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NFL · 2020 SEASON

NFL salaries in 2020

$3,225,339,237 paid to 861 players in the 2020 season, ranked. Russell Wilson took $53,000,000 of it.

One season rather than a career, which produces a different list: a signing bonus lands in the year the pen moved, so a player on a rookie deal can outrank a nine-figure career for a single year and never appear near the top again. The 2020 payroll was 51.6% up on 2019, which paid $2,127,169,054.

PAID IN 2020 $3.23bn
BIGGEST PAYDAY $53.0m
PLAYERS PAID 861
AVERAGE $3.7m
SHARE OF ALL TIME 7.3%

The twenty biggest paydays of 2020

Money paid in the season, not across a career

Top twenty hold 18.2%

Russell Wilson $53m Joey Bosa $43m Kirk Cousins $40m Carson Wentz $39m Dak Prescott $31m Jared Goff $31m Ronnie Stanley $31m Deshaun Watson $29m DeAndre Hopkins $27m Kenny Clark $27m Jalen Ramsey $26m Jimmy Garoppolo $25m Joe Burrow $24m Laremy Tunsil $24m DeForest Buckner $23m Chase Young $23m Jeff Okudah $23m Christian McCaffrey $22m D.J. Reader $22m Marlon Humphrey $22m

The twenty names above took 18.2% of the 2020 payroll between them, out of 861 players paid. A season chart is steeper than a career chart every time, because the thing at the top of it is usually one cheque rather than a decade of them.

