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NFL · 2025 SEASON

NFL salaries in 2025

$5,729,497,627 paid to 1,184 players in the 2025 season, ranked. Justin Herbert took $60,000,000 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 2025 payroll was 30.7% down on 2024, which paid $8,268,259,716.

PAID IN 2025 $5.73bn
BIGGEST PAYDAY $60.0m
PLAYERS PAID 1,184
AVERAGE $4.8m
SHARE OF ALL TIME 13.0%

The twenty biggest paydays of 2025

Money paid in the season, not across a career

Top twenty hold 13.5%

Justin Herbert $60m Tua Tagovailoa $51m Patrick Mahomes $50m Dak Prescott $48m Lamar Jackson $43m Jalen Hurts $42m Derek Carr $40m Josh Allen $40m Aaron Rodgers $38m Trevor Lawrence $38m Davante Adams $36m Joe Burrow $35m Jordan Mailata $34m Joshua Hines-Allen $33m Kyler Murray $33m Justin Jefferson $32m Matthew Stafford $31m Nick Bosa $31m Daniel Jones $30m Baker Mayfield $30m

The twenty names above took 13.5% of the 2025 payroll between them, out of 1,184 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 2025

The 200 biggest, ranked

1,184 players paid

# Player Position Franchise Base Signing Paid in 2025
001 Justin Herbert Oregon Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers $15.0m $60,000,000$60.0m
002 Tua Tagovailoa Alabama Quarterback Miami Dolphins $25.0m $51,046,000$51.0m
003 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs $16.6m $50,000,000$50.0m
004 Dak Prescott Mississippi State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys $47.7m $47,750,000$47.7m
005 Lamar Jackson Louisville Quarterback Baltimore Ravens $20.3m $43,500,000$43.5m
006 Jalen Hurts Oklahoma Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $42,000,000$42.0m
007 Derek Carr Fresno State Quarterback Two clubs $30.0m $40,000,000$40.0m
008 Josh Allen Wyoming Quarterback Buffalo Bills $14.0m $39,500,000$39.5m
009 Aaron Rodgers California Quarterback New York Jets $2.5m $37,500,000$37.5m
010 Trevor Lawrence Clemson Quarterback Jacksonville Jaguars $2.0m $37,500,000$37.5m
011 Davante Adams Fresno State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders $35.6m $36,250,000$36.2m
012 Joe Burrow Louisiana State Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals $25.2m $35,250,000$35.2m
013 Jordan Mailata Left Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $34,205,000$34.2m
014 Joshua Hines-Allen Kentucky Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $2.0m $33,000,000$33.0m
015 Kyler Murray Oklahoma Quarterback Arizona Cardinals $18.0m $32,607,500$32.6m
016 Justin Jefferson Louisiana State Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings $1.2m $31,930,000$31.9m
017 Matthew Stafford Georgia Quarterback Los Angeles Rams $27.0m $31,000,000$31.0m
018 Nick Bosa Ohio State Defensive End San Francisco 49ers $1.2m $30,685,545$30.7m
019 Daniel Jones Duke Quarterback New York Giants $30.0m $30,500,000$30.5m
020 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $30.0m $30,000,000$30.0m
021 A.J. Brown Mississippi Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $29,750,000$29.8m
022 Christian Wilkins Clemson Defensive Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $8.0m $29,000,000$29.0m
023 Chris Jones Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $13.8m $28,850,000$28.8m
024 CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys $26.9m $27,850,000$27.9m
025 Tyreek Hill West Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $10.0m $27,750,000$27.8m
026 Kirk Cousins Michigan State Quarterback Atlanta Falcons $27.5m $27,500,000$27.5m
027 Penei Sewell Oregon Right Tackle Detroit Lions $1.5m $26,540,000$26.5m
028 Tristan Wirfs Iowa Left Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $26.0m $26,000,000$26.0m
029 Joey Bosa Ohio State Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers $13.0m $25,360,000$25.4m
030 Jalen Ramsey Florida State Cornerback Miami Dolphins $1.3m $25,100,000$25.1m
031 Alvin Kamara Tennessee Running Back Two clubs $22.4m $25,000,000$25.0m
