Special teamers are people, too! Check out Boardroom’s full rundown of the race for the title of highest-paid NFL kicker and punter this season.
Special teams? They’re special. Their ethereal aura goes way, way beyond the dedicated kick return burners and big boot guys, too, as there are two NFL long snappers making over $2 million this season: New England’s Joe Cardona and New Orleans’ Zach Wood.
No disrespect to those two whatsoever, but let’s get back to the big boot guys. Kickers and punters exist in that weird zone in which — much like referees — you may only really notice them when they’re making a mistake. If you don’t think that’s a clear signal of their cardinal importance in the game of football, you may need to watch some more tape.
That got us thinking — who are the highest-paid kickers on the gridiron? Who’s the highest-paid NFL punter? And just how high does the specialist salary scale go in an age that now sees top quarterbacks earning extensions worth a quarter of a billion buckos?
Folks, let’s get to the numbers. Check out the highest-paid punters and kickers in the NFL for 2023, and stick around for the top contracts at both positions by total value.
Who’s the Highest-paid NFL Kicker of 2023?
Based on 2023 total cash salary as noted by Spotrac.
| PLAYER | TEAM | 2023 $ |
| 1. Matt Gay | Colts | $9.08M |
| 2. Jason Myers | Seahawks | $8.66M |
| 3. Justin Tucker | Ravens | $7.25M |
| 4. Tyler Bass | Bills | $6.11M |
| 5. Jake Elliott | Eagles | $4.24M |
| 6. Chris Boswell | Steelers | $4.04M |
| 7. Matt Prater | Cardinals | $4M |
| 8. Graham Gano | Giants | $3.75M |
| 9. Harrison Butker | Chiefs | $3.7M |
| 10. Kai Fairbairn | Texans | $3.65M |
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2023’s Highest-paid Punter in the NFL
| PLAYER | TEAM | 2023 $ |
| 1. Bradley Pinion | ATL | $3.5M |
| 2. Jack Fox | DET | $3.11M |
| t3. Tress Way | WAS | $2.9M |
| t3. Rigoberto Sanchez | IND | $2.9M |
| 5. Johnny Hekker | CAR | $2.75M |
| 6. Tommy Townsend | KC | $2.63M |
| 7. Cameron Johnston | HOU | $2.5M |
| 8. Sam Martin | BUF | $2.46M |
| 9. Bryan Anger | DAL | $2.2M |
| 10. AJ Cole | LV | $2.15M |
NFL’s Biggest Kicker & Punter Contracts
| PLAYER | TEAM | TOTAL $ |
| 1. K Younghoe Koo | ATL | $24.25M |
| 2. K Justin Tucker | BAL | $24M |
| 3. K Matt Gay | IND | $22.5M |
| 4. K Jason Sanders | MIA | $22M |
| 5. K Jason Myers | SEA | $21.1M |
| 6. K Tyler Bass | BUF | $20.4M |
| 7. K Harrison Butker | KC | $20.27M |
| 8. K Wil Lutz | DEN | $20.25M |
| 9. K Chris Boswell | PIT | $20M |
| 10. K Jake Elliott | PHI | $19.31M |
| 11. K Daniel Carlson | LV | $18.4M |
| 12. K Kai Fairbairn | HOU | $17.65M |
| 13. P Michael Dickson | SEA | $14.7M |
| 14. P Jack Fox | DET | $14.06M |
| 15. K Graham Gano | NYG | $14M |
| 16. P Tress Way | WAS | $13.65M |
| t17. P A.J. Cole | LV | $12M |
| t17. P Logan Cooke | JAC | $12M |
| 19. P Rigoberto Sanchez | IND | $11.6M |
| 20. P Mitch Wishnowsky | SF | $11.2M |
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