Highest-paid players: Here’s who makes the most money, from QB to punter

Who are the NFL’s highest-paid players at every position? Plenty of record-setting deals have been made in the past year — the quarterback position has been reset with a new highest-paid player four times. First Jalen Hurts, then Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert and finally Joe Burrow became the highest-paid player in NFL history as the 2023 season kicked off.

In August, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson reset the tight end market and San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa became the highest-paid defensive player. And now with 2024 free agency underway, Chris Jones became the highest-paid defensive tackle. Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. joined the fray on Monday, becoming the league’s highest-paid safety.

We tracked the best-paid players at 16 different positions — including long-snapper — and will keep the numbers updated as more records get broken. To get the full picture on the top earners in this league, we sorted positions by two categories, which in a few cases have the same player at No. 1:

• Three-year average (APY)

• Total guaranteed money

Salary information courtesy of Roster Management System.

Let’s start with Burrow and the highest-paid quarterbacks:

Jump to:
QB | RB | WR | TE
OT | OG | OC | EDGE
DT | LB | CB | S
K | LS | P

Quarterback

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2030)

2. Justin Herbert (LAC), $53.3 million
3. Jared Goff (DET), $53 million
4. Lamar Jackson (BAL), $52 million
5. Jalen Hurts (PHI), $51 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: March 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Joe Burrow (CIN), $219.01 million
3. Patrick Mahomes (KC), $208.1 million
4. Justin Herbert (LAC), $193.7 million
5. Kyler Murray (ARI), $189.5 million
6. Lamar Jackson (BAL), $185 million

Running back

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: April 2020 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Jonathan Taylor (IND), $14 million
3. Alvin Kamara (NO), $12.7 million
4. Saquon Barkley (PHI), $12.6 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: April 2020 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Alvin Kamara (NO), $34.3 million
3. Jonathan Taylor (IND), $26.5 million
4. Saquon Barkley (PHI), $26 million

Wide receiver

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), $30 million
3. Jaylen Waddle (MIA), $28.3 million
4. Cooper Kupp (LAR), $26.7 million
5. Stefon Diggs (HOU), $26.2 million
6. Tyreek Hill (MIA), $25 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), $77 million
3. Jaylen Waddle (MIA), $76 million
4. Cooper Kupp (LAR), $75 million
5. Tyreek Hill (MIA), $72.2 million
6. Stefon Diggs (HOU), $70 million

Tight end

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Darren Waller (NYG), $17 million
3. T.J. Hockenson (MIN), $16 million
4. George Kittle (SF), $15.3 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: August 2023 (contract ends in 2027)

2. George Kittle (SF), $40 million
3. Mark Andrews (BAL), $37.6 million

Offensive tackle

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Laremy Tunsil (HOU), $25 million
3. Andrew Thomas (NYG), $24.2 million
4. Ronnie Stanley (BAL), $21.2 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Ronnie Stanley (BAL), $64.1 million
3. Andrew Thomas (NYG), $61.9 million
4. Ryan Ramczyk (NO), $60.2 million

Guard

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: March 2023 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Robert Hunt (CAR), $21 million
3. Quenton Nelson (IND), $20.9 million
4. Mike Onwenu (NE), $19 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Chris Lindstrom (ATL), $62.7 million
3. Quenton Nelson (IND), $60 million

Center

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: May 2021 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Lloyd Cushenberry (TEN), $12.6 million
3. Erik McCoy (NO), $12.5 million
4. Ryan Kelly (IND), $12.4 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: May 2021 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Ryan Kelly (IND), $34 million
3. Erik McCoy (NO), $33 million
4. Lloyd Cushenberry (TEN), $30 million

Cornerback

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: May 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Jalen Ramsey (MIA), $20.6 million
3. Marshon Lattimore (NO), $20.3 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: April 2022 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Jalen Ramsey (MIA), $71.2 million
3. Marshon Lattimore (NO), $68.3 million

Safety

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: May 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Derwin James Jr. (LAC), $19.6 million
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick (PIT), $18.6 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: May 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2.Derwin James Jr. (LAC), $42 million
T3. Minkah Fitzpatrick (PIT), $36 million
T3. Jessie Bates III (ATL), $36 million

Edge rusher

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2029)

2. T.J. Watt (PIT), $30.5 million
T3. Josh Allen (JAX), $30 million
T3. Brian Burns (NYG), $30 million
4. Myles Garrett (CLE), $26.7 million

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Total guaranteed money:

1. Nick Bosa, $119.9 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Myles Garrett (CLE), $100 million
3. Josh Allen (JAX), $88 million
4. Brian Burns (NYG), $87.5 million

Defensive tackle

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Aaron Donald (LAR), $31.6 million
3. Christian Wilkins (LV), $28 million
4. Derrick Brown (CAR), $24 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Christian Wilkins (LV), $82.7 million
3. Quinnen Williams (NYJ), $66 million
4. Aaron Donald (LAR), $65 million

Off-ball linebacker

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: January 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. Fred Warner (SF), $19.5 million
3. Tremaine Edmunds (CHI), $19 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: January 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. C.J. Mosley (NYJ), $51 million
3. Tremaine Edmunds (CHI), $45 million

Kicker

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: August 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Matt Gay (IND), $5.9 million
3. Chris Boswell (PIT), $5.6 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: August 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Graham Gano (NYG), $13.2 million
2. Matt Gay (IND), $13 million

Long-snapper

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. Joe Cardona (NE), $1.63 million
3. Zach Wood (NO), $1.62 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends 2026)

2. Thomas Hennessy, $2.62 million
3.Joe Cardona (NE), $2.6 million

Punter

Highest three-year APY:

Signed: June 2021 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Jack Fox (DET), $3.6 million
3. Tress Way (WSH), $3.3 million

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Total guaranteed money:

Signed: June 2021 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Jack Fox (DET), $7.5 million
2. Tress Way (WSH), $6.4 million