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NFL · 2022 SEASON

NFL salaries in 2022

$5,412,484,754 paid to 1,360 players in the 2022 season, ranked. Matthew Stafford took $61,500,000 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 2022 payroll was 39.0% up on 2021, which paid $3,894,806,215.

PAID IN 2022 $5.41bn
BIGGEST PAYDAY $61.5m
PLAYERS PAID 1,360
AVERAGE $4.0m
SHARE OF ALL TIME 12.3%

The twenty biggest paydays of 2022

Money paid in the season, not across a career

Top twenty hold 12.9%

Matthew Stafford $62m Russell Wilson $57m Josh Allen $47m Deshaun Watson $45m Aaron Rodgers $42m Kirk Cousins $40m Quenton Nelson $35m Jaire Alexander $31m D.K. Metcalf $31m Cooper Kupp $30m Kyler Murray $30m Terry McLaurin $29m Patrick Mahomes $29m Carson Wentz $28m Mike Williams $28m Elgton Jenkins $27m Tyreek Hill $27m Jared Goff $26m Deebo Samuel $25m Travon Walker $25m

The twenty names above took 12.9% of the 2022 payroll between them, out of 1,360 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 2022

The 200 biggest, ranked

1,360 players paid

# Player Position Franchise Base Signing Paid in 2022
001 Matthew Stafford Georgia Quarterback Los Angeles Rams $1.5m $60.0m $61,500,000$61.5m
002 Russell Wilson Wisconsin Quarterback Denver Broncos $2.0m $50.0m $57,000,000$57.0m
003 Josh Allen Wyoming Quarterback Buffalo Bills $4.1m $46,961,405$47.0m
004 Deshaun Watson Clemson Quarterback Cleveland Browns $403k $45.0m $45,367,500$45.4m
005 Aaron Rodgers California Quarterback Green Bay Packers $1.1m $40.8m $42,000,000$42.0m
006 Kirk Cousins Michigan State Quarterback Minnesota Vikings $5.0m $25.0m $40,000,000$40.0m
007 Quenton Nelson Notre Dame Guard Indianapolis Colts $4.0m $31.0m $35,000,000$35.0m
008 Jaire Alexander Louisville Cornerback Green Bay Packers $1.1m $30.0m $31,076,000$31.1m
009 D.K. Metcalf Mississippi Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $1000k $30.0m $31,000,000$31.0m
010 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $10.0m $20.0m $30,000,000$30.0m
011 Kyler Murray Oklahoma Quarterback Arizona Cardinals $965k $29.0m $30,000,000$30.0m
012 Terry McLaurin Ohio State Wide Receiver Washington Commanders $1.1m $28.0m $29,479,000$29.5m
013 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs $1.5m $29,450,000$29.4m
014 Carson Wentz North Dakota State Quarterback Washington Commanders $22.0m $28,294,119$28.3m
015 Mike Williams Clemson Wide Receiver Los Angeles Chargers $7.0m $21.0m $28,000,000$28.0m
016 Elgton Jenkins Mississippi State Guard Green Bay Packers $3.5m $24.0m $27,482,500$27.5m
017 Tyreek Hill West Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $1.0m $25.5m $26,885,000$26.9m
018 Jared Goff California Quarterback Detroit Lions $10.7m $26,150,000$26.1m
019 Deebo Samuel South Carolina Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $965k $24.0m $25,200,000$25.2m
020 Travon Walker Georgia Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $705k $24.4m $25,065,088$25.1m
021 Derek Carr Fresno State Quarterback Las Vegas Raiders $17.4m $7.5m $25,000,000$25.0m
022 Derwin James Florida State Safety Los Angeles Chargers $4.1m $20.5m $24,584,000$24.6m
023 Stefon Diggs Maryland Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills $2.6m $21.5m $24,565,000$24.6m
024 A.J. Brown Mississippi Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $986k $23.5m $24,460,470$24.5m
