Who’s the highest-paid QB in the NFL this season? If you guessed Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers, you’d be wrong — read on for all the big numbers from Boardroom.
They say that if you have two quarterbacks, it means you don’t have one. And if you don’t have one, well, you’re probably asking for a world of pain. Yes, QBs get all of the fame and glory, but also the criticism as the officially unofficial faces of their teams. In return, NFL signal-callers are the highest-paid position group in the league — and that won’t be changing anytime soon.
In 2021, NFL QBs averaged a salary of $6,888,927, beating out all 24 positions on the field by a wide margin. The only position group in striking distance was left tackle ($6,145,945) — the guys whose primary job is to protect a right-handed QB’s blind side. That year, Dallas Cowboys gunslinger Dak Prescott took the position to another level, earning more in athletic salary than all other football players, but more than any other sports figure on the entire planet thanks to a gigantic signing bonus; more than LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Max Verstappen, or Cristiano Ronaldo.
And yet, when it comes to the NFL’s highest-paid QBs this year, Prescott doesn’t even crack the top 15.
With that in mind, Check out Boardroom’s list of the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks for the 2022 season — both by total cash compensation and overall salary cap hit.
Click here to read Boardroom’s roundup of 2022’s highest-paid NFL players overall.
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
Who’s the Highest-paid NFL QB of 2022?
All salary figures reflect total cash compensation as calculated by Spotrac.
1. Matthew Stafford (Rams): $61,500,000
- Contract: 4 years, $160,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $130,000,000
- Click here to read more about Matthew Stafford’s contract extension with the Rams
2. Russell Wilson (Broncos): $57,000,000
- Contract: 4 years, $140,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $107,000,000
- Click here to read more bout Russell Wilson’s contract extension with the Broncos.
3. Josh Allen (Bills): $46,961,405
- Contract: 6 years, $258,034,000
- Total guaranteed: $150,000,000
- Click here to read more about Josh Allen’s contract extension with the Bills
4. Deshaun Watson (Browns): $46,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $230,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $230,000,000
- Click here to read more about Deshaun Watson’s contract extension with the Browns
5. Aaron Rodgers (Packers): $42,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $150,815,000
- Total guaranteed: $1 1,515,000
- Click here to read more about Aaron Rodgers’ contract extension with the Packers
6. Kirk Cousins (Vikings): $40,000,000
- Contract: 2 years, $66,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $35,000,000
- Click here to read more about Kirk Cousins’ contract details with the Vikings
NOTE: Cousins signed a one-year, $35,000,000 extension this offseason covering the 2023 season. His 2022 salary includes signing bonus money from that deal.
t-7. Tom Brady (Buccaneers): $30,000,000
- Contract: 1 year, $15,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $15,000,000
- Click here to read more about Tom Brady’s contract extension with the Bucs
NOTE: Brady’s 2022 salary includes deferred bonus money from the previous deal he signed with Tampa Bay.
t-7. Kyler Murray (Cardinals): $30,000,000
- Contract: 5 years, $230,500,000
- Total guaranteed: $189,500,000
- Click here to read more about Kyler Murray’s contract extension with the Cardinals
9. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs): $29,450,000
- Contract: 10 years, $450,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $141,481,905
- Click here to read more about Patrick Mahomes’ contract extension with the Chiefs
10. Ryan Tannehill (Titans): $29,000,000
- Contract: 4 years, $141,481,905
- Total guaranteed: $91,000,000
11. Carson Wentz (Commanders): $28,294,119
- Contract: 4 years, $128,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $107,970,683
- Click here to read more about Carson Wentz’s contract details with the Commanders
12. Jared Goff (Lions): $26,150,000
- Contract: 4 years, $134,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $110,042,682
- Click here to read more about Jared Goff’s contract details with the Lions
13. Derek Carr (Raiders): $25,000,000
- Contract: 3 years, $121,500,000
- Total guaranteed: $65,277,519
14. Matt Ryan (Colts): $24,705,882
- Contract: 5 years, $150,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $100,000,000
- Click here to read more about Matt Ryan’s contract details with the Colts
15. Lamar Jackson (Ravens): $23,016,000
- Contract: 4 years, $9,471,648
- Total guaranteed: $7,575,059
- Click here to read more about Lamar Jackson’s contract details with the Ravens
16. Dak Prescott (Cowboys): $20,000,000
- Contract: 4 years, $160,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $126,000,000
- Click here to read more about Dak Prescott’s contract extension with the Cowboys
17. Sam Darnold (Panthers): $18,858,000
- Contract: 4 years, $30,247,715
- Total guaranteed: $30,247,715
18. Jameis Winston (Saints): $15,200,000
- Contract: 2 years, $28,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $21,000,000
19. Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers): $12,650,000
- Contract: 1 year, $7,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $6,500,000
- Click here to read more about Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract extension and incentive structure with the 49ers
20. Kenny Pickett (Steelers): $8,116,204
- Contract: 4 years, $14,067,905
- Total guaranteed: $7,411,204
21. Geno Smith (Seahawks): $7,000,000
- Contract: 1 year, $3,500,000
- Total guaranteed: $500,000
- Click here to read more about Geno Smith’s contract with the Seahawks
22. Marcus Mariota (Falcons): $6,750,000
- Contract: 2 years, $18,750,000
- Total guaranteed: $6,750,000
23. Teddy Bridgewater (Dolphins): $6,500,000
- Contract: 1 year, $6,500,000
- Total guaranteed: $6,500,000
- Click here to read more about Teddy Bridgewater’s contract with the Dolphins
24. Mitchell Trubisky (Steelers): $6,500,000
- Contract: 2 years, $14,285,000
- Total guaranteed: $5,250,000
25. Tyrod Taylor (Giants): $5,500,000
- Contract: 2 years, $11,000,000
- Total guaranteed: $8,170,000
Other Notable 2022 QB Salaries
27. Daniel Jones (Giants): $4,194644
29. Joe Burrow (Bengals): $3,900,012
32. Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins): $3,362,313
34. Justin Herbert (Chargers): $3,026,250
42. Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars): $2,332,431
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
Biggest Salary Cap Hit Among NFL QBs in 2022
All data via Spotrac as of Week 18 of the 2022 NFL regular season.
1. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill: $38,600,000
2. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: $35,793,381
3. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins: $31,416,668
4. Lions QB Jared Goff: $31,150,000
5. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: $28,533,569
6. Commanders QB Carson Wentz: $28,294,119
7. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson: $23,016,000
8. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: $19,730,000
9. Raiders QB Derek Carr: $19,352,519
10. Panthers QB Sam Darnold: $18,858,000
11. Colts QB Matt Ryan: $18,705,882
12. Broncos QB Russell Wilson: $17,000,000
13. Bills QB Josh Allen: $16,372,281
14. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $13,991,176
15. Rams QB Matthew Stafford: $13,500,000
16. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: $12,669,481
17. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady: $11,896,000
18. Bengals QB Joe Burrow: $9,870,037
19. Browns QB DeShaun Watson: 9,395,500
20. Giants QB Daniel Jones: $8,365,836
More Contracts & Salaries:
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