032 Geno Smith West Virginia Quarterback Seattle Seahawks $14.8m $25,000,000$25.0m
033 Brandon Aiyuk Arizona State Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $1.2m $24,875,000$24.9m
034 Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech Left Tackle Minnesota Vikings $1.2m $24,670,000$24.7m
035 Maxx Crosby Eastern Michigan Defensive End Las Vegas Raiders $22.2m $23,118,000$23.1m
036 Calvin Ridley Alabama Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans $22.5m $23,000,000$23.0m
037 DeForest Buckner Oregon Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $13.0m $23,000,000$23.0m
038 Brian Burns Florida State Outside Linebacker New York Giants $22.2m $22,750,000$22.7m
039 Nnamdi Madubuike Texas A&M Defensive Tackle Baltimore Ravens $7.5m $22,500,000$22.5m
040 Patrick Surtain II Alabama Cornerback Denver Broncos $1.2m $22,170,000$22.2m
041 Trent Williams Oklahoma Left Tackle San Francisco 49ers $1.3m $19.8m $21,950,000$22.0m
042 Ja'Marr Chase Louisiana State Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals $21.8m $21,816,000$21.8m
043 Laremy Tunsil Mississippi Left Tackle Houston Texans $21.0m $21,350,000$21.3m
044 Micah Parsons Penn State Defensive End Dallas Cowboys $21.3m $21,324,000$21.3m
045 T.J. Watt Wisconsin Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $21.0m $21,050,000$21.0m
046 Antoine Winfield Jr. Minnesota Safety Tampa Bay Buccaneers $21.0m $21,000,000$21.0m
047 Montez Sweat Mississippi State Defensive End Chicago Bears $20.9m $21,000,000$21.0m
048 D.J. Moore Maryland Wide Receiver Chicago Bears $20.7m $20,900,000$20.9m
049 Leonard Williams Southern California Defensive End Seattle Seahawks $20.0m $20,850,000$20.8m
050 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $19.9m $20,750,000$20.7m
051 Daron Payne Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders $19.6m $20,570,000$20.6m
052 Lane Johnson Oklahoma Right Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $20,250,000$20.3m
053 Bradley Chubb North Carolina State Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins $19.5m $20,230,000$20.2m
054 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $12.5m $20,000,000$20.0m
055 Jawaan Taylor Florida Right Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $19.5m $20,000,000$20.0m
056 Dion Dawkins Temple Left Tackle Buffalo Bills $11.0m $19,885,000$19.9m
057 Myles Garrett Texas A&M Defensive End Cleveland Browns $1.3m $19,796,125$19.8m
058 Spencer Brown Northern Iowa Right Tackle Buffalo Bills $3.0m $19,731,000$19.7m
059 Danielle Hunter Louisiana State Defensive End Houston Texans $19.0m $19,500,000$19.5m
060 Rashawn Slater Northwestern Left Tackle Los Angeles Chargers $19.0m $19,040,000$19.0m
061 Jonathan Greenard Florida Outside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings $18.4m $19,000,000$19.0m
062 L'Jarius Sneed Louisiana Tech Cornerback Tennessee Titans $18.3m $19,000,000$19.0m
063 Fred Warner Brigham Young Inside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers $17.6m $18,250,000$18.3m
064 Brian O'Neill Pittsburgh Right Tackle Minnesota Vikings $17.4m $18,000,000$18.0m
065 D.K. Metcalf Mississippi Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $18.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
066 James Bradberry Samford Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $18,000,000$18.0m
067 Jared Goff California Quarterback Detroit Lions $18.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
068 Jeffery Simmons Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans $17.5m $18,000,000$18.0m
069 Marlon Humphrey Alabama Cornerback Baltimore Ravens $14.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
070 Marshon Lattimore Ohio State Cornerback Two clubs $16.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
071 Michael Pittman Jr. Southern California Wide Receiver Indianapolis Colts $18.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