025 Marshon Lattimore Ohio State Cornerback Two clubs $1.0m $24,103,000$24.1m
026 Christian Kirk Texas A&M Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $20.0m $24,000,000$24.0m
027 T.J. Watt Wisconsin Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $15.0m $24,000,000$24.0m
028 Aidan Hutchinson Michigan Defensive End Detroit Lions $705k $23.2m $23,858,372$23.9m
029 Chris Jones Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $3.8m $23,624,000$23.6m
030 Davante Adams Fresno State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders $3.5m $19.3m $23,610,000$23.6m
031 Derek Stingley Jr. Louisiana State Cornerback Houston Texans $705k $22.4m $23,090,464$23.1m
032 Lamar Jackson Louisville Quarterback Baltimore Ravens $23.0m $23,016,000$23.0m
033 Ahmad Gardner Cincinnati Cornerback New York Jets $705k $21.5m $22,212,856$22.2m
034 Minkah Fitzpatrick Alabama Safety Pittsburgh Steelers $4.0m $17.5m $22,124,235$22.1m
035 Joey Bosa Ohio State Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $21.2m $21,250,000$21.2m
036 Denzel Ward Ohio State Cornerback Cleveland Browns $1.0m $20.0m $21,035,000$21.0m
037 Jake Matthews Texas A&M Left Tackle Atlanta Falcons $1.5m $12.5m $21,000,000$21.0m
038 Frank Ragnow Arkansas Center Detroit Lions $2.8m $20,751,529$20.8m
039 D.J. Moore Maryland Wide Receiver Carolina Panthers $1.0m $19.5m $20,735,000$20.7m
040 Kayvon Thibodeaux Oregon Outside Linebacker New York Giants $705k $20.0m $20,677,028$20.7m
041 Harold Landry Boston College Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans $1.3m $19.0m $20,250,000$20.3m
042 Amari Cooper Alabama Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns $1.1m $20,000,000$20.0m
043 Chris Godwin Penn State Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers $1.3m $18.8m $20,000,000$20.0m
044 Dak Prescott Mississippi State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys $1.6m $20,000,000$20.0m
045 Danielle Hunter Louisiana State Defensive End Minnesota Vikings $1.4m $20,000,000$20.0m
046 Von Miller Texas A&M Defensive End Buffalo Bills $1.1m $18.5m $19,910,000$19.9m
047 Mark Andrews Oklahoma Tight End Baltimore Ravens $3.5m $19,250,000$19.3m
048 Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin Right Tackle Two clubs $1.0m $19,241,608$19.2m
049 Diontae Johnson Toledo Wide Receiver Pittsburgh Steelers $1.5m $17.5m $19,001,180$19.0m
050 Leonard Williams Southern California Defensive End New York Giants $1.1m $19,000,000$19.0m
051 Myles Garrett Texas A&M Defensive End Cleveland Browns $1.0m $19,000,000$19.0m
052 Brandon Scherff Iowa Guard Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $15.0m $18,941,184$18.9m
053 Sam Darnold Southern California Quarterback Carolina Panthers $18.9m $18,858,000$18.9m
054 Brandin Cooks Oregon State Wide Receiver Houston Texans $1.2m $16.0m $18,352,932$18.4m
055 Brian O'Neill Pittsburgh Right Tackle Minnesota Vikings $2.5m $13.0m $17,970,576$18.0m
056 Grady Jarrett Clemson Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons $1.5m $16.5m $17,970,000$18.0m
057 Ikem Ekwonu North Carolina State Left Tackle Carolina Panthers $705k $17.2m $17,934,492$17.9m
058 Laremy Tunsil Mississippi Left Tackle Houston Texans $1.0m $17,850,000$17.8m
059 Khalil Mack Buffalo Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $4.1m $17,750,000$17.8m
