NFL's Average Salaries By Position

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jul 14, 2008

NFL's Average Salaries By Position

Quarterback

Super Bowl winner Eli Manning ($10 million) bests brother Peyton ($8.2 million), but Cincinnati's Carson Palmer tops the list with the league's second-highest salary at $13.5 million. Four of the league's seven players with salaries above $10 million are quarterbacks, but Tom Brady doesn't even crack the top 10 here.

Defensive End

Carolina's Julius Peppers is the league's best-paid player at $14.1 million, but Simeon Rice sits close behind at $10.5 million. Four of the league's eight highest-paid defensive players are defensive ends.

Offensive Lineman

Tackles occupy five of the top 10 spots among highest-paid linemen. Cleveland's Ryan Pontbriand, one of three centers in the top 10, tops the list at $8.9 million. Terrell Owens ($9.67 million) is the only non-quarterback to make more on the offensive side.

Defensive Tackle

The Colts have two of the league's best-paid defensive tackles in Corey Simon ($7.1 million) and Anthony McFarland ($5.5 million), but the Broncos' Dewayne Robertson leads the position with $7.4 million.

Cornerback

San Francisco corner Nate Clements ($11.1 million) is the league's second-best paid defensive player after Julius Peppers and joins 49er's safety Michael Lewis as the highest-paid secondary duo at a combined $15.3 million.

Linebacker

Lance Briggs ($7.2 million) and Brian Urlacher ($5.9 million) give Chicago the most expensive pair of linebackers, but Baltimore's Ray Lewis still tops the list with a $9.4 million salary.

Wide Receiver

Terrell Owens is the league's highest-paid offensive player outside of the quarterback position at $9.7 million. The Colts dole out a combined $14.3 million for Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

Running Back

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson ($7.1 million) tops Arizona's Edgerrin James by $67,026 as the league's highest-paid running back, a position where only four teams (San Diego, New England, Seattle, and Jacksonville) with one of the 10 highest-paid backs made it to the playoffs.

Safety

The Cardinals' Terrence Holt and Adrian Wilson each make $4 million per year and sit fifth and sixth among highest-paid safeties, a list topped by the Bears' Adam Archuleta ($5.1 million) and Oakland's Abram Huff ($5 million)

Punter/Kicker

Vikings punter Chris Kluwe leads all specialists at $5 million a year, while the Bills pay a combined $5.4 million for kicker Rian Lindell and punter Brian Moorman, second and third on the list of highest-paid specialists.

Tight End

The only position without at least one player topping $5 million, Todd Heap leads the list at $4.9 million. Also in the top ten are two Vikings tight ends, Visanthe Shiancoe (4.2 million) and Jim Kleinsasser ($2.9 million).