072 Mike Evans Texas A&M Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers $18.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
073 Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin Right Tackle Two clubs $18.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
074 Terry McLaurin Ohio State Wide Receiver Washington Commanders $15.3m $18,000,000$18.0m
075 Andrew Thomas Georgia Left Tackle New York Giants $16.4m $17,900,000$17.9m
076 Deebo Samuel South Carolina Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $16.6m $17,551,000$17.6m
077 Harold Landry Boston College Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans $17.5m $17,500,000$17.5m
078 Jaire Alexander Louisville Cornerback Green Bay Packers $16.1m $17,500,000$17.5m
079 Jonah Jackson Ohio State Guard Los Angeles Rams $9.0m $17,500,000$17.5m
080 Mike McGlinchey Notre Dame Right Tackle Denver Broncos $17.5m $17,500,000$17.5m
081 Taylor Moton Western Michigan Right Tackle Carolina Panthers $14.3m $17,500,000$17.5m
082 Von Miller Texas A&M Defensive End Buffalo Bills $17.1m $17,500,000$17.5m
083 Amon-Ra St. Brown Southern California Wide Receiver Detroit Lions $8.3m $17,410,000$17.4m
084 Travis Kelce Cincinnati Tight End Kansas City Chiefs $4.5m $17,250,000$17.3m
085 Dexter Lawrence Clemson Defensive Tackle New York Giants $15.5m $17,000,000$17.0m
086 Jonathan Allen Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders $15.5m $17,000,000$17.0m
087 Rashan Gary Michigan Defensive End Green Bay Packers $6.8m $17,000,000$17.0m
088 Tyler Lockett Kansas State Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks $10.0m $17,000,000$17.0m
089 Vita Vea Washington Defensive Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $16.0m $17,000,000$17.0m
090 Braden Smith Auburn Right Tackle Indianapolis Colts $14.8m $16,750,000$16.8m
091 Bryce Huff Memphis Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $16,750,000$16.8m
092 Derwin James Florida State Safety Los Angeles Chargers $13.8m $16,750,000$16.8m
093 Quinnen Williams Alabama Defensive Tackle New York Jets $15.6m $16,750,000$16.8m
094 Quenton Nelson Notre Dame Guard Indianapolis Colts $14.6m $16,563,059$16.6m
095 Dre'Mont Jones Ohio State Defensive End Seattle Seahawks $16.0m $16,510,000$16.5m
096 Christian Kirk Texas A&M Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $15.5m $16,500,000$16.5m
097 Kevin Dotson Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Los Angeles Rams $8.0m $16,500,000$16.5m
098 Robert Hunt Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Carolina Panthers $15.8m $16,350,000$16.3m
099 Taylor Decker Ohio State Left Tackle Detroit Lions $14.9m $16,290,000$16.3m
100 Grady Jarrett Clemson Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons $15.3m $16,250,000$16.3m
101 Christian McCaffrey Stanford Running Back San Francisco 49ers $1.3m $16,200,000$16.2m
102 Jaylen Waddle Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $16.1m $16,150,000$16.1m
103 Darius Slay Mississippi State Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $16,000,000$16.0m
104 Jaylon Johnson Utah Cornerback Chicago Bears $15.9m $16,000,000$16.0m
105 Jerry Jeudy Alabama Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns $1.5m $16,000,000$16.0m
106 Joe Thuney North Carolina State Guard Kansas City Chiefs $15.5m $16,000,000$16.0m
107 Trey Hendrickson Florida Atlantic Defensive End Cincinnati Bengals $15.8m $16,000,000$16.0m
108 Tytus Howard Alabama State Right Tackle Houston Texans $15.5m $16,000,000$16.0m
109 Jake Matthews Texas A&M Left Tackle Atlanta Falcons $15.5m $15,500,000$15.5m
110 Minkah Fitzpatrick Alabama Safety Pittsburgh Steelers $15.5m $15,500,000$15.5m
111 Alijah Vera-Tucker Southern California Guard New York Jets $15.3m $15,313,000$15.3m
112 David Njoku Miami (FL) Tight End Cleveland Browns $14.3m $15,250,000$15.3m
113 George Kittle Iowa Tight End San Francisco 49ers $14.4m $15,000,000$15.0m
114 Jack Conklin Michigan State Right Tackle Cleveland Browns $14.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