060 Cam Robinson Alabama Left Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars $2.0m $15.0m $17,617,638$17.6m
061 Emmanuel Ogbah Oklahoma State Defensive End Miami Dolphins $4.0m $8.0m $17,185,292$17.2m
062 Garett Bolles Utah Left Tackle Denver Broncos $17.0m $17,000,000$17.0m
063 Maxx Crosby Eastern Michigan Defensive End Las Vegas Raiders $3.5m $13.0m $16,882,000$16.9m
064 Kolton Miller California-Los Angeles Left Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $3.3m $16,825,000$16.8m
065 Orlando Brown Jr. Oklahoma Left Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $16.7m $16,662,000$16.7m
066 Darius Slay Mississippi State Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles $1.1m $16,500,000$16.5m
067 Keenan Allen California Wide Receiver Los Angeles Chargers $16.5m $16,500,000$16.5m
068 Leonard Floyd Georgia Defensive End Los Angeles Rams $1.5m $16,500,000$16.5m
069 De'Vondre Campbell Minnesota Outside Linebacker Green Bay Packers $1.1m $15.0m $16,214,712$16.2m
070 Taylor Moton Western Michigan Right Tackle Carolina Panthers $1.0m $16,200,000$16.2m
071 Bud Dupree Kentucky Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans $16.0m $16,000,000$16.0m
072 C.J. Mosley Alabama Inside Linebacker New York Jets $1.1m $16,000,000$16.0m
073 DeForest Buckner Oregon Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $11.0m $16,000,000$16.0m
074 Marcus Williams Utah Safety Baltimore Ravens $1.0m $15.0m $16,000,000$16.0m
075 Tyler Lockett Kansas State Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $3.0m $16,000,000$16.0m
076 Kenny Clark California-Los Angeles Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers $1.0m $15,900,000$15.9m
077 Fred Warner Brigham Young Inside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers $2.6m $15,844,000$15.8m
078 Evan Neal Alabama Right Tackle New York Giants $705k $15.0m $15,740,460$15.7m
079 Haason Reddick Temple Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $1.0m $14.2m $15,250,000$15.3m
080 Terron Armstead Arkansas-Pine Bluff Left Tackle Miami Dolphins $1.1m $12.0m $15,234,705$15.2m
081 Jameis Winston Florida State Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $1.2m $14.0m $15,200,000$15.2m
082 Justin Simmons Boston College Safety Denver Broncos $15.1m $15,100,000$15.1m
083 B.J. Hill North Carolina State Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $1.9m $10.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
084 DeMarcus Lawrence Boise State Defensive End Dallas Cowboys $3.0m $12.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
085 Foyesade Oluokun Yale Inside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $12.5m $15,000,000$15.0m
086 Jack Conklin Michigan State Right Tackle Cleveland Browns $8.0m $3.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
087 Jalen Ramsey Florida State Cornerback Los Angeles Rams $15.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
088 Taylor Decker Ohio State Left Tackle Detroit Lions $8.7m $15,000,000$15.0m
089 Carlton Davis Auburn Cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.5m $10.0m $14,882,356$14.9m
090 Arik Armstead Oregon Defensive End San Francisco 49ers $1.1m $14,602,936$14.6m
091 Derrick Henry Alabama Running Back Tennessee Titans $4.0m $14,500,000$14.5m
092 Cameron Jordan California Defensive End Two clubs $1.1m $14,470,576$14.5m
