The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and there is no better indicator of that than quarterback salaries as of late.
Quarterbacks are by far the highest-paid players in the NFL. They touch the football on nearly every snap, and with how the league has become pass-heavy and often reliant on the dual-threat capabilities of many quarterbacks, the position is more valuable than ever. After all, just look at how the Bengals and Ravens have played when superstars Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson aren't available.
Below is a closer look at who the highest-paid quarterbacks are, and how their salaries compare to other athletes.
Who is the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL?
The highest-paid quarterback in the NFL based on annual salary is Dak Prescott, who signed a deal worth $60 million per year in 2024.
Based on total guaranteed money, Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the highest-paid. Allen signed an extension this past offseason which includes $250,000,000 guaranteed. In terms of total value, Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes has by far the largest overall deal, worth $450,000,000 over 10 years, with over $141 million in total guaranteed money.
Top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL
Below is a list of the ten highest-paid quarterbacks ranked by annual salary.
How QB salaries have changed over time
As football has grown into the most popular sport in the United States and quarterback has become the league's most important position, the salaries have risen exponentially.
Two of the earliest star quarterbacks, Sammy Baugh and Sid Luckman, each made less than $10,000 a year when they entered the NFL. Coming out of college in 1937, Baugh agreed to a one-year deal worth $8,000 with Washington that made him the team's highest paid player. The No. 2 pick in '39, Luckman signed a $5,500 contract from George Halas to play pro football over joining the family trucking company. By comparison, 2024 No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels signed a rookie contract of $37.75 million over four years.
Hall of Famer Joe Namath significantly changed the quarterback market when he signed with the AFL over the NFL out of Alabama in 1965 on a three-year, $400,000 deal. Toward the end of his career, he made history again by agreeing to a two-year, $900,000 contract.
By the 1990s, many quarterbacks were earning salaries over $1 million, and contracts have continued to rise at an incredible rate following the turn of the century. In the early 2000s, a number of great quarterbacks were making between $6–$9 million per year. By 2015, the four highest-paid quarterbacks made at least $20 million each season, and a decade later, that number has more than doubled.
In 2023, Jalen Hurts became the first quarterback to surpass a $50 million per year salary, and was quickly joined by Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow that same year. Prescott became the first and only $60 million per year quarterback in '24.
Who could be the next highest-paid QB?
Baker Mayfield should have a strong chance at becoming the NFL's next highly-paid quarterback. Mayfield most recently re-signed with the Buccaneers in March 2024 on a three-year, $100 million deal (which ranks 19th among quarterbacks in annual salary). He will only have one year remaining on his deal following the '25 season, and given that he is coming off back-to-back Pro Bowls, playoff appearances and is the current MVP frontrunner, he could be in for a big payday this offseason.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is likely the next quarterback on his rookie deal in line for a big extension. While the Texans' haven't started the 2025 season smoothly, Stroud did lead Houston back to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, and will be due for a new contract over the next couple years.
It's unclear whether Mayfield or Stroud would top Prescott's $60 million annual salary, but they certainly could be among the league's highest-paid at the position in the years to come.
How QB salaries compare to other positions
Quarterbacks are by far the highest-paid players in the NFL. There are 11 quarterbacks that make more in annual salary than the highest-paid non-quarterback, Micah Parsons, who makes $46.5 million per year. Prescott makes over $13 million more per season than Parsons, and nearly $20 million more than the next highest-paid non-quarterbacks, T.J. Watt, Ja'Marr Chase and Myles Garrett, who all make between $40-$41 million per year.
The highest-paid quarterbacks make over double what many of the highest-paid running backs, linebackers, safeties, offensive linemen, cornerbacks and tight ends are earning each year.
While the highest-paid player in the NFL has often been a quarterback throughout the league's history, the difference between what quarterbacks are paid compared to other positions is significantly greater now. Though players like Lawrence, Love, Tagovailoa aren't considered better players than Parsons or Chase, they're still making way more because of their position. This was not always the case. In 1985 for example, Lawrence Taylor and Joe Montana were among the highest-paid players with Lawrence earning $6.46 million over seven years and Montana making $6.3 million over six years.
How NFL QB salaries compare to stars in other sports
The highest-paid quarterbacks are making a similar amount of money to the highest-paid NBA stars. Steph Curry is the current highest-paid player in the NBA with a salary of $59.61 million, a similar number to Prescott. After Curry, the next highest-paid NBA stars—Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić—are making a little over $55 million per year, a bit more than Allen, Burrow, Lawrence and Love.
No quarterbacks make as much as MLB's highest-paid star, Shohei Ohtani, who is raking in a historic $70 million per year. After Ohtani, Juan Soto comes in at $51 million per year, which 10 quarterbacks currently top. The eight highest-paid MLB players after Ohtani and Soto make between $35–$42 million per year, a figure that 16 quarterbacks equal or top.
Quarterbacks and NFL players are at a disadvantage compared to NBA and MLB players in that the other two leagues mostly use fully guaranteed contracts. The NFL typically does not do this, so quarterbacks and other football stars are often not guaranteed to see the full value of their contracts.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Highest-Paid Quarterbacks in the NFL: Full Breakdown.