115 Joel Bitonio Nevada Guard Cleveland Browns $12.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
116 Roquan Smith Georgia Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $15.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
117 Tremaine Edmunds Virginia Tech Inside Linebacker Chicago Bears $14.9m $15,000,000$15.0m
118 Uchenna Nwosu Southern California Outside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks $14.5m $14,990,000$15.0m
119 Tyson Campbell Georgia Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $14,900,000$14.9m
120 Wyatt Teller Virginia Tech Guard Cleveland Browns $12.8m $14,800,000$14.8m
121 Cameron Heyward Ohio State Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $1.3m $14,750,000$14.8m
122 Ed Oliver Houston Defensive Tackle Buffalo Bills $13.8m $14,675,000$14.7m
123 Derrick Brown Auburn Defensive Tackle Carolina Panthers $13.2m $14,540,000$14.5m
124 Arik Armstead Oregon Defensive End Jacksonville Jaguars $2.0m $14,500,000$14.5m
125 Chris Lindstrom Boston College Guard Atlanta Falcons $14.5m $14,500,000$14.5m
126 Dalvin Tomlinson Alabama Defensive Tackle Cleveland Browns $13.0m $14,500,000$14.5m
127 Kaleb McGary Washington Right Tackle Atlanta Falcons $14.5m $14,500,000$14.5m
128 Terron Armstead Arkansas-Pine Bluff Left Tackle Miami Dolphins $13.3m $14,300,000$14.3m
129 Dallas Goedert South Dakota State Tight End Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $14,250,000$14.3m
130 Nico Collins Michigan Wide Receiver Houston Texans $13.5m $14,125,005$14.1m
131 Denzel Ward Ohio State Cornerback Cleveland Browns $13.5m $14,076,000$14.1m
132 A.J. Terrell Clemson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons $14.0m $14,000,000$14.0m
133 Courtland Sutton Southern Methodist Wide Receiver Denver Broncos $13.5m $14,000,000$14.0m
134 Jessie Bates III Wake Forest Safety Atlanta Falcons $14.0m $14,000,000$14.0m
135 Terence Steele Texas Tech Right Tackle Dallas Cowboys $13.2m $14,000,000$14.0m
136 Patrick Queen Louisiana State Inside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $7.2m $13,830,000$13.8m
137 Mike Onwenu Michigan Right Tackle New England Patriots $12.0m $13,500,000$13.5m
138 Preston Smith Mississippi State Defensive End Green Bay Packers $12.0m $13,400,000$13.4m
139 Greg Rousseau Miami (FL) Defensive End Buffalo Bills $13.4m $13,387,000$13.4m
140 Kwity Paye Michigan Defensive End Indianapolis Colts $13.4m $13,387,000$13.4m
141 Payton Turner Houston Defensive End Two clubs $13.4m $13,387,000$13.4m
142 Greg Newsome Northwestern Cornerback Cleveland Browns $13.4m $13,377,000$13.4m
143 Jaelan Phillips Miami (FL) Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins $13.3m $13,251,000$13.3m
144 Odafe Oweh Penn State Outside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $13.3m $13,251,000$13.3m
145 Zach Allen Boston College Defensive End Denver Broncos $12.7m $13,250,000$13.2m
146 Alex Highsmith Charlotte Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $13.0m $13,000,000$13.0m
147 Jamel Dean Auburn Cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $12.5m $13,000,000$13.0m
148 Jonathan Taylor Wisconsin Running Back Indianapolis Colts $12.0m $13,000,000$13.0m
149 Jordan Love Utah St Quarterback Green Bay Packers $11.9m $13,000,000$13.0m
150 Jonah Williams Alabama Right Tackle Arizona Cardinals $10.8m $12,890,000$12.9m
151 Elgton Jenkins Mississippi State Guard Green Bay Packers $11.7m $12,800,000$12.8m
152 DeVonta Smith Alabama Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $12,591,000$12.6m
153 Cameron Jordan California Defensive End Two clubs $12.5m $12,500,000$12.5m
154 Gabriel Davis Central Florida Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $1.5m $12,500,000$12.5m
155 Gardner Minshew Washington State Quarterback Las Vegas Raiders $11.8m $12,500,000$12.5m
156 Jaycee Horn South Carolina Cornerback Carolina Panthers $12.5m $12,472,000$12.5m