Every player paid in 2020

The 200 biggest, ranked

861 players paid

# Player Position Franchise Base Signing Paid in 2020
001 Russell Wilson Wisconsin Quarterback Seattle Seahawks $18.0m $35.0m $53,000,000$53.0m
002 Joey Bosa Ohio State Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $1000k $35.0m $43,020,731$43.0m
003 Kirk Cousins Michigan State Quarterback Minnesota Vikings $9.5m $30.0m $40,028,856$40.0m
004 Carson Wentz North Dakota State Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles $1.4m $39,383,000$39.4m
005 Dak Prescott Mississippi State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys $31.4m $31,414,653$31.4m
006 Jared Goff California Quarterback Los Angeles Rams $1.0m $31,063,078$31.1m
007 Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame Left Tackle Baltimore Ravens $8.4m $22.5m $30,879,358$30.9m
008 Deshaun Watson Clemson Quarterback Houston Texans $1.2m $27.0m $29,417,363$29.4m
009 DeAndre Hopkins Clemson Wide Receiver Arizona Cardinals $1.5m $25.7m $27,228,881$27.2m
010 Kenny Clark California-Los Angeles Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers $1.7m $25.0m $26,745,497$26.7m
011 Jalen Ramsey Florida State Cornerback Los Angeles Rams $1.2m $25.0m $26,290,079$26.3m
012 Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois Quarterback San Francisco 49ers $23.8m $24,700,000$24.7m
013 Joe Burrow Louisiana State Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals $536k $23.9m $24,472,367$24.5m
014 Laremy Tunsil Mississippi Left Tackle Houston Texans $10.9m $13.0m $23,889,155$23.9m
015 DeForest Buckner Oregon Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $12.4m $23,401,981$23.4m
016 Chase Young Ohio State Defensive End Washington Commanders $610k $22.7m $23,307,160$23.3m
017 Jeff Okudah Ohio State Cornerback Detroit Lions $573k $21.9m $22,559,266$22.6m
018 Christian McCaffrey Stanford Running Back Carolina Panthers $825k $21.5m $22,337,274$22.3m
019 D.J. Reader Clemson Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $2.0m $16.3m $22,265,588$22.3m
020 Marlon Humphrey Alabama Cornerback Baltimore Ravens $2.1m $20.0m $22,153,145$22.2m
021 Garett Bolles Utah Left Tackle Denver Broncos $2.0m $20.0m $22,041,255$22.0m
022 Myles Garrett Texas A&M Defensive End Cleveland Browns $862k $21.0m $21,914,442$21.9m
023 Cameron Heyward Ohio State Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $1.5m $20.3m $21,750,000$21.7m
024 Andrew Thomas Georgia Left Tackle New York Giants $610k $21.1m $21,694,064$21.7m
025 Aaron Rodgers California Quarterback Green Bay Packers $1.6m $21,578,775$21.6m
026 Trenton Brown Florida Right Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $21.2m $21,509,336$21.5m
027 Tua Tagovailoa Alabama Quarterback Miami Dolphins $610k $19.6m $20,250,979$20.3m
028 George Kittle Iowa Tight End San Francisco 49ers $2.1m $18.0m $20,133,000$20.1m
029 Jack Conklin Michigan State Right Tackle Cleveland Browns $5.0m $15.0m $20,086,825$20.1m
030 Amari Cooper Alabama Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys $10.0m $10.0m $20,038,777$20.0m
031 Arik Armstead Oregon Defensive End San Francisco 49ers $2.5m $17.5m $20,000,000$20.0m
032 Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State Running Back Dallas Cowboys $6.8m $19,835,587$19.8m
033 Keenan Allen California Wide Receiver Los Angeles Chargers $5.5m $13.5m $19,297,527$19.3m
034 Derek Carr Fresno State Quarterback Las Vegas Raiders $18.9m $19,030,794$19.0m
035 Bobby Wagner Utah State Inside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks $10.7m $8.0m $19,000,000$19.0m
036 Tre'Davious White Louisiana State Cornerback Buffalo Bills $8.2m $10.5m $18,805,740$18.8m
037 Von Miller Texas A&M Defensive End Denver Broncos $17.5m $18,000,000$18.0m
038 Justin Herbert Oregon Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers $610k $16.9m $17,617,002$17.6m
039 Khalil Mack Buffalo Outside Linebacker Chicago Bears $13.3m $17,220,423$17.2m
040 DeMarcus Lawrence Boise State Defensive End Dallas Cowboys $1.9m $16,936,491$16.9m
041 Matt Judon Grand Valley State Outside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $16.8m $16,827,928$16.8m
042 Mike Evans Texas A&M Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.0m $16,750,000$16.8m
043 Tyreek Hill West Alabama Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs $910k $16,317,915$16.3m
044 James Bradberry Samford Cornerback New York Giants $3.9m $9.0m $16,250,000$16.3m
045 Chris Jones Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $14.6m $16,151,062$16.2m
046 Leonard Williams Southern California Defensive End New York Giants $16.1m $16,126,000$16.1m
