No NFL team wants to be left out in the quarterback position. Over the years we’ve lost a lot of great teams to spotty quarterback play and raised a lot of mediocre teams from an elite quarterback.
When NFL teams get a guy they like at QB, they don’t like to let him go. At a certain point in time, their only option is to pay them; and in the past decade the quarterback market has skyrocketed.
Seeing $ 100 million worth of contracts awarded in the NFL used to be a rarity. Now it goes without saying for good quarterbacks. While it’s true that an increase in the league’s total revenue partially fueled this, franchise fears of losing a high-quality quarterback also played a massive role in this. Because of this, passers-by in the league are paid higher than ever, and often every new contract tries to outperform a new contract.
That may change after Patrick Mahomes’ record deal, but as long as the NFL exists, there will be a high-end market for quarterbacks. Because of this, teams will spend over $ 1 billion to compensate the NFL’s 10 highest-paid quarterbacks.
In 2021, 10 quarterbacks make more than $ 30 million during the season, but one quarterback leads the class at $ 45 million a year. Here’s an in-depth look at top-earning NFL quarterbacks for 2021 and beyond.
(All salary numbers are over Spotrac.com).
IYER: Ranking of the NFL starting quarterbacks from 1-32
Which NFL quarterback has the highest salary?
NFL contracts are a little more difficult than most other professional sports because they are not fully guaranteed and often include incentives. The best way to determine a quarterback’s highest salary is to use the average annual value of their contract. The base salary for players is often far less than what the quarterbacks earn.
In 2021, Patrick Mahomes has the highest median salary at $ 45 million. He is one of three quarterbacks who will make more than $ 40 million in a year, alongside Josh Allen ($ 43 million) and Dak Prescott ($ 40 million).
Below are the full top 10 average annual value, including all quarterbacks making $ 30 million or more in a season.
rank | player | Average annual value |
1 | Patrick Mahomes | $ 45 million |
2 | Josh Allen | $ 43 million |
3 | Dak Prescott | $ 40 million |
4th | Deshaun Watson | $ 39 million |
5 | Russell Wilson | $ 35 million |
T-6 | Aaron Rodgers | $ 33.5 million |
T-6 | Jared Goff | $ 33.5 million |
8th | Kirk cousins | $ 33 million |
9 | Carson Wentz | $ 32 million |
10 | Matt Ryan | $ 30 million |
MORE: Full NFL schedule, dates, times, TV channels for 2021
Which NFL Quarterback Makes The Most Guaranteed Money?
Josh Allen makes $ 150 million more guaranteed cash than any quarterback in the NFL. He set the NFL record when he did agreed to a six-year extension for $ 258 million with the Bills just before the start of the 2021 preseason. Allen’s guarantees of $ 150 million exceeded Patrick Mahomes’ previous record by about $ 8.5 million.
Eight quarterbacks enter more than $ 100 million in guarantees. They are Allen, Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Russell Wilson, and Matt Ryan. Ryan Tannehill ($ 91 million guaranteed) just missed the top 10.
rank | player | Total guarantees |
1 | Josh Allen | $ 150 million |
2 | Patrick Mahomes | $ 141.5 million |
3 | Dak Prescott | $ 126 million |
4th | Deshaun Watson | $ 110.7 million |
5 | Jared Goff | $ 110 million |
6th | Carson Wentz | $ 108 million |
7th | Russell Wilson | $ 107 million |
8th | Matt Ryan | $ 100 million |
9 | Aaron Rodgers | $ 98.7 million |
10 | Matthew Stafford | $ 92 million |
MORE NFL RANKINGS: RBs | WRs | GMs | Head coach
Which NFL quarterback has the biggest overall contract?
Patrick Mahomes owns the largest NFL contract among quarterbacks with his $ 450 million deal. He is said to make nearly $ 200 million more than nearest competitor Josh Allen, albeit on a contract four years longer than Allen’s. Mahomes and Allen are the only two quarterbacks to have signed contracts worth more than $ 200 million.
Only 13 NFL quarterbacks have signed contracts totaling more than $ 100 million. Most of the others have rookie-scale deals or have high-end backup price tags. The middle class for quarterbacks has largely disappeared in terms of total value, with only Kirk Cousins getting paid between $ 36 million and $ 118 million. The Vikings starter has a $ 66 million deal.
rank | player | Total order value |
1 | Patrick Mahomes | $ 450 million |
2 | Josh Allen | $ 258 million |
3 | Dak Prescott | $ 160 million |
4th | Deshaun Watson | $ 156 million |
5 | Matt Ryan | $ 150 million |
6th | Russell Wilson | $ 140 million |
7th | Jimmy Garoppolo | $ 137.5 million |
8th | Matthew Stafford | $ 135 million |
T-9 | Aaron Rodgers | $ 134 million |
T-9 | Jared Goff | $ 134 million |
Which NFL quarterback has the highest career earnings?
Tom Brady was rarely among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’s been in the league long enough to make the most career earnings. The current Bucs starter has earned $ 291.1 million in salaries during his NFL career. It will break the $ 300 million mark in 2021, but it won’t hold onto the top spot for long.
Once Mahomes and Allen’s renewals go into effect – which will come after the official end of the rookie portion of their contracts – they will quickly climb to the top and move closer to Brady. It may take five or six years, but the two will eventually oust Brady from the top – unless the 44-year-old continues to push fatherhood to its limits.
rank | player | Professional income |
1 | Tom Brady | $ 291.1 million |
2 | Ben Röthlisberger | $ 267.3 million |
3 | Matt Ryan | $ 267 million |
4th | Aaron Rodgers | $ 263.3 million |
5 | Matthew Stafford | $ 246.5 million |
6th | Russell Wilson | $ 181.4 million |
7th | Joe Flacco | $ 171.1 million |
8th | Kirk cousins | $ 161.7 million |
9 | Ryan Tannehill | $ 140 million |
10 | Newton cams | $ 130.9 million |