157 Kolton Miller California-Los Angeles Left Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $12.3m $12,306,500$12.3m
158 Grover Stewart Albany State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $7.7m $12,250,000$12.2m
159 Ben Powers Oklahoma Guard Denver Broncos $11.5m $12,000,000$12.0m
160 Chidobe Awuzie Colorado Cornerback Tennessee Titans $11.5m $12,000,000$12.0m
161 Grant Delpit Louisiana State Safety Cleveland Browns $1.2m $12,000,000$12.0m
162 Marcus Williams Utah Safety Baltimore Ravens $12.0m $12,000,000$12.0m
163 Xavier McKinney Alabama Safety Green Bay Packers $2.8m $11,850,000$11.9m
164 Austin Jackson Southern California Right Tackle Miami Dolphins $10.9m $11,500,000$11.5m
165 Christian Barmore Alabama Defensive Tackle New England Patriots $10.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
166 Dalton Schultz Stanford Tight End Houston Texans $11.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
167 Rob Havenstein Wisconsin Right Tackle Los Angeles Rams $6.5m $11,500,000$11.5m
168 T.J. Hockenson Iowa Tight End Minnesota Vikings $10.9m $11,500,000$11.5m
169 Quinn Meinerz Wisconsin-Whitewater Guard Denver Broncos $1.2m $11,445,000$11.4m
170 Andrew Van Ginkel Wisconsin Outside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings $10.8m $11,000,000$11.0m
171 D.J. Reader Clemson Defensive Tackle Detroit Lions $6.3m $11,000,000$11.0m
172 Foyesade Oluokun Yale Inside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $4.0m $11,000,000$11.0m
173 Jakobi Meyers North Carolina State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders $10.5m $11,000,000$11.0m
174 Kyle Dugger Lenoir-Rhyne Safety New England Patriots $9.7m $11,000,000$11.0m
175 Mark Andrews Oklahoma Tight End Baltimore Ravens $7.0m $11,000,000$11.0m
176 Saquon Barkley Penn State Running Back Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $11,000,000$11.0m
177 Za'Darius Smith Kentucky Defensive End Cleveland Browns $1.5m $11,000,000$11.0m
178 Kyle Pitts Florida Tight End Atlanta Falcons $10.9m $10,878,000$10.9m
179 Damien Lewis Louisiana State Guard Carolina Panthers $10.1m $10,850,000$10.9m
180 Pat Freiermuth Penn State Tight End Pittsburgh Steelers $10.8m $10,785,000$10.8m
181 Shaq Mason Georgia Tech Guard Houston Texans $10.0m $10,550,000$10.5m
182 David Onyemata Manitoba Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons $10.0m $10,500,000$10.5m
183 Kenny Clark California-Los Angeles Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers $1.3m $10,500,000$10.5m
184 Sheldon Rankins Louisville Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $7.5m $10,500,000$10.5m
185 Taron Johnson Weber State Cornerback Buffalo Bills $5.2m $10,110,000$10.1m
186 Erik McCoy Texas A&M Center Tennessee Titans $9.6m $10,100,000$10.1m
187 Cole Kmet Notre Dame Tight End Chicago Bears $9.9m $10,000,000$10.0m
188 Jadeveon Clowney South Carolina Outside Linebacker Carolina Panthers $8.5m $10,000,000$10.0m
189 Lloyd Cushenberry Louisiana State Center Tennessee Titans $9.5m $10,000,000$10.0m
190 Maliek Collins Nebraska Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $9.5m $10,000,000$10.0m
191 Taysom Hill Brigham Young Tight End New Orleans Saints $10.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
192 Trevon Diggs Alabama Cornerback Dallas Cowboys $9.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
193 Matt Milano Boston College Outside Linebacker Buffalo Bills $9.3m $9,940,000$9.9m
194 Jalen Thompson Washington State Safety Arizona Cardinals $7.6m $9,730,000$9.7m
195 Sam Hubbard Ohio State Defensive End Cincinnati Bengals $9.0m $9,600,000$9.6m
196 Darnell Mooney Tulane Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons $9.0m $9,510,000$9.5m
197 Azeez Al-Shaair Florida Atlantic Inside Linebacker Houston Texans $9.0m $9,500,000$9.5m
198 Nate Davis North Carolina Charlotte Guard Chicago Bears $8.7m $9,500,000$9.5m
199 Frank Ragnow Arkansas Center Detroit Lions $9.2m $9,250,000$9.2m
200 Jon Runyan Michigan Guard New York Giants $9.0m $9,250,000$9.2m

