For the first time, the NFL's salary cap exceeds $300 million. As business continues to boom, so do player salaries.
Nearly a dozen players are making at least $50 million per year, and contracts are expected to continue setting records as long as the cap keeps rising.
While quarterbacks dominate the highest-paid players, a handful of non-quarterbacks set new records at their respective positions when they signed new deals in 2025 and aren't as far behind some of the game's elite quarterbacks as you might think.
Here's a look at the 25 highest-paid players in the NFL, from Dak Prescott to Nick Bosa.
MORE: 2026 NFL Draft big board
NFL's highest-paid players 2026
1. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
Annual salary: $60 million
The NFL's highest-paid player tends to be the most recent franchise quarterback to sign a new contract, but Prescott's reign has lasted since he signed a four-year, $240 million extension in September of 2024.
After a injury-shortened 2024 campaign, Prescott bounced back in 2025 with 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Cowboys, flashing an instant connection with WR George Pickens. Dallas still only won seven games, which might be an illustration of how a $60 million salary can impact the rest of a team's roster, but the Cowboys are comfortable with Prescott as their starter a decade after drafting him.
T-2. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
Annual salary: $55 million
Allen signed a six-year, $330 million contract with the Bills the day before free agency started in 2025, but it wasn't an extension. The deal outright replaced his previous contract, so he enters 2026 locked in for another five years in Buffalo.
Allen was the NFL's MVP in 2024 and led the Bills to five consecutive AFC East titles before ceding the crown back to the Patriots in 2025. While Buffalo's season ended short of a Super Bowl appearance again, Buffalo has confidence in Allen's ability to be the quarterback who finally brings the Lombardi Trophy to western New York.
T-2. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
Annual salary: $55 million
Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million extension with the Bengals days before the start of their 2023 season, and he still ranks among the highest-paid players in the NFL.
The Bengals are still looking to get their money's worth three years after handing out the mega deal. While they still have complete confidence in Burrow's ability to be a franchise quarterback, he has missed significant time with an injury in two of the last three seasons, and Cincinnati hasn't made the playoffs since the contract was signed.
Burrow is still under contract through the 2029 season, so he isn't going anywhere anytime soon unless he decides he wants a fresh start elsewhere.
T-2. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
Annual salary: $55 million
Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million extension with the Jaguars in June 2024, running all the way through 2030, and he started to validate that kind of deal with a bounce-back season in 2025. Lawrence led Jacksonville to 13 wins, throwing for 4,007 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on his way to a second AFC South title.
The Jaguars are looking to take the next step and win a playoff game in 2026, but Lawrence's resurgent season quieted some of the noise about his hefty salary.
MORE: Inside Trevor Lawrence's playoff record and stats
T-2. Jordan Love, QB, Packers
Annual salary: $55 million
Love one-upped Tua Tagovailoa with a four-year, $220 million extension in July 2024, agreeing to the deal just hours after the Dolphins quarterback inked his new contract.
Love has posted a winning record in each of his nine seasons as the Packers' starter, throwing for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions across 15 starts in 2025 but again settling for the No. 7 seed in the NFC. As Love plays out the second year of his contract, Green Bay is looking for another step forward from its quarterback.
6. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
Annual salary: $53.1 million
Tagovailoa agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins at the start of training camp in 2024, making him one of the NFL's highest-paid players. The deal didn't take effect until 2025, and it was clear by the end of the season that Tagovailoa's time in Miami was already nearing an end.
The deal came with multiple risks, as concussion issues already made Tagovailoa's future a long-term question, and his ability to win in cold weather was also a concern. Neither question was ever answered — Tagovailoa missed a month with a concussion in 2024, and he was benched after struggling with turnovers in 2025. Now, Tagovailoa is expected to be playing elsewhere in 2026 despite his hefty salary making a trade difficult.
T-7. Jared Goff, QB, Lions
Annual salary: $53 million
Goff earned a new contract in 2024, signing a four-year, $212 million extension with the Lions. Once considered a bridge quarterback in Detroit, Goff not only entrenched himself as the Lions' franchise signal-caller, but he helped lead the franchise to its greatest regular season with 15 wins in 2024.
On one hand, he still has more to prove in the playoffs. The Lions bowed out in the divisional round in 2024 and missed the playoffs altogether in 2025. On the other hand, his play continues to be steady. Goff threw for 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns and six interceptions even as the team around him struggled in 2025, leaving no doubt he is Dan Campbell's quarterback in 2026 and beyond.