093 Jamal Adams Louisiana State Safety Seattle Seahawks $2.0m $14,440,000$14.4m
094 Joe Thuney North Carolina State Guard Kansas City Chiefs $1.0m $14,400,000$14.4m
095 Adam Thielen Minnesota-Mankato Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings $4.3m $9.0m $14,353,529$14.4m
096 Preston Smith Mississippi State Defensive End Green Bay Packers $1.1m $12.2m $14,000,000$14.0m
097 Quandre Diggs Texas Safety Seattle Seahawks $1.2m $12.3m $14,000,000$14.0m
098 Mike Evans Texas A&M Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers $1.1m $13,937,774$13.9m
099 DeAndre Hopkins Clemson Wide Receiver Arizona Cardinals $4.4m $13,900,000$13.9m
100 Laken Tomlinson Duke Guard New York Jets $1.1m $12.8m $13,900,000$13.9m
101 Drake London Southern California Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons $705k $12.8m $13,546,432$13.5m
102 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma Quarterback Carolina Panthers $3.5m $10.5m $13,508,555$13.5m
103 Charvarius Ward Middle Tennessee State Cornerback San Francisco 49ers $1.0m $12.0m $13,500,000$13.5m
104 Tyron Smith Southern California Left Tackle Dallas Cowboys $13.5m $13,500,000$13.5m
105 Alex Cappa Humboldt State Guard Cincinnati Bengals $1.5m $9.0m $13,441,180$13.4m
106 Charles Cross Mississippi State Left Tackle Seattle Seahawks $705k $12.7m $13,436,728$13.4m
107 Donte Jackson Louisiana State Cornerback Carolina Panthers $1.0m $11.0m $13,235,000$13.2m
108 Lane Johnson Oklahoma Right Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1.1m $13,195,000$13.2m
109 Davon Godchaux Louisiana State Defensive Tackle New England Patriots $1.5m $10.5m $13,000,000$13.0m
110 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State Defensive Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $12.7m $13,000,000$13.0m
111 Jessie Bates III Wake Forest Safety Cincinnati Bengals $12.9m $12,911,000$12.9m
112 Garrett Wilson Ohio State Wide Receiver New York Jets $705k $12.1m $12,833,368$12.8m
113 Tremaine Edmunds Virginia Tech Inside Linebacker Buffalo Bills $12.7m $12,716,000$12.7m
114 David Njoku Miami (FL) Tight End Cleveland Browns $1.0m $11.5m $12,500,000$12.5m
115 Kevin Byard Middle Tennessee State Safety Tennessee Titans $1.0m $12,500,000$12.5m
116 Lavonte David Nebraska Inside Linebacker Tampa Bay Buccaneers $12.5m $12,500,000$12.5m
117 Foley Fatukasi Connecticut Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $10.0m $12,411,754$12.4m
118 Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State Running Back Dallas Cowboys $12.4m $12,400,000$12.4m
119 Za'Darius Smith Kentucky Defensive End Minnesota Vikings $1.4m $5.0m $12,323,520$12.3m
120 Shaquill Griffin Central Florida Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars $11.5m $12,147,055$12.1m
121 John Franklin-Myers Stephen F. Austin Defensive End New York Jets $1.5m $12,070,576$12.1m
122 Courtland Sutton Southern Methodist Wide Receiver Denver Broncos $1.5m $12,000,000$12.0m
123 Matt Judon Grand Valley State Outside Linebacker New England Patriots $7.7m $12,000,000$12.0m
124 Shaq Thompson Washington Inside Linebacker Carolina Panthers $1.1m $12,000,000$12.0m
125 Trey Hendrickson Florida Atlantic Defensive End Cincinnati Bengals $5.8m $11,976,460$12.0m
126 Chris Olave Ohio State Wide Receiver Two clubs $705k $11.2m $11,900,908$11.9m
127 Justin Reid Stanford Safety Kansas City Chiefs $1.0m $10.5m $11,550,000$11.6m