047 Dante Fowler Jr. Florida Defensive End Atlanta Falcons $2.0m $14.0m $16,055,053$16.1m
048 Jacoby Brissett North Carolina State Quarterback Indianapolis Colts $6.0m $15,876,400$15.9m
049 Alvin Kamara Tennessee Running Back Two clubs $833k $15.0m $15,833,000$15.8m
050 Bud Dupree Kentucky Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $15.8m $15,828,000$15.8m
051 Derrick Henry Alabama Running Back Tennessee Titans $3.0m $12.0m $15,500,000$15.5m
052 Derrick Brown Auburn Defensive Tackle Carolina Panthers $610k $14.7m $15,447,731$15.4m
053 Kyle Van Noy Brigham Young Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins $3.0m $5.5m $15,073,613$15.1m
054 Brandon Scherff Iowa Guard Washington Commanders $15.0m $15,030,000$15.0m
055 Calais Campbell Miami (FL) Defensive End Baltimore Ravens $5.0m $10.0m $15,022,565$15.0m
056 Dion Dawkins Temple Left Tackle Buffalo Bills $1.3m $8.6m $14,848,536$14.8m
057 Stefon Diggs Maryland Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills $14.2m $14,831,050$14.8m
058 Joe Thuney North Carolina State Guard New England Patriots $14.8m $14,824,653$14.8m
059 Stephon Gilmore South Carolina Cornerback New England Patriots $13.0m $14,736,972$14.7m
060 Graham Glasgow Michigan Guard Denver Broncos $2.5m $12.0m $14,662,069$14.7m
061 Taylor Decker Ohio State Left Tackle Detroit Lions $6.8m $7.5m $14,425,195$14.4m
062 Joe Mixon Oklahoma Running Back Cincinnati Bengals $575k $10.0m $14,367,007$14.4m
063 Jarran Reed Alabama Defensive Tackle Seattle Seahawks $4.1m $10.0m $14,350,000$14.4m
064 Odell Beckham, Jr. Louisiana State Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns $14.0m $14,264,669$14.3m
065 Darius Slay Mississippi State Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles $1.1m $13.0m $14,050,000$14.1m
066 Andrus Peat Stanford Guard Las Vegas Raiders $1000k $13.0m $14,000,000$14.0m
067 Grady Jarrett Clemson Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons $5.0m $13,544,257$13.5m
068 Kendall Fuller Virginia Tech Cornerback Washington Commanders $1000k $12.5m $13,500,000$13.5m
069 Eddie Jackson Alabama Safety Chicago Bears $1.1m $12.0m $13,322,823$13.3m
070 Isaiah Simmons Clemson Inside Linebacker Arizona Cardinals $610k $12.6m $13,267,743$13.3m
071 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State Defensive Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1000k $12.2m $13,250,000$13.2m
072 Davante Adams Fresno State Wide Receiver Green Bay Packers $12.0m $12,966,419$13.0m
073 Ryan Kelly Alabama Center Indianapolis Colts $5.3m $12,897,524$12.9m
074 Jadeveon Clowney South Carolina Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans $5.3m $6.3m $12,718,750$12.7m
075 Jedrick Wills Alabama Left Tackle Cleveland Browns $610k $11.9m $12,667,975$12.7m
076 Trent Williams Oklahoma Left Tackle San Francisco 49ers $12.5m $12,500,000$12.5m
077 Lane Johnson Oklahoma Right Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1.1m $12,435,000$12.4m
078 Demario Davis Arkansas State Inside Linebacker New Orleans Saints $1.1m $11.0m $12,300,000$12.3m
079 Za'Darius Smith Kentucky Defensive End Green Bay Packers $2.0m $12,281,239$12.3m
080 Shaq Thompson Washington Inside Linebacker Carolina Panthers $4.0m $8.0m $12,089,090$12.1m
081 Cameron Jordan California Defensive End Two clubs $2.3m $11,850,000$11.9m
082 Terron Armstead Arkansas-Pine Bluff Left Tackle Miami Dolphins $1.1m $11,737,500$11.7m
083 Austin Hooper Stanford Tight End Cleveland Browns $1.5m $10.0m $11,629,505$11.6m
084 Mekhi Becton Louisville Right Tackle New York Jets $610k $11.0m $11,585,308$11.6m
085 Danielle Hunter Louisiana State Defensive End Minnesota Vikings $3.4m $11,500,000$11.5m
086 Justin Simmons Boston College Safety Denver Broncos $11.4m $11,492,808$11.5m
087 Tyrann Mathieu Louisiana State Safety Kansas City Chiefs $11.2m $11,433,161$11.4m
088 Budda Baker Washington Safety Arizona Cardinals $1000k $10.0m $11,159,602$11.2m
089 Brandon Graham Michigan Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $1.4m $11,072,000$11.1m
090 Zack Martin Notre Dame Guard Dallas Cowboys $910k $11,045,775$11.0m
091 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs $825k $10.0m $10,926,636$10.9m
092 Lavonte David Nebraska Inside Linebacker Tampa Bay Buccaneers $10.7m $10,750,000$10.7m
093 Cody Whitehair Kansas State Center Chicago Bears $1.1m $10,727,429$10.7m
094 Hunter Henry Arkansas Tight End Los Angeles Chargers $10.6m $10,656,241$10.7m
095 Jake Matthews Texas A&M Left Tackle Atlanta Falcons $3.6m $10,616,423$10.6m
096 Tyler Lockett Kansas State Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $8.5m $10,200,000$10.2m
