$200,000,000$142,000,0002031 Void
Jared GoffLions30$212,000,000$53,000,000$170,611,832$113,611,8322029 Void
Justin HerbertChargers26$262,500,000$52,500,000$193,738,375$133,738,3752030 UFA
Lamar JacksonRavens27$260,000,000$52,000,000$185,000,000$135,000,0002028 Void
Jalen HurtsEagles26$255,000,000$51,000,000$179,304,000$110,000,0002029 Void
Kyler MurrayCardinals27$230,500,000$46,100,000$160,000,000$103,300,0002029 UFA
Deshaun WatsonBrowns29$230,000,000$46,000,000$230,000,000$230,000,0002027 Void
Kirk CousinsFalcons36$180,000,000$45,000,000$100,000,000$90,000,0002028 UFA
Patrick MahomesChiefs29$450,000,000$45,000,000$141,000,000$63,081,9052032 Void
Josh AllenBills28$258,000,000$43,000,000$150,000,000$100,000,0002029 UFA
Matt StaffordRams36$160,000,000$40,000,000$120,000,000$63,000,0002027 UFA
Dak PrescottCowboys31$160,000,000$40,000,000$126,000,000$95,000,0002025 Void
Daniel JonesGiants27$160,000,000$40,000,000$104,000,000$81,000,0002027 UFA
Aaron RodgersJets41$112,500,000$37,500,000$75,000,000$75,000,0002026 Void
Derek CarrSaints33$150,000,000$37,500,000$100,000,000$60,000,0002027 Void
Baker MayfieldBuccaneers29$100,000,000$33,333,333$50,000,000$40,000,0002027 Void
Geno SmithSeahawks34$75,000,000$25,000,000$40,000,000$27,300,0002026 UFA
Jordan LovePackers26$13,500,000$13,500,000$13,000,000$13,000,0002025 Void
Gardner MinshewRaiders28$25,000,000$12,500,000$15,000,000$15,000,0002026 Void
Sam DarnoldVikings27$10,000,000$10,000,000$8,750,000$8,750,0002025 Void
Caleb WilliamsBears23$39,486,058$9,871,515$39,486,058$39,486,0582028 UFA
Bryce YoungPanthers23$37,955,074$9,488,769$37,955,074$37,955,0742027 UFA
Jayden DanielsCommanders24$37,746,650$9,436,663$37,746,650$37,746,6502028 UFA
Drake MayePatriots22$36,639,764$9,159,941$36,639,764$36,639,7642028 UFA
C.J. StroudTexans23$36,279,246$9,069,812$36,279,246$36,279,2462027 UFA
Zach WilsonBroncos25$35,150,680$8,787,695$35,150,680$35,150,6802025 UFA
Trey LanceCowboys24$34,105,258$8,526,315$34,105,258$34,105,2582025 UFA
Anthony RichardsonColts23$33,994,030$8,498,508$33,994,030$33,994,0302027 UFA
Jacoby BrissettPatriots32$8,000,000$8,000,000$6,500,000$6,500,0002025 UFA
Tua TagovailoaDolphins26$30,275,436$7,568,859$30,275,436$30,275,4362025 UFA
Tyrod TaylorJets35$12,000,000$6,000,000$8,500,000$8,500,0002026 Void
Marcus MariotaCommanders31$6,000,000$6,000,000$5,390,000$5,390,0002025 UFA
Michael Penix Jr.Falcons24$22,882,636$5,720,659$22,882,636$22,882,6362028 UFA
J.J. McCarthyVikings21$21,854,796$5,463,699$0$02025 ERFA
Jarrett StidhamBroncos28$10,000,000$5,000,000$5,000,000$5,000,0002025 UFA
Drew LockGiants28$5,000,000$5,000,000$4,950,000$4,950,0002025 UFA
Andy DaltonPanthers37$10,000,000$5,000,000$8,000,000$8,000,0002025 Void
Justin FieldsSteelers25$18,871,952$4,717,988$18,871,952$18,871,9522025 UFA
Bo NixBroncos24$18,613,166$4,653,292$18,613,166$18,613,1662028 UFA
Joe FlaccoColts39$4,500,000$4,500,000$4,500,000$4,500,0002025 UFA
Mike WhiteDolphins29$8,000,000$4,000,000$4,500,000$4,500,0002025 UFA
Jameis WinstonBrowns30$4,000,000$4,000,000$4,000,000$4,000,000
Mac JonesJaguars26$15,586,340$3,896,585$15,586,340$15,586,3402025 UFA
Kenny PickettEagles26$14,067,904$3,516,976$14,067,904$14,067,9042026 UFA
Carson WentzChiefs32$3,325,000$3,325,000$2,200,000$2,200,0002025 UFA
Jimmy GaroppoloRams33$3,178,750$3,178,750$3,178,750$3,178,7502025 UFA
Case KeenumTexans36$6,250,000$3,125,000$4,000,000$4,000,0002025 UFA
Mason RudolphTitans29$2,870,000$2,870,000$2,700,000$2,700,0002025 UFA
Easton StickChargers29$2,667,500$2,667,500$1,417,500$1,414,7002025 UFA
Mitchell TrubiskyBills30$5,250,000$2,625,000$3,710,000$2,710,0002026 UFA
Taylor HeinickeFalcons31$2,530,000$2,530,000$1,320,000$1,320,0002025 UFA
Cooper RushCowboys31$5,000,000$2,500,000$2,750,000$2,750,0002025 UFA
Will LevisTitans25$9,542,162$2,385,541$8,730,957$8,730,9572027 UFA
C.J. BeathardJaguars31$4,500,000$2,250,000$2,000,000$2,000,0002025 UFA
Joshua Dobbs49ers29$2,250,000$2,250,000$2,250,000$2,250,0002025 UFA
Brandon Allen49ers32$2,020,000$2,020,000$700,000$700,0002025 UFA
Nick MullensVikings29$4,000,000$2,000,000$1,922,500$1,922,5002025 UFA
Hendon HookerLions26$5,719,028$1,429,757$1,159,292$1,159,2922027 UFA
Kyle TraskBuccaneers26$5,535,336$1,383,834$2,957,306$2,957,3062025 UFA
Josh JohnsonRavens38$1,377,500$1,377,500$1,152,000$1,152,0002025 UFA
Desmond RidderCardinals25$5,362,962$1,340,741$1,080,336$1,080,3362026 UFA
Davis MillsTexans26$5,222,100$1,305,525$1,157,892$1,157,8922025 UFA
Kyle AllenSteelers28$1,292,500$1,292,500$167,500$167,5002025 UFA
Nathan PetermanSaints30$1,292,500$1,292,500$80,000$80,0002025 UFA
John WolfordBuccaneers29$1,292,500$1,292,500$400,000$400,0002025 UFA
Tyler HuntleyBrowns26$1,292,500$1,292,500$469,900$469,9002025 UFA
Malik WillisTitans25$5,160,100$1,290,025$932,800$932,8002026 UFA
Nate SudfeldLions31$1,210,000$1,210,000$300,000$300,0002025 UFA
Russell WilsonSteelers36$1,210,000$1,210,000$1,210,000$1,210,0002025 UFA
Tim BoyleTexans30$1,150,000$1,150,000$0$02025 UFA
Jeff DriskelCommanders31$1,150,000$1,150,000$150,000$150,0002025 UFA
Phillip WalkerSeahawks29$1,145,000$1,145,000$0$02025 UFA
Jake HaenerSaints25$4,544,812$1,136,203$704,812$704,8122027 UFA
Stetson BennettRams27$4,539,132$1,134,783$699,132$699,1322027 RFA
Will GrierEagles29$1,125,000$1,125,000$0$02025 UFA
Logan WoodsideBengals29$1,125,000$1,125,000$0$02025 UFA
Brett RypienBears28$1,125,000$1,125,000$0$02025 UFA
Spencer RattlerSaints24$4,356,480$1,089,120$336,480$336,4802028 UFA
Aidan O’ConnellRaiders24$795,000$795,000$0$02025 ERFA
Quarterback Contracts and Salaries
  • Average Annual Value (AAV): The Big Bucks: 