The table holds the 200 biggest of the 1,184 players paid in 2025. 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 2025 money was made of

The season's payroll, split by kind of promise

Base salary 76.5%

  • Base salary 76.5%
  • Signing bonus 0.4%
  • Restructured money 9.6%
  • Option bonus 12.6%
  • Workout bonus 0.6%
  • Incentives 0.3%
What the money was What it means Share Paid in 2025
Base salary the weekly paycheque, and the part that stops the day a player is cut 76.5% $4,301,621,895$4.30bn
Option bonus paid to take up a season already written into the deal 12.6% $705,312,670$705.3m
Restructured money base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap 9.6% $542,151,057$542.2m
Workout bonus paid for turning up to the offseason programme 0.6% $35,643,500$35.6m
Signing bonus paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed 0.4% $19,845,000$19.8m
Incentives paid for hitting a number 0.3% $15,000,000$15.0m

Base salary was 76.5% of the 2025 payroll, so a bare half of it was salary in the ordinary sense of the word. Across every season the site holds, base salary runs at 52.9% and signing bonus at 27.6%, so 2025 sits 23.6 points away from the long-run split. Signing bonus and base salary each have a page of their own.

What every franchise paid in 2025

The season's outlay, club by club

32 franchises

# Franchise Players paid Biggest single payday Per player Paid in 2025
01 Philadelphia Eagles 41 Jalen Hurts $6.7m $273,963,199$274.0m
02 Miami Dolphins 36 Tua Tagovailoa $6.9m $249,358,110$249.4m
03 San Francisco 49ers 37 Nick Bosa $6.5m $238,976,735$239.0m
04 Jacksonville Jaguars 43 Trevor Lawrence $5.3m $227,477,485$227.5m
05 Cleveland Browns 40 Myles Garrett $5.5m $220,047,479$220.0m
06 Buffalo Bills 39 Josh Allen $5.5m $213,361,183$213.4m
07 Baltimore Ravens 40 Lamar Jackson $4.9m $194,350,194$194.4m
08 Kansas City Chiefs 35 Patrick Mahomes $5.5m $193,497,256$193.5m
09 Atlanta Falcons 33 Kirk Cousins $5.8m $192,406,564$192.4m
10 Indianapolis Colts 36 DeForest Buckner $5.0m $181,574,337$181.6m
11 Seattle Seahawks 39 Geno Smith $4.6m $181,324,563$181.3m
12 Minnesota Vikings 35 Justin Jefferson $5.1m $177,651,719$177.7m
13 Los Angeles Chargers 34 Justin Herbert $5.2m $177,141,562$177.1m
14 Houston Texans 36 Laremy Tunsil $4.8m $173,799,057$173.8m
15 Detroit Lions 39 Penei Sewell $4.5m $173,600,227$173.6m
16 Cincinnati Bengals 40 Joe Burrow $4.3m $170,390,764$170.4m
17 Las Vegas Raiders 35 Davante Adams $4.8m $169,180,469$169.2m
18 Tennessee Titans 32 Calvin Ridley $5.2m $166,616,486$166.6m
19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36 Baker Mayfield $4.6m $165,784,442$165.8m