097 David Onyemata Manitoba Defensive Tackle Two clubs $1000k $8.3m $10,166,666$10.2m
098 C.J. Mosley Alabama Inside Linebacker New York Jets $10,150,000$10.2m
099 Leonard Floyd Georgia Defensive End Los Angeles Rams $5.0m $5.0m $10,052,109$10.1m
100 Jordan Phillips Oklahoma Defensive Tackle Arizona Cardinals $2.0m $8.0m $10,044,547$10.0m
101 Adam Thielen Minnesota-Mankato Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings $4.8m $10,034,374$10.0m
102 Tyron Smith Southern California Left Tackle Dallas Cowboys $1.1m $10,012,269$10.0m
103 Kevin Zeitler Wisconsin Guard New York Giants $10.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
104 Tristan Wirfs Iowa Left Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $610k $9.4m $9,972,200$10.0m
105 Jimmie Ward Northern Illinois Safety San Francisco 49ers $1.5m $8.0m $9,937,500$9.9m
106 Linval Joseph East Carolina Defensive Tackle Los Angeles Chargers $1.5m $8.0m $9,555,049$9.6m
107 Austin Ekeler Western State Colorado Running Back Los Angeles Chargers $1.5m $6.0m $9,546,224$9.5m
108 Preston Smith Mississippi State Defensive End Green Bay Packers $4.3m $9,537,330$9.5m
109 Javon Kinlaw South Carolina Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $610k $8.8m $9,434,504$9.4m
110 Jerry Jeudy Alabama Wide Receiver Denver Broncos $610k $8.6m $9,345,602$9.3m
111 Travis Kelce Cincinnati Tight End Kansas City Chiefs $8.5m $9,294,294$9.3m
112 Jordan Poyer Oregon State Safety Buffalo Bills $1.5m $3.0m $9,229,861$9.2m
113 George Fant Western Kentucky Right Tackle New York Jets $4.6m $3.0m $9,225,000$9.2m
114 Marcus Mariota Oregon Quarterback Las Vegas Raiders $7.5m $9,130,549$9.1m
115 Kevin Byard Middle Tennessee State Safety Tennessee Titans $910k $9,100,000$9.1m
116 Joel Bitonio Nevada Guard Cleveland Browns $8.5m $9,081,959$9.1m
117 Jamison Crowder Duke Wide Receiver New York Jets $8.5m $8,875,000$8.9m
118 Mitch Morse Missouri Center Buffalo Bills $6.8m $8,866,837$8.9m
119 Taysom Hill Brigham Young Tight End New Orleans Saints $841k $8.0m $8,841,000$8.8m
120 Harrison Smith Notre Dame Safety Minnesota Vikings $8.4m $8,807,828$8.8m
121 A.J. Terrell Clemson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons $610k $8.0m $8,769,670$8.8m
122 Tyler Higbee Western Kentucky Tight End Los Angeles Rams $2.0m $8,578,227$8.6m
123 Quinton Jefferson Maryland Defensive Tackle Buffalo Bills $3.8m $3.0m $8,561,134$8.6m
124 CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys $610k $7.7m $8,486,527$8.5m
125 Matthew Stafford Georgia Quarterback Detroit Lions $7.8m $8,327,068$8.3m
126 Austin Jackson Southern California Right Tackle Miami Dolphins $561k $7.5m $8,235,148$8.2m
127 Robert Woods Southern California Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $5.0m $1000k $8,067,266$8.1m
128 Brandin Cooks Oregon State Wide Receiver Houston Texans $8.0m $8,017,022$8.0m
129 Justin Jefferson Louisiana State Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings $610k $7.1m $7,889,226$7.9m
130 Kenneth Murray Oklahoma Inside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $610k $7.0m $7,818,546$7.8m
131 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $1.6m $6.0m $7,777,571$7.8m
132 Sheldon Rankins Louisville Defensive Tackle Two clubs $1.7m $7,690,000$7.7m
133 Chuck Clark Virginia Tech Safety Baltimore Ravens $2.0m $5.5m $7,679,603$7.7m
134 Emmanuel Ogbah Oklahoma State Defensive End Miami Dolphins $3.8m $7,576,389$7.6m
135 Jordan Hicks Texas Inside Linebacker Arizona Cardinals $6.0m $7,562,890$7.6m
136 Eric Kendricks California-Los Angeles Inside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings $1.1m $7,521,392$7.5m
137 Eric Murray Minnesota Safety Houston Texans $2.8m $4.5m $7,507,000$7.5m
138 Quinnen Williams Alabama Defensive Tackle New York Jets $646k $5.4m $7,453,629$7.5m
139 Jerry Hughes Texas Christian Defensive End Buffalo Bills $6.7m $7,447,797$7.4m
140 Cesar Ruiz Michigan Guard Two clubs $610k $6.8m $7,391,240$7.4m
141 Brandon Aiyuk Arizona State Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $610k $6.7m $7,283,704$7.3m
142 Grover Stewart Albany State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $2.1m $5.0m $7,267,738$7.3m
143 Patrick Queen Louisiana State Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $610k $6.4m $7,195,993$7.2m
144 Jordan Love Utah St Quarterback Green Bay Packers $610k $6.6m $7,176,148$7.2m
145 Vonn Bell Ohio State Safety Cincinnati Bengals $3.0m $3.0m $7,128,180$7.1m
146 Rob Havenstein Wisconsin Right Tackle Los Angeles Rams $910k $7,104,577$7.1m
147 Jordyn Brooks Texas Tech Inside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks $610k $6.5m $7,068,624$7.1m
