15 Highest Paid NFL Players Salaries

Ever wondered how much money NFL players make? Or, for that matter, ever thought about the luxury the NFL players can enjoy? Well, say no more! In this article, we take a look at the 15 highest paid NFL players salaries.

Surprisingly, the average estimated NFL player’s salary in 2021 is said to be between $1 million to 1.5 million. However, the amount skyrockets for the superstars of the league. Moreover, players live like king-size with such lucrative contracts.

So, without further ado, let’s look into the 15 Highest Paid NFL Players Salaries.

Table of Contents

1 15 Highest Paid NFL Players Salaries1.1 15. Matthew Stafford1.2 14. DeAndre Hopkins1.3 13. Jimmy Garoppolo1.4 12. T.J Watt1.5 11. Ryan Tannehill1.6 10. Matt Ryan1.7 9. Carson Wentz1.8 8. Kirk Cousins1.9 7. Jared Goff1.10 6. Aaron Rodgers1.11 5. Russell Wilson1.12 4. Deshaun Watson1.13 3. Dak Prescott1.14 2. Josh Allen1.15 1. Patrick Mahomes2 Conclusion

15 Highest Paid NFL Players Salaries

NFL player contracts are measured using various complicated metrics. Therefore, we will be using the average annual salary to determine the 15 Highest Paid NFL Players Salaries.

The following list is compiled from official and trusted sources such as NFL.com and Sporting News.

Before we dive deep into the specifics, let’s first have an overview of the highest-paid NFL player in terms of average salary:

Name	Team	Average Annual Salary
15. Matthew Stafford	Los Angeles Rams	$27 million
14. DeAndre Hopkins	Arizona Cardinals	$27.3 million
13. Jimmy Garoppolo	San Francisco 49ers	$27.5 million
12. T.J Watt	Pittsburgh Steelers	$28.003 million
11. Ryan Tannehill	Tennessee Titans	$29.5 million
10. Matt Ryan	Atlanta Falcons	$30 million
9. Carson Wentz	Indianapolis Colts	$32 million
8. Kirk Cousins	Minnesota Vikings	$33 million
7. Jared Goff	Detroit Lions	$33.5 million
6. Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay Packers	$33.5 million
5. Russell Wilson	Seattle Seahawks	$35 million
4. Deshaun Watson	Houston Texans	$39 million
3. Dak Prescott	Dallas Cowboys	$40 million
2. Josh Allen	Buffalo Bills	$43 million
1. Patrick Mahomes	Kansas City Chiefs	$45 million

15. Matthew Stafford

John Matthew Stafford is an American quarterback who currently plays for the Los Angeles Ram in the NFL.

Having spent more than a decade with the Lions, Stafford joined the incredible offensive lineup of the Rams on March 18, 2021. Furthermore, the move to the Rams saw Matthew earn a lucrative average annual salary of $27 million.

While the Lions could never build a team around the 33-years-old, Rams hope to capitalize on having a top-quality quarterback on their roster.

14. DeAndre Hopkins

Wide receiver DeAndre Rashaun Hopkins is a professional NFL player who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals.

Moreover, the 29-years-old from Clemson is regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the league. Therefore, it is no surprise that Hopkins earns an average annual salary of $27.3 million.

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What’s more, the key man of Cardinals is justifying his mega-contract. He tied his career-high of 115 catches in his first season with Arizona Cardinals. Additionally, logging 1,407 receiving yards, Hopkins has been repaying the faith put on him by his team and fans. 

13. Jimmy Garoppolo

James Richard Garoppolo, commonly known as Jimmy Garoppolo, is an American quarterback currently representing the San Francisco 49ers.

Having signed for the 49ers in 2017, Garoppolo has been a regular starter for three seasons. Not to mention, the highly talented quarterback from Illinois bagged himself a massive average annual salary of $27.5 million.

Furthermore, Jimmy justified his role by leading his team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. While Jimmy has been struggling with injury lately, one can only hope he regains the form he exuded during the 2019 season.

12. T.J Watt

Trent Jordan Watt, or T.J Watt, is an American outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On September 9, 2021, Watt extended his contract with the Steelers. Moreover, the contract extension earned him an average annual salary of $28.003 million. As a result, the lucrative contract made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Not to mention, T.J has been a star pass rusher for the Steelers. Additionally, he has recorded an impressive 49.5 sacks during his four-year NFL career. Similarly, he led the NFL in sacks with a total of fifteen in the 2020 season.

Thus, it is of no surprise that the 27-years-old bagged such a mouth-watering contract.

11. Ryan Tannehill

Born on July 27, 1988, Ryan Timothy Tannehill is an American national playing for the Tennessee Titans.

The quarterback from Big Spring, Texas, is considered one of the prominent names in the league. Moreover, Tannehill has delivered an impressive 18-8 regular-season record as a starter.

Furthermore, Ryan led the Titans to an AFC Championship Game berth as well. Therefore, it is only natural that the 33-year-old could bag a substantial annual average salary of $29.5 million.

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10. Matt Ryan

Matthew Thomas Ryan is an American quarterback who plays for the Atlanta Falcons.

For more than a decade, Ryan has been a cornerstone name for the Falcons. Moreover, he is a phenomenal player, posting at least 4,000 passing yards each year.