20 New York Giants 36 Daniel Jones $4.6m $164,092,499$164.1m
21 Dallas Cowboys 36 Dak Prescott $4.5m $162,790,238$162.8m
22 Chicago Bears 35 Montez Sweat $4.6m $160,778,574$160.8m
23 Los Angeles Rams 41 Matthew Stafford $3.9m $158,293,314$158.3m
24 Pittsburgh Steelers 37 T.J. Watt $4.2m $154,860,077$154.9m
25 Denver Broncos 36 Patrick Surtain II $4.3m $153,004,485$153.0m
26 Green Bay Packers 41 Jaire Alexander $3.6m $149,638,306$149.6m
27 Carolina Panthers 32 Taylor Moton $4.7m $149,317,343$149.3m
28 New York Jets 37 Aaron Rodgers $3.9m $144,501,294$144.5m
29 Washington Commanders 30 Daron Payne $4.1m $124,054,898$124.1m
30 Arizona Cardinals 35 Kyler Murray $3.5m $123,042,051$123.0m
31 New England Patriots 39 Mike Onwenu $3.1m $119,049,761$119.0m
32 New Orleans Saints 10 Taysom Hill $3.8m $38,212,459$38.2m

Philadelphia Eagles paid the most in 2025, $273,963,199 across 41 players. A further $187,360,497 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 2025

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

19 positions

Quarterback $763m Wide Receiver $694m Defensive End $543m Defensive Tackle $516m Cornerback $474m Outside Linebacker $415m Guard $366m Right Tackle $344m Safety $320m Left Tackle $290m Tight End $278m Inside Linebacker $230m Running Back $220m Center $132m Kicker $74m Punter $35m Long Snapper $20m Fullback $13m
Tackle $960k

Quarterbacks took 13.3% of the 2025 payroll across 50 players, which is $15.3m each against $5.0m for a wide receiver.

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 2025?

Justin Herbert, $60,000,000 at Los Angeles Chargers. That was 1.0% of everything the league paid out that season.

How much did the NFL pay its players in 2025?

$5,729,497,627 across 1,184 players, an average of $4,839,103 each. The 2025 payroll was 30.7% down on 2024, which paid $8,268,259,716.

Which team spent the most in 2025?

Philadelphia Eagles, $273,963,199 across 41 players.

What was the average NFL salary in 2025?

$4,839,103 across the 1,184 players paid that season, against a middle figure of $1,364,927. The gap between those two is the top of the league: the twenty biggest paydays of 2025 were 13.5% of the whole payroll.

How much of an NFL salary is base pay?

In 2025, 76.5% of it. Signing bonus was 0.4% 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 2026 season · The 2024 season · NFL career earnings · The all-time list · Money under contract · By position · By franchise · By draft round

The biggest earners of 2025

Every season

By franchise

Elsewhere in American football