148 Ka'imi Fairbairn California-Los Angeles Kicker Houston Texans $4.0m $3.0m $7,020,908$7.0m
149 DaQuan Jones Penn State Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans $7.0m $7,000,000$7.0m
150 Morgan Moses Virginia Right Tackle Washington Commanders $6.5m $6,750,000$6.8m
151 Tyler Boyd Pittsburgh Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals $4.2m $6,702,008$6.7m
152 Zach Ertz Stanford Tight End Philadelphia Eagles $6.7m $6,660,000$6.7m
153 A'Shawn Robinson Alabama Defensive End Los Angeles Rams $524k $6.0m $6,554,781$6.6m
154 Noah Igbinoghene Auburn Cornerback Miami Dolphins $610k $5.7m $6,494,706$6.5m
155 Michael Pierce Samford Defensive Tackle Minnesota Vikings $6.0m $6,350,000$6.3m
156 Anthony Brown Purdue Cornerback Dallas Cowboys $1.8m $4.5m $6,331,762$6.3m
157 Maliek Collins Nebraska Defensive Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $5.8m $6,312,093$6.3m
158 De'Vondre Campbell Minnesota Outside Linebacker Arizona Cardinals $1000k $5.0m $6,186,495$6.2m
159 Clyde Edwards-Helaire Louisiana State Running Back Kansas City Chiefs $610k $5.4m $6,164,362$6.2m
160 Kenny Moore Valdosta State Cornerback Indianapolis Colts $5.8m $6,107,730$6.1m
161 Shaq Mason Georgia Tech Guard New England Patriots $5.0m $5,872,657$5.9m
162 Denico Autry Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $5.3m $5,780,982$5.8m
163 Jake Elliott Memphis Kicker Philadelphia Eagles $825k $5,725,000$5.7m
164 Case Keenum Houston Quarterback Cleveland Browns $1.5m $4.0m $5,503,726$5.5m
165 Kyle Juszczyk Harvard Fullback San Francisco 49ers $5.0m $5,450,000$5.5m
166 Graham Gano Florida State Kicker Carolina Panthers $1.8m $3.3m $5,250,000$5.3m
167 Quandre Diggs Texas Safety Seattle Seahawks $5.0m $5,200,000$5.2m
168 Johnathan Hankins Ohio State Defensive Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $3.8m $5,083,903$5.1m
169 Tyrod Taylor Virginia Tech Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers $5.0m $5,005,626$5.0m
170 Cordarrelle Patterson Tennessee Running Back Chicago Bears $4.1m $4,789,332$4.8m
171 Rodney McLeod Virginia Safety Philadelphia Eagles $1.1m $3.0m $4,750,000$4.8m
172 Tress Way Oklahoma Punter Washington Commanders $1.6m $3.0m $4,750,000$4.8m
173 William Gholston Michigan State Defensive End Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.8m $4,750,000$4.8m
174 Michael Pittman Jr. Southern California Wide Receiver Indianapolis Colts $561k $3.8m $4,611,703$4.6m
175 Troy Hill Oregon Cornerback Los Angeles Rams $2.8m $4,554,780$4.6m
176 Mitchell Trubisky North Carolina Quarterback Chicago Bears $825k $4,550,980$4.6m
177 D'Andre Swift Georgia Running Back Detroit Lions $610k $3.8m $4,509,705$4.5m
178 Wes Schweitzer San Jose State Center Washington Commanders $1000k $3.0m $4,500,000$4.5m
179 Tee Higgins Clemson Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals $610k $3.9m $4,487,664$4.5m
180 Kyle Dugger Lenoir-Rhyne Safety New England Patriots $610k $3.6m $4,450,788$4.5m
181 Laken Tomlinson Duke Guard San Francisco 49ers $1.8m $4,430,408$4.4m
182 Patrick Ricard Maine Fullback Baltimore Ravens $1000k $4,387,369$4.4m
183 Robert Hunt Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Miami Dolphins $610k $3.4m $4,307,807$4.3m
184 Tashaun Gipson Wyoming Safety Houston Texans $3.3m $1.1m $4,256,889$4.3m
185 Yetur Gross-Matos Penn State Defensive End Carolina Panthers $573k $3.5m $4,219,211$4.2m
186 C.J. Ham Augustana Fullback Minnesota Vikings $900k $3.0m $4,182,753$4.2m
187 Xavier McKinney Alabama Safety New York Giants $460k $3.7m $4,122,573$4.1m
188 Jonathan Jones Auburn Cornerback New England Patriots $3.2m $4,087,811$4.1m
189 Solomon Thomas Stanford Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $516k $4,085,410$4.1m
190 Jonathan Taylor Wisconsin Running Back Indianapolis Colts $610k $3.3m $4,038,371$4.0m
191 Isaac Seumalo Oregon State Guard Philadelphia Eagles $910k $3,990,000$4.0m
192 Laviska Shenault Colorado Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $610k $3.2m $3,924,118$3.9m
193 Cole Kmet Notre Dame Tight End Chicago Bears $610k $3.1m $3,915,430$3.9m
194 Tyler Matakevich Temple Inside Linebacker Buffalo Bills $1.8m $700k $3,884,846$3.9m
195 Dean Lowry Northwestern Defensive End Green Bay Packers $1000k $3,785,145$3.8m
196 Jon Feliciano Miami (FL) Guard Buffalo Bills $2.6m $3,755,555$3.8m
197 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma Quarterback Cleveland Browns $750k $3,615,494$3.6m
198 Grant Delpit Louisiana State Safety Cleveland Browns $610k $3.0m $3,599,136$3.6m
199 Jamal Adams Louisiana State Safety Seattle Seahawks $825k $3,590,292$3.6m
200 Justin Tucker Texas Kicker Baltimore Ravens $3.5m $3,519,036$3.5m