128 Alvin Kamara Tennessee Running Back Two clubs $1.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
129 Budda Baker Washington Safety Arizona Cardinals $11.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
130 Joseph Noteboom Texas Christian Left Tackle Los Angeles Rams $1.5m $10.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
131 Harrison Smith Notre Dame Safety Minnesota Vikings $3.0m $11,461,754$11.5m
132 Mitch Morse Missouri Center Buffalo Bills $1.6m $9.0m $11,300,000$11.3m
133 Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois Quarterback San Francisco 49ers $6.5m $11,152,932$11.2m
134 Jalen Thompson Washington State Safety Arizona Cardinals $965k $10.2m $11,135,000$11.1m
135 Eddie Jackson Alabama Safety Chicago Bears $11.0m $11,100,000$11.1m
136 Uchenna Nwosu Southern California Outside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks $1.0m $9.5m $11,045,000$11.0m
137 Austin Corbett Nevada Center Carolina Panthers $1.0m $9.8m $11,000,000$11.0m
138 Cameron Heyward Ohio State Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $6.5m $11,000,000$11.0m
139 Tyrann Mathieu Louisiana State Safety New Orleans Saints $1.5m $9.5m $11,000,000$11.0m
140 Vita Vea Washington Defensive Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $1.0m $10,999,048$11.0m
141 Stephon Gilmore South Carolina Cornerback Indianapolis Colts $5.5m $4.0m $10,990,000$11.0m
142 D.J. Reed Kansas State Cornerback New York Jets $1.0m $9.5m $10,970,576$11.0m
143 Amani Hooker Iowa Safety Tennessee Titans $965k $10.0m $10,965,000$11.0m
144 Dalton Schultz Stanford Tight End Dallas Cowboys $10.9m $10,931,000$10.9m
145 Mike Gesicki Penn State Tight End Miami Dolphins $10.9m $10,931,000$10.9m
146 Trenton Brown Florida Right Tackle New England Patriots $1.5m $2.5m $10,911,760$10.9m
147 Mike McGlinchey Notre Dame Right Tackle San Francisco 49ers $10.9m $10,880,000$10.9m
148 Andrus Peat Stanford Guard Las Vegas Raiders $1.1m $10,850,000$10.9m
149 Will Dissly Washington Tight End Seattle Seahawks $1.0m $9.3m $10,790,000$10.8m
150 John Johnson Boston College Safety Cleveland Browns $4.0m $10,750,000$10.7m
151 Zach Ertz Stanford Tight End Arizona Cardinals $2.5m $8.0m $10,647,050$10.6m
152 Adoree' Jackson Southern California Cornerback New York Giants $1.0m $10,588,230$10.6m
153 Jameson Williams Alabama Wide Receiver Detroit Lions $705k $9.9m $10,584,484$10.6m
154 Joel Bitonio Nevada Guard Cleveland Browns $3.1m $10,558,824$10.6m
155 George Kittle Iowa Tight End San Francisco 49ers $1.0m $10,539,040$10.5m
156 Chukwuma Okorafor Western Michigan Left Tackle Pittsburgh Steelers $1.3m $9.2m $10,500,000$10.5m
157 Travis Kelce Cincinnati Tight End Kansas City Chiefs $2.9m $10,500,000$10.5m
158 Wyatt Teller Virginia Tech Guard Cleveland Browns $1.5m $10,500,000$10.5m
159 Isaiah Wynn Georgia Guard New England Patriots $10.4m $10,413,000$10.4m
160 Tre'Davious White Louisiana State Cornerback Buffalo Bills $7.0m $10,338,230$10.3m
161 Marlon Humphrey Alabama Cornerback Baltimore Ravens $1.0m $10,250,000$10.2m
162 Curtis Samuel Ohio State Wide Receiver Washington Commanders $8.5m $10,225,000$10.2m
163 Jordan Davis Georgia Defensive Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $705k $9.5m $10,206,360$10.2m
164 Taysom Hill Brigham Young Tight End New Orleans Saints $1.1m $10,100,000$10.1m
