SALARYSPORT
★ 0
NFL · 2026 SEASON

NFL salaries in 2026

$4,335,729,767 paid to 760 players in the 2026 season, ranked. Patrick Mahomes took $56,750,000 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 2026 payroll was 24.3% down on 2025, which paid $5,729,497,627.

PAID IN 2026 $4.34bn
BIGGEST PAYDAY $56.8m
PLAYERS PAID 760
AVERAGE $5.7m
SHARE OF ALL TIME 9.8%

The twenty biggest paydays of 2026

Money paid in the season, not across a career

Top twenty hold 20.0%

Patrick Mahomes $57m Jared Goff $55m Tua Tagovailoa $55m Lamar Jackson $52m Jalen Hurts $51m Jordan Love $51m Derek Carr $50m Daniel Jones $48m Kirk Cousins $45m Kyler Murray $43m Baker Mayfield $40m Dak Prescott $40m Josh Allen $39m Trevor Lawrence $38m Davante Adams $36m Tyreek Hill $36m Joe Burrow $35m Chris Jones $35m Trent Williams $33m Matthew Stafford $31m

The twenty names above took 20.0% of the 2026 payroll between them, out of 760 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 2026

The 200 biggest, ranked

760 players paid

# Player Position Franchise Base Signing Paid in 2026
001 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs $45.3m $56,750,000$56.8m
002 Jared Goff California Quarterback Detroit Lions $55.0m $55,000,000$55.0m
003 Tua Tagovailoa Alabama Quarterback Miami Dolphins $39.0m $55,000,000$55.0m
004 Lamar Jackson Louisville Quarterback Baltimore Ravens $51.2m $52,000,000$52.0m
005 Jalen Hurts Oklahoma Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $51,000,000$51.0m
006 Jordan Love Utah St Quarterback Green Bay Packers $10.4m $51,000,000$51.0m
007 Derek Carr Fresno State Quarterback Two clubs $50.0m $50,000,000$50.0m
008 Daniel Jones Duke Quarterback New York Giants $46.5m $47,500,000$47.5m
009 Kirk Cousins Michigan State Quarterback Atlanta Falcons $35.0m $45,000,000$45.0m
010 Kyler Murray Oklahoma Quarterback Arizona Cardinals $22.8m $42,542,500$42.5m
011 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $40.0m $40,000,000$40.0m
012 Dak Prescott Mississippi State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys $40.0m $40,000,000$40.0m
013 Josh Allen Wyoming Quarterback Buffalo Bills $22.5m $38,500,000$38.5m
014 Trevor Lawrence Clemson Quarterback Jacksonville Jaguars $2.0m $37,500,000$37.5m
015 Davante Adams Fresno State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders $35.6m $36,250,000$36.2m
016 Tyreek Hill West Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $29.9m $36,000,000$36.0m
017 Joe Burrow Louisiana State Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals $25.2m $35,250,000$35.2m
018 Chris Jones Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $19.0m $35,100,000$35.1m
019 Trent Williams Oklahoma Left Tackle San Francisco 49ers $22.2m $33,060,000$33.1m
020 Matthew Stafford Georgia Quarterback Los Angeles Rams $26.0m $31,000,000$31.0m
021 A.J. Brown Mississippi Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $29,000,000$29.0m
022 Amon-Ra St. Brown Southern California Wide Receiver Detroit Lions $27.5m $28,110,000$28.1m
023 Brandon Aiyuk Arizona State Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers $1.2m $27,000,000$27.0m
024 CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys $25.0m $26,000,000$26.0m
025 Tristan Wirfs Iowa Left Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $26.0m $26,000,000$26.0m
026 Christian Wilkins Clemson Defensive Tackle Las Vegas Raiders $25.2m $25,750,000$25.7m
027 Justin Jefferson Louisiana State Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings $25.0m $25,750,000$25.7m
028 Harrison Smith Notre Dame Safety Minnesota Vikings $25.0m $25,000,000$25.0m
029 Myles Garrett Texas A&M Defensive End Cleveland Browns $1.3m $25,000,000$25.0m
030 D.J. Moore Maryland Wide Receiver Chicago Bears $23.5m $24,500,000$24.5m
031 Justin Herbert Oregon Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers $24.0m $24,000,000$24.0m
032 Michael Pittman Jr. Southern California Wide Receiver Indianapolis Colts $22.0m $24,000,000$24.0m
033 Brian Burns Florida State Outside Linebacker New York Giants $22.2m $23,750,000$23.7m
034 Nick Bosa Ohio State Defensive End San Francisco 49ers $22.7m $23,180,000$23.2m
035 DeForest Buckner Oregon Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $13.0m $23,000,000$23.0m