The table holds the 200 biggest of the 861 players paid in 2020. Each of them has a page carrying the whole career season by season, and the all-time list ranks all 1,924 of them across every year at once.

What the 2020 money was made of

The season's payroll, split by kind of promise

Base salary 43.3%

  • Base salary 43.3%
  • Signing bonus 38.7%
  • Restructured money 7.6%
  • Roster bonus 5.2%
  • Option bonus 1.9%
  • Workout bonus 1.4%
  • Incentives 1.8%
What the money was What it means Share Paid in 2020
Base salary the weekly paycheque, and the part that stops the day a player is cut 43.3% $1,400,823,299$1.40bn
Signing bonus paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed 38.7% $1,249,906,147$1.25bn
Restructured money base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap 7.6% $245,598,670$245.6m
Roster bonus paid for being on the roster on a named day of the year 5.2% $168,707,766$168.7m
Option bonus paid to take up a season already written into the deal 1.9% $61,436,800$61.4m
Incentives paid for hitting a number 1.8% $58,335,094$58.3m
Workout bonus paid for turning up to the offseason programme 1.4% $46,730,133$46.7m

Base salary was only 43.3% of the 2020 payroll, so most of what the league handed over that year was bonus money of one kind or another. Across every season the site holds, base salary runs at 52.9% and signing bonus at 27.6%, so 2020 sits 9.6 points away from the long-run split. Signing bonus and base salary each have a page of their own.

