Kickers can be legitimate weapons in the modern NFL.
With revised kickoff rules shortening fields and kickers' legs seemingly getting stronger, the right kicker can make the path to a scoring drive fairly straightforward.
While teams tend to pass on field goals to go for it on fourth down more than ever before, Super Bowl 60 illustrated the importance of just having a kicker you can rely on when Jason Myers accounted for 15 of the Seattle Seahawks' 29 points in a win over the New England Patriots.
Kicker salaries don't come close to some of the top figures at premium positions, but they are similarly on the rise as business continues to boom in the NFL.
Here's a look at the NFL's highest-paid kickers in 2026.
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Who is the highest-paid kicker in the NFL?
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is the NFL's highest-paid kicker at $6.4 million per year. Butker signed a four-year, $25.6 million contract extension with Kansas City in 2024.
Butker certainly has the track record to back it up. He has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs and has never missed more than one field goal in a playoff run. While Butker was imperfect in 2025, he is 15-for-15 on field goal attempts in the Chiefs' last two playoff runs.
Butker's reign as the NFL's highest-paid kicker isn't expected to last much longer. Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is a restricted free agent and is set to reset the market for kickers after another terrific season in Dallas.
ESPN's Adam Schefter speculated on his podcast that Aubrey could break the bank compared to other kickers. "What would you be willing to pay a guy who made a difference in every single game? Is that worth $8 million? $10 million? $12 million?" Schefter wondered aloud.
The former soccer standout has made 88.2 percent of field goal attempts in his three NFL seasons, though that mark might be skewed by the fact the Cowboys frequently use him from long range. Aubrey is 35-for-44 from at least 50 yards in his three seasons. From inside 50 yards, he was a perfect 25-for-25 in 2025.
Between his short-range accuracy and booming leg from major distances, Aubrey is expected to become the NFL's highest-paid kicker — and with him being a restricted free agent, the Cowboys will have the right to keep him if they wish.
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Highest-paid kickers in NFL
Here are the 10 highest-paid kickers in the NFL by average annual salary:
Player Average salary Team
Harrison Butker $6.4 million Chiefs
Jake Elliott $6 million Eagles
Cameron Dicker $5.5 million Chargers
Graham Gano $5.5 million Giants
Evan McPherson $5.5 million Bengals
Wil Lutz $5.4 million Broncos
Ka'imi Fairbairn $5.3 million Texans
Jason Myers $5.3 million Seahawks
Tyler Bass $5.1 million Bills
Brandon McManus $5.1 million Broncos
11 kickers make at least $5 million annually, but only two have broken into the $6 million range: Butker and Jake Elliott, who has faced off with his Chiefs counterpart twice in the Super Bowl.
Elliott is coming off one of the most disappointing seasons of his career, as he was only 20-for-27 on field goal attempts in 2025. At his salary, however, cutting ties with Elliott would have cost the Eagles more money than just keeping him on the roster. Philadelphia is hoping Elliott's track record is a sign he will bounce back in 2026 and live up to his contract.
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Factors that determine NFL kicker salaries
Like any position, a kicker is going to make more money if a team believes he is not easily replaceable.
Kicker salaries tend to be lower than just about every other position group in part because the players tend to be replaceable. While some kickers have become weapons in today's NFL, the growing supply of capable kickers means most have a short leash and can be replaced at any time. To that point, two of the NFL's highest-paid kickers — Butker and Cameron Dicker — started out with their current teams as unheralded midseason replacements.
The right kicker can be a weapon, though. Aubrey's range begins roughly near midfield, which is equivalent to the NFL record of a 68-yard field goal. That kind of range will surely land him a sizable contract. Butker and Elliott, meanwhile, have made clutch kicks on the biggest stage, each winning a Super Bowl.
Field goal percentage and range from more than 50 yards out are still the defining factors of a kicker's value, but success in high-pressure moments or the ability to go beyond typical field goal range separates select kickers from the rest.
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Highest-paid player by position
Kicker salaries still pale in comparison to non-special team position groups. Here is a look at the highest-paid player by position:
Position Player Average salary Team
QB Dak Prescott $60 million Cowboys
EDGE Micah Parsons $46.5 million Packers
WR Ja'Marr Chase $40.3 million Bengals
DT Chris Jones $31.8 million Chiefs
CB Sauce Gardner $30.1 million Colts
OL Rashawn Slater $28.5 million Chargers
S Kyle Hamilton $25.1 million Ravens
ILB Fred Warner $21 million 49ers
RB Saquon Barkley $20.6 million Eagles
TE George Kittle $19.1 million 49ers
K Harrison Butker $6.4 million Chiefs
P Michael Dickson $4.1 million Seahawks
Quarterbacks represent the 11 highest-paid players in the NFL by average annual value, but the highest-paid non-quarterback is not a wide receiver. It's instead Packers pass-rusher Micah Parsons, whose contract demands resulted in the end of his Cowboys tenure and a trade to Green Bay just ahead of the 2025 season.
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