165 D.J. Jones Mississippi Defensive Tackle Denver Broncos $1.0m $9.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
166 DJ Chark Louisiana State Wide Receiver Detroit Lions $1.0m $9.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
167 Hunter Henry Arkansas Tight End New England Patriots $9.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
168 James Daniels Iowa Guard Pittsburgh Steelers $1.3m $8.7m $10,000,000$10.0m
169 Sebastian Joseph Rutgers Defensive End Los Angeles Chargers $2.5m $7.5m $10,000,000$10.0m
170 Robert Woods Southern California Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $6.5m $9,999,999$10.0m
171 Nelson Agholor Southern California Wide Receiver New England Patriots $9.0m $9,941,168$9.9m
172 George Fant Western Kentucky Right Tackle New York Jets $9.7m $9,938,232$9.9m
173 Zack Martin Notre Dame Guard Dallas Cowboys $1.6m $9,841,000$9.8m
174 Chris Boswell Rice Kicker Pittsburgh Steelers $1.8m $8.0m $9,825,882$9.8m
175 Jonnu Smith Florida International Tight End New England Patriots $1.0m $9,823,522$9.8m
176 Jadeveon Clowney South Carolina Outside Linebacker Cleveland Browns $1.3m $8.0m $9,779,404$9.8m
177 Roquan Smith Georgia Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $9.2m $9,736,000$9.7m
178 Kyle Hamilton Notre Dame Safety Baltimore Ravens $705k $9.0m $9,706,880$9.7m
179 Ronald Darby Florida State Cornerback Denver Broncos $9.5m $9,647,055$9.6m
180 Marcus Davenport Texas-San Antonio Defensive End New Orleans Saints $1.0m $9,553,000$9.6m
181 Eric Kendricks California-Los Angeles Inside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings $9.2m $9,500,000$9.5m
182 Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame Left Tackle Baltimore Ravens $1.0m $9,500,000$9.5m
183 Kenyon Green Texas A&M Guard Houston Texans $705k $8.8m $9,487,476$9.5m
184 D.J. Reader Clemson Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $9.0m $9,485,290$9.5m
185 Grover Stewart Albany State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $7.0m $9,355,000$9.4m
186 Jimmie Ward Northern Illinois Safety San Francisco 49ers $8.9m $9,352,932$9.4m
187 Evan Engram Mississippi Tight End Jacksonville Jaguars $5.3m $3.0m $9,200,000$9.2m
188 JuJu Smith-Schuster Southern California Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs $1.0m $1.5m $9,200,000$9.2m
189 Dion Dawkins Temple Left Tackle Buffalo Bills $1.0m $9,085,870$9.1m
190 Erik McCoy Texas A&M Center Tennessee Titans $1.0m $8.0m $9,010,000$9.0m
191 Marquez Valdes-Scantling South Florida Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs $2.6m $6.0m $9,000,000$9.0m
192 Jahan Dotson Penn State Wide Receiver Washington Commanders $705k $8.1m $8,829,260$8.8m
193 Zay Jones East Carolina Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $5.5m $8,720,576$8.7m
194 Tyler Boyd Pittsburgh Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals $8.2m $8,685,280$8.7m
195 Rob Havenstein Wisconsin Right Tackle Los Angeles Rams $1.5m $6.2m $8,676,470$8.7m
196 Joe Mixon Oklahoma Running Back Cincinnati Bengals $8.0m $8,611,754$8.6m
197 Zion Johnson Boston College Guard Los Angeles Chargers $705k $7.9m $8,609,856$8.6m
198 Braden Smith Auburn Right Tackle Indianapolis Colts $5.6m $8,567,000$8.6m
199 Daron Payne Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders $8.5m $8,529,000$8.5m
200 Matt Milano Boston College Outside Linebacker Buffalo Bills $1.0m $8,516,176$8.5m

