From signing bonus blowouts to extensions worth a quarter billion, check out the NFL’s highest-paid players for the 2023 season.
When it comes to athlete windfalls, nothing beats packing your bags for Saudi Arabia. In this part of the world, however, the NBA stays the king; you don’t even need to have an All-Star nod to your name to sign a rookie extension worth over $200 million.
But what if I told you that nobody in the NBA or MLB has ever signed a contract larger than the biggest one ever signed in the NFL?
And what if I told you that this lucky quarterback is actually only No. 4 in this year’s NFL salary rankings?
With that in mind, check out Boardroom’s list of the highest-paid NFL players for the 2023 season by both single-year cash and average annual contract value — and stick around for the end as we roll through the biggest NFL contracts overall currently on the books.
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Highest-paid NFL Players of 2023 by Total Compensation
Reflects total cash compensation for the 2023 NFL season as noted by Spotrac.
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | 2023 $ |
| 1 | QB Lamar Jackson | Ravens | $80M |
| 2 | QB Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | $59.35M |
| 3 | DE Nick Bosa | 49ers | $51.01M |
| t-4 | QB Daniel Jones | Giants | $46M |
| t-4 | QB Deshaun Watson | Browns | $46M |
| 6 | QB Joe Burrow | Bengals | $45.54M |
| 7 | QB Kyler Murray | Cardinals | $39M |
| 8 | QB Aaron Rodgers | Jets | $36.89M |
| 9 | G Chris Lindstrom | Falcons | $35.7M |
| 10 | T Orlando Brown | Bengals | $33.72M |
| 11 | T Laremy Tunsil | Texans | $32.4M |
| 12 | DT Daron Payne | Commanders | $31.01M |
| 13 | QB Dak Prescott | Cowboys | $31M |
| t-14 | QB Derek Carr | Saints | $30M |
| t-14 | QB Kirk Cousins | Vikings | $30M |
| 16 | DT Aaron Donald | Rams | $28.5M |
| t-17 | QB Josh Allen | Bills | $28M |
| t-17 | QB Russell Wilson | Broncos | $28M |
| t-19 | QB Geno Smith | Seahawks | $27.5M |
| t-19 | QB Matthew Stafford | Rams | $27.5M |
NFL’s Highest-paid Players by Average Annual Salary
NOTE: Patrick Mahomes’ 2023 contract restructure grants him the NFL’s highest-ever AAV over a four-season span (through 2026), but not for the full length of a contract.
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AAV |
| 1 | QB Joe Burrow | CIN | $55M |
| 2 | QB Justin Herbert | LAC | $52.5M |
| 3 | QB Lamar Jackson | BAL | $52M |
| 4 | QB Jalen Hurts | PHI | $51M |
| 5 | QB Russell Wilson | DEN | $48.52M |
| 6 | QB Kyler Murray | ARI | $46.1M |
| 7 | QB Deshaun Watson | CLE | $46M |
| 8 | QB Patrick Mahomes | KC | $45M |
| 9 | QB Josh Allen | BUF | $43M |
| t-10 | QB Daniel Jones | NYG | $40M |
| t-10 | QB Dak Prescott | DAL | $40M |
| t-10 | QB Matthew Stafford | LAR | $40M |
Highest-paid NFL Players by Total Contract Value
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | TOTAL $ | GUARANTEED $ |
| 1 | QB P. Mahomes | KC | $450M | $141.48M |
| 2 | QB J. Herbert | LAC | $64.06M | $218.74M |
| 3 | QB L. Jackson | BAL | $260M | $185M |
| 4 | QB J. Allen | BUF | $258.03M | $150M |
| 5 | QB J. Hurts | PHI | $255M | $179.4M |
| 6 | QB R. Wilson | DEN | $242.59M | $161M |
| 7 | QB K. Murray | ARI | $230.5M | $159.8M |
| 8 | QB D. Watson | CLE | $230M | $230M |
| 9 | EDGE N. Bosa | SF | $170M | $122.5M |
| t-10 | QB D. Jones | NYG | $160M | $92M |
| t-10 | QB D. Prescott | DAL | $160M | $126M |
| t-10 | QB M. Stafford | LAR | $160M | $130M |
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