T-7. Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
Annual salary: $53 million
Purdy agreed to a five-year, $265 million contract extension with the 49ers in May of 2025, locking himself in as San Francisco's long-term quarterback.
As a former Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy made under $4 million over his four-year rookie deal, making his extension a colossal jump. Purdy led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2023 and accounted for 23 touchdowns in just nine starts in 2025 despite injuries impacting many of the offensive weapons around him.
MORE: Brock Purdy sets lofty goals for 2026
9. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
Annual salary: $52.5 million
Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Chargers in 2023, months after becoming eligible for a new deal.
It wasn't a surprise to see L.A. prioritize locking up its franchise quarterback long-term coming off his first playoff appearance, but Herbert still has yet to win a playoff game despite three appearances. After a sluggish offensive season that saw Herbert's interception total jump considerably, Jim Harbaugh is hoping new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel can get a career year out of his quarterback.
Herbert's contract runs through the 2029 season.
10. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
Annual salary: $52 million
It took far longer than Jackson or the Ravens wanted for a long-term deal to be struck, but the two sides reached a five-year, $260 million contract on draft day in 2023.
Jackson rewarded the Ravens with an MVP season in 2023 and even better statistical year in 2024, but a hamstring injury and other ailments limited him in 2025 and ultimately cost Baltimore a playoff spot. With Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh, the Ravens are hoping Jackson can get over the hump and into the Super Bowl in the near future.
Jackson only has two years remaining on his contract and has a massive cap hit in 2026, so a new deal or significant restructure is likely coming soon.
11. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
Annual salary: $51 million
Fresh off a trip to Super Bowl 57, Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million extension with the Eagles in 2023. That NFL record lasted less than two weeks before Jackson broke it, but the Super Bowl 59 MVP is being paid handsomely.
Hurts led the Eagles to a championship in 2024, pressing all the right buttons in the playoffs and quieting doubters after a down statistical season. He accounted for 33 touchdowns and six interceptions even in a rockier season for the Eagles' offense in 2025.
Hurts is under contract through the 2028 season, so he is locked in comfortably as Nick Sirianni's quarterback.
12. Micah Parsons, EDGE, Packers
Annual salary: $46.5 million
The highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL is Micah Parsons, who signed a massive four-year, $186 million extension with the Packers upon being traded by the Cowboys just before the 2025 season.
The Cowboys weren't willing to meet Parsons' demands, but Green Bay broke the bank for the All-Pro pass-rusher and gave up two first-round picks in the process. The cap hits on Parsons' deal are backloaded, so he will count less than $20 million against the cap in 2026 as he works his way back from an ACL tear.
MORE: When will Micah Parsons return?
13. Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns
Annual salary: $46 million
Watson's fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, signed when he was traded to the Browns in 2022, could not have worked out any worse.
Watson has made just 19 starts in three seasons in Cleveland, going 9-10 and causing headaches along the way. After tearing his Achilles in 2024 and re-tearing it in early 2025, the former Texans star missed the entire 2025 season but is expected to be healthy enough to at least compete in 2026.
Watson's contract voids after the 2026 season, but the Browns are on the hook for hefty dead cap hits in 2027 and 2028 after restructuring the deal.
T-14. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
Annual salary: $45 million
The face of the NFL is all the way down below a dozen other quarterbacks at $45 million per year, the annual salary he received on a 10-year, $450 million extension signed with the Chiefs in 2020.
The deal comes with a caveat, however. Mahomes and Kansas City restructured the contract in 2023 to give Mahomes more money upfront and effectively guarantee the two sides will have to work out a new deal before the 2028 season.
Mahomes' 2026 cap hit was set to be massive before the Chiefs restructured his deal, so the bill is starting to come due for Kansas City.
T-14. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Lions
Annual salary: $45 million
Hutchinson is playing out the 2026 on his fifth-year option, but a four-year, $180 million extension signed during the 2025 season will take effect in 2027.
The former No. 2 pick returned from a broken leg to record 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2025, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors and solidifying himself as one of best defensive players in the NFL even after a major injury.
16. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
Annual salary: $40 million
After weighing a move to either the Raiders or Giants in 2025, Stafford decided to return to the Rams on a revised short-term deal signed during the NFL Combine. The terms were announced after the NFL Draft, with Stafford making $84 million between 2025 and 2026.
While he is one of the NFL's oldest quarterbacks, Stafford earned his first MVP award in 2025 and has the Rams dreaming of another championship in 2026 after taking L.A. to the NFC championship game last season.