Earning a whopping annual salary of $30 million, Matt Ryan continues to shine for the Falcons. What’s more, he led the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance after winning the MVP in 2016.

Furthermore, in the last ten years, Ryan has only missed one game for the Falcons.

9. Carson Wentz

Another quarterback on the list, Carson James Wentz, is an American who plays for the Indianapolis Colts.

After a horrendous showing in 2021, Colts traded Wentz in during the offseason. Likewise, having led the league with fifteen interceptions, the 29-year-old was benched in favor of Jalen Hurts.

Moreover, the North Carolina native currently earns a mighty annual average salary of $32 million. Meanwhile, Wentz is dealing with a preseason foot injury that could cost him some game time. As such, one can only hope he can get back to his usual impressive self.

8. Kirk Cousins

Moving up the list, Kirk Cousins is an American quarterback who plays for the Minnesota Vikings.

Kirk signed for the Vikings in the 2018 season, earning an enormous annual average salary of $33 million. Moreover, the Vikings brought the talented quarterback to get them over the line.

Despite not being able to do so, the 33-year-old has posted some impressive numbers.

Cousins threw a career-high 35 TD passes last year. On the other hand, he had 13 interceptions to go along with his career-high passes.

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7. Jared Goff

Yet another quarterback on the list, Jared Goff, is an American national who plays for the Detroit Lions.

Moreover, having signed for the Lions on March 18, 2021, Goff earns an impressive $33.5 million. Additionally, with significant numbers under his belt, Jared has established himself as one of the best in the league.

Furthermore, the 27 has averaged 4,215 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in the 16 games he has played during his career.

6. Aaron Rodgers

Born on December 2, 1983, Aaron Charles Rodgers is the oldest player to feature on our list. Moreover, the 38-year-old plays as a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers had a stellar 2020, as he was awarded the MVP for the season. Furthermore, he completed an NFL-high 70.7 percent of his passes for 4,299 yards. What’s more, he had the league-best 48 touchdowns and five interceptions.

So it is no surprise that the 2020 MVP has one of the highest annual salaries in the league. Earning a massive $33.5 million, Rodgers hopes to repeat his 2020 heroics.

5. Russell Wilson

Russell Carrington Wilson is an American quarterback who plays for the Seattle Seahawks. Moreover, known for his steady approach, Wilson has been a consistent performer for the Seahawks.

Furthermore, the 33-year-old has never missed a start in nine seasons. What’s more, he has averaged 30 pass TDs, 3,772 passing yards, and nine interceptions per season during his career.

Earning a colossal average annual salary of $35 million, Wilson has justified his name time and again. Not to mention, he won a Super Bowl in 2013 and subsequently was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year for 2020.

4. Deshaun Watson

To add to the long list of quarterbacks on our list, Derrick Deshaun Watson is an American national who plays for the Houston Texans.

Watson is considered one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the game. As a result, the 26-year-old earns an average annual salary of $39 million.

However, it is difficult to say whether he will play again with 22 civil lawsuits and ten criminal sexual misconduct and sexual assault complaints.

3. Dak Prescott

Rayne Dakota Prescott, or Dak Prescott, is an American quarterback who plays for the Dallas Cowboys.

Moreover, Prescott has been the cornerstone behind the ongoing Cowboys rebuild. However, he had a horrific injury during the 2020 season, where he broke his ankle.

Despite a promising start to the season, where he was en-route for a 6,000-yard passing season, the unfortunate ankle injury stopped his progress. In the hopes of rebuilding their defense, the Cowboys extended Dak’s contract on a four-year deal.

As a result, the 28-year-old earns a mammoth annual average salary of $40 million.

2. Josh Allen

Moving into the top 2, Joshua Patrick Allen is an American quarterback who plays for the Buffalo Bills.

Not to mention, after signing a behemoth of a contract on August 2021, Josh Allen became the second-highest-paid player in terms of annual salary for 2021. Moreover, the 25-year-old earns a mighty average annual salary of $43 million.

On the other hand, he has improved in each of his three seasons. Additionally, he led the Bills to an AFC Championship Game in 2020.

Furthermore, his numbers rack up to 4,544 yards throw, 37 touchdowns, and ten interceptions. Additionally, he made 421 yards and eight TDs on the ground.

1. Patrick Mahomes

Lastly, topping the list, Patrick Lavon Mahomes is an American quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes is the highest-paid NFL player in terms of average annual salary. Moreover, the marquee man for the Chiefs earns a colossal annual average salary of $45 million.

Justifying the behemoth of a contract, Mahomes has led his team to the last two Super Bowls. Likewise, 26-year-old has managed to win one.

Also, his numbers on the field are a spectacle to witness as well. Furthermore, Mahomes has averaged 41 pass TDs, 4,931 passing yards, and just eight interceptions.

Conclusion

NFL is a grueling sport of power, speed, and stamina. However, the best of the best garner a hefty return for their time and effort.

Moreover, with NFL franchises wanting to win the Superbowl every year, dishing out millions for players comes off as a no-brainer.

Finally, the players mentioned above mark the end of our coverage on the 15 highest-paid NFL Players Salaries in 2022.