Highest-Paid NFL Players After 2025 Free Agency

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With the 2025 NFL draft now in the rearview mirror, the offseason has all but completely come to a close for the league's teams. Free agency saw some major shakeups around the NFL, and the draft helped reshape a number of rosters.
Now that the offseason is winding down and free agency is officially over, it's time to look at who the highest-paid players in the NFL are right now.
The 10 Highest-Paid NFL Players Right Now
Not surprisingly, the 10 highest-paid players in the NFL all play quarterback. In fact, when judging by average annual value, the top 15 players are quarterbacks, and 17 of the top 19 are as well.
Below is the list of the 10 highest-paid players in the NFL by the average annual value of their contracts. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is No. 1 at $60 million, while fellow quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence and Allen all come in averaging $55 million.
PLAYER | TEAM | AVERAGE ANNUAL VALUE |
|---|---|---|
Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys | $60 million |
Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals | $55 million |
Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers | $55 million |
Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | $55 million |
Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars | $55 million |
Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins | $53.1 million |
Jared Goff | Detroit Lions | $53 million |
Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers | $52.5 million |
Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens | $52 million |
Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles | $51 million |
Who Are the Highest-Paid NFL Players at Each Position?
We know quarterbacks are the highest-paid NFL players by far. Each position is graded differently by NFL teams when it comes to the average and maximum salary.
The Cincinnati Bengals made wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history this offseason, giving him a four-year, $161 million contract. That deal averages $40.25 million per year. But he's only the 16th highest-paid player leaguewide.
Similarly, the Cleveland Browns made Myles Garrett the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history when they gave the 29-year-old defensive end a four-year, $160 million deal, averaging $40 million per season.
Below is a list of the NFL's highest-paid player at every position judged by the average annual value of their contracts.
POSITION | PLAYER | TEAM | AVERAGE ANNUAL VALUE |
|---|---|---|---|
Quarterback | Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys | $60 million |
Running Back | Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles | $20.6 million |
Fullback | C.J. Ham | Minnesota Vikings | $4.325 million |
Wide Receiver | Ja'Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals | $40.25 million |
Tight End | Trey McBride | Arizona Cardinals | $19 million |
Offensive Tackle | Tristan Wirfs | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $28.12 million |
Guard | Trey Smith | Kansas City Chiefs | $23.4 million |
Center | Creed Humphrey | Kansas City Chiefs | $18 million |
Defensive End | Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | $40 million |
Defensive Tackle | Chris Jones | Kansas City Chiefs | $31.75 million |
Linebacker | Joshua Hines-Allen | Jacksonville Jaguars | $28.25 million |
Cornerback | Derek Stingley Jr. | Houston Texans | $30 million |
Safety | Kerby Joseph | Detroit Lions | $21.5 million |
Kicker | Harrison Butker | Kansas City Chiefs | $6.4 million |
Punter | Michael Dickson | Seattle Seahawks | $3.675 million |
Long Snapper | James Winchester | Kansas City Chiefs | $1.65 million |
Quarterbacks dominate the NFL's salary leaderboard and that's unlikely to change any time soon.
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.
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