Stafford will be a free agent after 2026, so it would be a clean break if he decided to retire or even move on from the Rams for a new team.
MORE: Why Matthew Stafford won NFL MVP over Drake Maye
17. TJ Watt, EDGE, Steelers
Annual salary: $41 million
Watt was due for a contract extension ahead of the 2025 season, and he got a big one. The Steelers signed him to a three-year, $123 million contract extension, averaging $41 million per season to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history until Parsons' deal the following month.
Watt's pass-rush production declined in 2025 with seven sacks and 19 quarterback hits, but he has 115 sacks in nine NFL seasons and remains the heart of the Steelers' defense.
18. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Annual salary: $40.25 million
The Bengals finally got a deal done with WR Ja'Marr Chase after more than a year of negotiations, agreeing to a four-year, $161 million deal with their star receiver ahead of the 2025 season
Chase, who was coming off a career-high 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns when he signed the deal, became the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, locking him in with Cincinnati through the 2029 season. Chase put up 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025 even as the Bengals battled quarterback instability.
19. Danielle Hunter, EDGE, Texans
Annual salary: $40.1 million
Pass-rusher Danielle Hunter signed a one-year, $40.1 million extension with the Texans after the 2025 season, making himself one of the NFL's highest-paid players.
Hunter starred next to Will Anderson Jr. in 2025, recording 15 sacks and three forced fumbles for a Texans defense that swarmed opposing quarterbacks. The former Vikings standout has 114.5 sacks in 11 NFL seasons, including one missed due to injury, and he could become one of the highest-earning defensive players in NFL history by the end of his deal.
20. Myles Garrett, DE, Browns
Annual salary: $40 million
In quite the twist, the Browns signed Garrett to a mega four-year, $160 million extension in 2025 five weeks after he requested a trade. Despite reports Garrett was not open to a new deal with Cleveland and would even sit out games if necessary, the contract made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history until Chase signed an extension a week later.
All Garrett did as a response was set the NFL's single-season sack record with 23 in 2025. He earned his second Defensive Player of the Year award and left no doubt that he will end up in Canton when all is said and done.
MORE: How Myles Garrett set single-season sack record in 2025
21. Daniel Jones, QB, Colts
Annual salary: $37.8 million
The Colts were pleasantly surprised by how well QB Daniel Jones played in 2025 after he won a competition over Anthony Richardson in training camp, as the former Giants QB led the team to a scorching hot start before tearing his Achilles in December.
The injury didn't dissuade the Colts from placing a pricey franchise tag on Jones. While the two sides could still reach a long-term deal, Jones is in line to make $37.8 million on the tag in 2026.
22. Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Ravens
Annual salary: $35.5 million
The Raiders made Crosby the NFL's highest-paid defensive player until Garrett's deal just a few days later in 2025, signing their star edge rusher to a three-year, $106.5 million deal and putting trade speculation for a little while.
After frustrations boiled over and that speculation started up again, it resulted in a move. The Raiders sent Crosby to the Ravens in a blockbuster deal in early 2026, giving Baltimore one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive players and and new head coach Jesse Minter an elite pass-rusher.
MORE: Grading the Ravens' Maxx Crosby trade
23. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
Annual salary: $35 million
Jefferson agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension with the Vikings in 2024, becoming the NFL's highest-paid wide receiver.
It's hard to say Jefferson isn't worth every penny of the deal, as he has totaled more than 1,000 yards in each of his six NFL seasons, including four seasons with at least 1,400 yards. Jefferson endured the worst season of his career in 2025 with J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz as his quarterbacks, but the Vikings know what he is capable of and are happy to have him locked in through 2028.
T-24. Nick Bosa, DE, 49ers
Annual salary: $34 million
Bosa signed a five-year, $170 million extension with the 49ers in 2023, ending a long stalemate between the two sides with a deal that made him the NFL's highest-paid defensive player all the way until Crosby's deal in 2025.
The former Defensive Player of the Year dealt with a hip injury for much of 2024, but he's locked and loaded as the anchor of the 49ers' defense entering 2025.
T-24. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
Annual salary: $34 million
Lamb had to wait a bit longer than Jefferson to get his megadeal, but he agreed to a four-year, $136 million extension with the Cowboys ahead of the 2024 season.
The 2020 first-round pick exploded for a career-high 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023 and posted 1,194 yards in 2024 despite fighting through an injury and missing Dak Prescott for half of the season.