What every franchise paid in 2020

The season's outlay, club by club

32 franchises

# Franchise Players paid Biggest single payday Per player Paid in 2020
01 Dallas Cowboys 28 Dak Prescott $5.5m $152,815,098$152.8m
02 Los Angeles Chargers 24 Joey Bosa $6.1m $146,640,984$146.6m
03 Los Angeles Rams 36 Jared Goff $4.0m $143,793,141$143.8m
04 San Francisco 49ers 38 Jimmy Garoppolo $3.8m $142,609,256$142.6m
05 Baltimore Ravens 36 Ronnie Stanley $3.8m $138,381,044$138.4m
06 Seattle Seahawks 28 Russell Wilson $4.9m $136,257,358$136.3m
07 Philadelphia Eagles 32 Carson Wentz $4.1m $130,859,353$130.9m
08 Cleveland Browns 29 Myles Garrett $4.5m $129,876,973$129.9m
09 Minnesota Vikings 30 Kirk Cousins $4.0m $120,528,163$120.5m
10 Green Bay Packers 27 Kenny Clark $4.4m $118,874,539$118.9m
11 Buffalo Bills 33 Tre'Davious White $3.6m $118,461,864$118.5m
12 Denver Broncos 29 Garett Bolles $3.8m $110,407,118$110.4m
13 Indianapolis Colts 35 DeForest Buckner $3.1m $109,572,644$109.6m
14 Miami Dolphins 26 Tua Tagovailoa $3.9m $101,922,123$101.9m
15 Las Vegas Raiders 28 Trenton Brown $3.6m $101,835,810$101.8m
16 New York Giants 28 Andrew Thomas $3.4m $94,982,789$95.0m
17 Kansas City Chiefs 26 Tyreek Hill $3.6m $94,579,887$94.6m
18 Houston Texans 18 Deshaun Watson $5.2m $94,372,771$94.4m
19 Cincinnati Bengals 20 Joe Burrow $4.7m $94,220,043$94.2m
20 Arizona Cardinals 20 DeAndre Hopkins $4.6m $92,452,055$92.5m
21 Washington Commanders 27 Chase Young $3.4m $92,125,188$92.1m
22 Chicago Bears 25 Khalil Mack $3.3m $81,270,447$81.3m
23 Carolina Panthers 20 Christian McCaffrey $3.9m $77,219,677$77.2m
24 Atlanta Falcons 23 Dante Fowler Jr. $3.2m $74,729,032$74.7m
25 New England Patriots 27 Joe Thuney $2.7m $73,238,708$73.2m
26 New York Jets 28 Mekhi Becton $2.6m $71,615,750$71.6m
27 Detroit Lions 20 Jeff Okudah $3.4m $68,751,514$68.8m
28 Tennessee Titans 29 Derrick Henry $2.4m $68,498,396$68.5m
29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 Mike Evans $2.5m $67,274,081$67.3m
30 Pittsburgh Steelers 21 Cameron Heyward $2.8m $59,762,103$59.8m
31 Jacksonville Jaguars 22 Laviska Shenault $1.2m $26,840,810$26.8m
32 New Orleans Saints 6 Demario Davis $4.3m $25,736,138$25.7m

Dallas Cowboys paid the most in 2020, $152,815,098 across 28 players. A further $64,834,380 went to players who changed club inside the season, so it belongs to two franchises and is counted against neither.

What every position was paid in 2020

The season's money, by the job on the field

20 positions

Quarterback $454m Defensive Tackle $321m Wide Receiver $318m Defensive End $313m Cornerback $260m Left Tackle $212m Safety $203m Outside Linebacker $199m Inside Linebacker $169m Running Back $164m Guard $163m Tight End $129m Right Tackle $126m Center $69m Kicker $50m Punter $35m Long Snapper $21m Fullback $20m
Tackle $1.1m
Linebacker $394k

Quarterbacks took 14.1% of the 2020 payroll across 49 players, which is $9.3m each against $4.2m for a defensive tackle.

Every NFL season we hold

What the league paid out, year by year

15 seasons

Frequently asked questions

Who was the highest paid NFL player in 2020?

Russell Wilson, $53,000,000 at Seattle Seahawks. That was 1.6% of everything the league paid out that season.

How much did the NFL pay its players in 2020?

$3,225,339,237 across 861 players, an average of $3,746,039 each. The 2020 payroll was 51.6% up on 2019, which paid $2,127,169,054.

Which team spent the most in 2020?

Dallas Cowboys, $152,815,098 across 28 players.

What was the average NFL salary in 2020?

$3,746,039 across the 861 players paid that season, against a middle figure of $1,205,274. The gap between those two is the top of the league: the twenty biggest paydays of 2020 were 18.2% of the whole payroll.

How much of an NFL salary is base pay?

In 2020, 43.3% of it. Signing bonus was 38.7% and the rest was roster, option, workout and incentive money.

Where to next

The seasons either side, and the same money cut another way

The 2021 season · The 2019 season · NFL career earnings · The all-time list · Money under contract · By position · By franchise · By draft round

The biggest earners of 2020

Every season

By franchise

Elsewhere in American football