Lions star surpasses Buccaneers safety with historic payday

A Detroit Lions star has surpassed Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. as the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

Helmet of Detroit Lions place kicker Jake Bates (not in the photo) before the NFC divisional round between Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders] at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers no longer have the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

The Buccaneers rewarded and paid safety Antoine Winfield Jr. last season, making him the highest-paid safety in NFL history with a four-year, $84.1 million deal He has now officially been passed, as Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph agreed to a massive four-year, $86 million contract extension according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

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The #Lions and All-Pro S Kerby Joseph reached agreement on a massive new extension to make him the highest paid safety in NFL history, sources say.

He gets a 4-year, $86M deal — $21.5M per year — in contract done by @AgentLouisBing. A big-time star in Detroit cashes in. pic.twitter.com/NWu9nmKolm

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2025

Tampa Bay had set the bar high when they secured Winfield Jr. to his extension, paying him $21.025 million annually. But Joseph's deal now tops that — both in annual average salary and total value — with a $21.5 million per year payout and a total of $86 million.

According to Rapaport, the Lions are investing heavily in their rising star, further solidifying their defensive core for years to come.

Joseph’s new deal signals a growing trend in the NFL where elite safeties are becoming as valuable as top corners or edge rushers. His performance in Detroit has drawn plenty of attention league-wide, and with this contract, he now carries the weight of the position's largest financial commitment.

For Tampa Bay, this move resets the safety market again and puts their own investment in Winfield Jr. in an even brighter light.

While Joseph’s deal is bigger on paper, Winfield Jr.’s impact and leadership remain just as vital to the Bucs' defensive identity heading into the 2025 season.

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