The AAV is the average salary a player receives over the life of the contract. For quarterbacks, this figure often reaches astronomical heights.

  • Total Contract Value: The Grand Prize:

 The overall value of the contract is a headline-grabbing number, but it’s important to consider the guaranteed money and AAV for a more accurate picture of a player’s earnings

The Future of Quarterback Salaries

The quarterback position continues to evolve, and so too will the salaries associated with it.

  • The Impact of the Salary Cap: 

The NFL’s salary cap places limits on how much teams can spend on player contracts. As the cap increases, so too will the potential earnings for top quarterbacks.

The Future of Quarterback Salaries
The Future of Quarterback Salaries
  • Rising Star Quarterbacks: 

The next generation of quarterbacks is already making waves, and as these players establish themselves as franchise cornerstones, their earning potential will skyrocket.

Conclusion of Who is the Highest Paid Quarterback in the NFL?

The NFL quarterback position is a unique blend of athleticism, intellect, and leadership. These elite players command astronomical salaries due to their immense impact on a team’s success. While the current crop of quarterbacks is enjoying unprecedented financial rewards, the future holds even greater potential for these high-profile athletes. As the league continues to evolve, so too will the quarterback market, ensuring that the competition for top talent remains fierce.

Ultimately, the quarterback position is the cornerstone of NFL franchises, and the players who excel at this demanding role will continue to reap the financial benefits of their extraordinary abilities

FAQs About NFL Quarterback Salaries

General Questions

  • Why are quarterbacks paid so much more than other NFL players? 

Quarterbacks are the face of franchises and have a disproportionate impact on a team’s success. Their ability to lead, make accurate throws, and make split-second decisions sets them apart.

  • What factors determine a quarterback’s salary? 

A quarterback’s salary is influenced by factors such as performance, experience, team success, and market demand.

  • How does the salary cap impact quarterback contracts? 

The salary cap limits the amount of money teams can spend on player salaries, including quarterbacks. Teams must carefully allocate their cap space to balance quarterback contracts with other roster needs.

Contract Structure

  • What is guaranteed money in a quarterback contract? 

Guaranteed money is a specific amount of a quarterback’s contract that is paid regardless of whether the player is on the team or injured.

  • What is the difference between average annual value (AAV) and total contract value? 

AAV is the average salary a player receives per year over the life of the contract. Total contract value is the overall amount of money in the contract.

  • How do signing bonuses and incentives affect a quarterback’s salary?

 Signing bonuses are lump sums paid upfront, while incentives are performance-based bonuses that can increase a quarterback’s earnings.

Future Trends

  • Will quarterback salaries continue to rise? 

Given the increasing importance of the quarterback position, it’s likely that salaries will continue to climb in the future.

  • How will the emergence of young quarterbacks impact salary trends?

 The rise of young, talented quarterbacks could lead to a bidding war for their services, potentially driving up salaries.

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