The table holds the 200 biggest of the 1,360 players paid in 2022. 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 2022 money was made of

The season's payroll, split by kind of promise

Base salary 39.2%

  • Base salary 39.2%
  • Signing bonus 38.9%
  • Restructured money 5.7%
  • Roster bonus 11.4%
  • Option bonus 3.0%
  • Workout bonus 0.7%
  • Incentives 1.1%
What the money was What it means Share Paid in 2022
Base salary the weekly paycheque, and the part that stops the day a player is cut 39.2% $2,132,622,892$2.13bn
Signing bonus paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed 38.9% $2,116,667,643$2.12bn
Roster bonus paid for being on the roster on a named day of the year 11.4% $621,086,887$621.1m
Restructured money base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap 5.7% $312,125,329$312.1m
Option bonus paid to take up a season already written into the deal 3.0% $161,017,098$161.0m
Incentives paid for hitting a number 1.1% $61,997,025$62.0m
Workout bonus paid for turning up to the offseason programme 0.7% $39,105,388$39.1m

Base salary was only 39.2% of the 2022 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 2022 sits 13.8 points away from the long-run split. Signing bonus and base salary each have a page of their own.

What every franchise paid in 2022

The season's outlay, club by club

32 franchises

# Franchise Players paid Biggest single payday Per player Paid in 2022
01 Buffalo Bills 53 Josh Allen $4.7m $247,300,178$247.3m
02 Cleveland Browns 47 Deshaun Watson $4.9m $229,088,128$229.1m
03 Green Bay Packers 41 Aaron Rodgers $5.5m $225,683,739$225.7m
04 Jacksonville Jaguars 40 Travon Walker $5.4m $217,596,858$217.6m
05 Los Angeles Rams 44 Matthew Stafford $4.8m $211,229,916$211.2m
06 San Francisco 49ers 51 Deebo Samuel $4.0m $205,585,691$205.6m
07 Baltimore Ravens 50 Lamar Jackson $3.8m $191,794,986$191.8m
08 Minnesota Vikings 48 Kirk Cousins $3.9m $189,074,259$189.1m
09 Los Angeles Chargers 39 Mike Williams $4.8m $187,474,357$187.5m
10 New York Jets 46 Ahmad Gardner $4.1m $186,759,649$186.8m
11 Kansas City Chiefs 48 Patrick Mahomes $3.8m $182,822,649$182.8m
12 Seattle Seahawks 39 D.K. Metcalf $4.7m $182,821,570$182.8m
13 Pittsburgh Steelers 40 T.J. Watt $4.5m $179,743,618$179.7m
14 Denver Broncos 47 Russell Wilson $3.6m $171,327,980$171.3m
15 Philadelphia Eagles 45 A.J. Brown $3.8m $171,206,729$171.2m
16 Carolina Panthers 30 D.J. Moore $5.6m $168,271,233$168.3m
17 Detroit Lions 41 Jared Goff $4.0m $163,459,938$163.5m
18 Miami Dolphins 47 Tyreek Hill $3.4m $162,103,427$162.1m
19 Cincinnati Bengals 42 B.J. Hill $3.7m $155,861,754$155.9m
20 New England Patriots 39 Davon Godchaux $3.9m $153,061,195$153.1m
21 Las Vegas Raiders 43 Derek Carr $3.5m $149,825,254$149.8m
22 Indianapolis Colts 44 Quenton Nelson $3.3m $147,363,200$147.4m
23 Dallas Cowboys 48 Dak Prescott $3.1m $147,236,982$147.2m
24 Washington Commanders 37 Terry McLaurin $3.9m $143,422,274$143.4m
25 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35 Chris Godwin $4.0m $140,564,032$140.6m
26 Houston Texans 44 Derek Stingley Jr. $3.2m $139,759,846$139.8m
27 Tennessee Titans 44 Harold Landry $3.1m $136,808,604$136.8m
28 New York Giants 38 Kayvon Thibodeaux $3.5m $133,670,824$133.7m
29 Arizona Cardinals 31 Kyler Murray $4.1m $126,116,261$126.1m
30 Atlanta Falcons 40 Jake Matthews $2.9m $115,784,054$115.8m
31 Chicago Bears 40 Eddie Jackson $1.8m $73,221,244$73.2m
32 New Orleans Saints 17 Tyrann Mathieu $3.6m $60,904,830$60.9m

Buffalo Bills paid the most in 2022, $247,300,178 across 53 players. A further $115,539,495 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 2022

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

21 positions

Wide Receiver $746m Quarterback $640m Cornerback $514m Defensive End $490m Safety $403m Defensive Tackle $396m Outside Linebacker $365m Guard $323m Left Tackle $280m Tight End $263m Inside Linebacker $250m Right Tackle $212m Running Back $186m Center $160m Kicker $79m Punter $48m Long Snapper $30m Fullback $23m
Tackle $1.9m
Linebacker $966k
Offensive Line $825k

Wide receivers took 13.8% of the 2022 payroll across 136 players, which is $5.5m each against $10.3m for a quarterback.

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 2022?

Matthew Stafford, $61,500,000 at Los Angeles Rams. That was 1.1% of everything the league paid out that season.

How much did the NFL pay its players in 2022?

$5,412,484,754 across 1,360 players, an average of $3,979,768 each. The 2022 payroll was 39.0% up on 2021, which paid $3,894,806,215.

Which team spent the most in 2022?

Buffalo Bills, $247,300,178 across 53 players.

What was the average NFL salary in 2022?

$3,979,768 across the 1,360 players paid that season, against a middle figure of $1,367,446. The gap between those two is the top of the league: the twenty biggest paydays of 2022 were 12.9% of the whole payroll.

How much of an NFL salary is base pay?

In 2022, 39.2% of it. Signing bonus was 38.9% 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 2023 season · The 2021 season · NFL career earnings · The all-time list · Money under contract · By position · By franchise · By draft round

The biggest earners of 2022

Every season

By franchise

Elsewhere in American football