Quarterback is the most important position in the entire sport, and the NFL QBs are subsequently rewarded with the biggest salaries and contracts.
With league salary cap space continuing to rise each year, the salaries of the NFL signal callers have also skyrocketed, and Patrick Mahomes is no longer among the top 10 highest-paid QBs in the league. Nor is Jalen Hurts.
Where do these star QBs rank instead? Let’s find out.
Speaking of merely contract value, Patrick Mahomes is the highest-paid QB in the history of the NFL with his 10-year deal exceeding $450 million. However, in terms of average annual value, Mahomes is just the 14th highest-paid signal-caller in the league, making it a steal for the Chiefs.
READ MORE: Why Patrick Mahomes’ Contract Is One Of The Smartest Deals in NFL
As for what Mahomes gets, the contract has rolling guarantees that make it impossible for the Chiefs to cut him without taking massive amounts of dead money.
Kirk Cousins’ future with the Falcons may not be guaranteed due to the rise of Michael Penix Jr, but he is making significant money through the four-year, $180 million contract he signed in March 2024.
The deal includes $90 million guaranteed at signing, and his 2026 roster bonus ($10 million) is already guaranteed for injury and will become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2025 league year.
Probably one of the worst contract decisions in recent years, the Browns gave a full guaranteed $230 million to Deshaun Watson to convince him to waive his no-trade clause and choose them as his next destination.
Deshaun Watson is the worst contract in NFL history.
He simply can’t play the game anymore. This isn’t a lowlight tape, either. This is *every* deep ball he attempted in 2024.
If I were the Browns, I’d draft two QBs too… pic.twitter.com/Ly7Gahkgze
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) May 16, 2025
However, not only has Watson been a shadow of himself in his limited playing time, but he is expected to miss the entire 2025 season due to injuries.
READ MORE: Worst NFL Contracts Since 2020: Where Does Deshaun Watson Rank?
Kyler Murray is on a five-year contract extension worth $230.5 million with the Cardinals, which he signed during the 2022 offseason.
His salary for the 2025 season and roster bonus of $29.9 million became guaranteed in March 2024.
Jalen Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in April 2023.
The deal included $179.304 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause, and it turned out to be the best decision as he led the franchise to a Super Bowl win this past season.
Lamar Jackson is negotiating a new extension with the Ravens and is still the 10th highest-paid QB in the league based on his five-year, $260 million contract signed during the 2023 offseason.
The deal included $185 million in total guarantees with a $135 million injury guarantee. Jackson will certainly jump in the rankings soon with a new contract in the mix.
Justin Herbert inked a five-year, $262.5 million deal with the Chargers during the 2023 offseason. It briefly made him the highest-paid quarterback, but he was soon overtaken by Joe Burrow.
The contract features a fully guaranteed $133.7 million and an injury guarantee of $193.7 million. His 2025 salary is also included in the guaranteed.
Jared Goff signed a four-year, $212 million extension with the Lions in 2024. The deal includes $170 million in guaranteed money, will keep him in Detroit through the 2027 season, and contains an option for the 2028 campaign.
What a rise for former Mr. Irrevelant it has been. Brock Purdy was made one of the highest-paid QBs by the 49ers in May 2025 with a five-year, $265 million contract extension that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2030 season.
Tua Tagovailoa received a four-year, $212.4 million extension from the Dolphins before the start of the 2024 preseason.
The deal included $167 million in guarantees and marked the biggest deal in Miami’s history.
Lawrence signed a massive five-year, $275 million deal with the Jaguars in the 2024 offseason, giving him an average annual value of $55 million, the same as Josh Allen’s new deal.
Lawrence’s contract includes $200 million in total guarantees, and while he hasn’t been as productive as the QBs on the list, the Jaguars still see him as the franchise cornerstone.
Jordan Love signed a massive four-year, $220 million contract extension with the Green Bay Packers after one season as a starter.
The deal included a record $75 million signing bonus and $155 million in new full guarantees, but the quarterback didn’t live up to the terms of the deal in the 2024 season.
Joe Burrow was the highest-paid QB in the league for nearly a year before the Cowboys extended Dak Prescott. He signed a five-year, $275 million deal with the Bengals in 2023 and received $219.01 million in total guarantees, the second-most in NFL history behind only Watson’s $230 million.
Allen was the NFL’s second-highest QB in 2021 with an AAV of $43 million, and that would nowhere rank him in the top 15 today. He signed a six-year, $330 million extension with the Bills this offseason, and the deal features a record $250 million in guaranteed money.
Allen was coming off an MVP season and absolutely deserved the amount.
When Jerry Jones spends, he spends big. He made Dak Prescott the highest-paid NFL quarterback as well as player in history hours before the Cowboys’ 2024 season kicked off, handing him a record four-year, $240 million deal.
Prescott’s annual average value of $60 million is a full $5 million more than the next-closest player, and the deal features $231 million in guaranteed money.
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One comment
YoCrypto.org
Dak is a joke