036 Joshua Hines-Allen Kentucky Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $7.0m $23,000,000$23.0m
037 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers $21.7m $22,500,000$22.5m
038 Daron Payne Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders $16.4m $22,410,000$22.4m
039 Nnamdi Madubuike Texas A&M Defensive Tackle Baltimore Ravens $22.0m $22,000,000$22.0m
040 Calvin Ridley Alabama Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans $20.2m $21,750,000$21.7m
041 Quinnen Williams Alabama Defensive Tackle New York Jets $20.7m $21,750,000$21.7m
042 Kenny Clark California-Los Angeles Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers $8.8m $21,500,000$21.5m
043 Laremy Tunsil Mississippi Left Tackle Houston Texans $21.0m $21,350,000$21.3m
044 Jalen Ramsey Florida State Cornerback Miami Dolphins $10.0m $21,000,000$21.0m
045 Montez Sweat Mississippi State Defensive End Chicago Bears $20.9m $21,000,000$21.0m
046 Jeffery Simmons Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans $20.2m $20,673,000$20.7m
047 Nico Collins Michigan Wide Receiver Houston Texans $20.0m $20,625,005$20.6m
048 Lane Johnson Oklahoma Right Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $20,250,000$20.3m
049 Bradley Chubb North Carolina State Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins $19.5m $20,230,000$20.2m
050 Denzel Ward Ohio State Cornerback Cleveland Browns $16.9m $20,000,000$20.0m
051 Dexter Lawrence Clemson Defensive Tackle New York Giants $18.5m $20,000,000$20.0m
052 Elgton Jenkins Mississippi State Guard Green Bay Packers $18.5m $20,000,000$20.0m
053 Jawaan Taylor Florida Right Tackle Kansas City Chiefs $19.5m $20,000,000$20.0m
054 Penei Sewell Oregon Right Tackle Detroit Lions $19.9m $20,000,000$20.0m
055 Roquan Smith Georgia Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens $16.0m $20,000,000$20.0m
056 Von Miller Texas A&M Defensive End Buffalo Bills $19.6m $20,000,000$20.0m
057 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams $14.9m $19,850,000$19.8m
058 Landon Dickerson Alabama Guard Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $19,750,000$19.8m
059 Maxx Crosby Eastern Michigan Defensive End Las Vegas Raiders $18.8m $19,722,000$19.7m
060 Antoine Winfield Jr. Minnesota Safety Tampa Bay Buccaneers $19.5m $19,500,000$19.5m
061 Brian O'Neill Pittsburgh Right Tackle Minnesota Vikings $18.9m $19,500,000$19.5m
062 Derrick Brown Auburn Defensive Tackle Carolina Panthers $18.1m $19,500,000$19.5m
063 Jaire Alexander Louisville Cornerback Green Bay Packers $18.1m $19,500,000$19.5m
064 Rashan Gary Michigan Defensive End Green Bay Packers $18.0m $19,500,000$19.5m
065 Marlon Humphrey Alabama Cornerback Baltimore Ravens $15.3m $19,250,000$19.3m
066 Jonathan Greenard Florida Outside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings $18.4m $19,000,000$19.0m
067 Robert Hunt Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Carolina Panthers $18.5m $19,000,000$19.0m
068 Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin Right Tackle Two clubs $19.0m $19,000,000$19.0m
069 Marshon Lattimore Ohio State Cornerback Two clubs $16.5m $18,500,000$18.5m
070 Fred Warner Brigham Young Inside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers $17.6m $18,250,000$18.3m
071 Taylor Decker Ohio State Left Tackle Detroit Lions $14.9m $18,200,000$18.2m
072 Quenton Nelson Notre Dame Guard Indianapolis Colts $16.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
073 Tytus Howard Alabama State Right Tackle Houston Texans $17.5m $18,000,000$18.0m
074 Vita Vea Washington Defensive Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers $17.0m $18,000,000$18.0m
075 Patrick Surtain II Alabama Cornerback Denver Broncos $7.6m $17,632,000$17.6m
076 Minkah Fitzpatrick Alabama Safety Pittsburgh Steelers $17.6m $17,600,000$17.6m
077 Derwin James Florida State Safety Los Angeles Chargers $14.5m $17,500,000$17.5m
078 Harold Landry Boston College Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans $17.5m $17,500,000$17.5m
079 Mike McGlinchey Notre Dame Right Tackle Denver Broncos $17.0m $17,500,000$17.5m
080 Mike Onwenu Michigan Right Tackle New England Patriots $16.0m $17,500,000$17.5m
081 Andrew Thomas Georgia Left Tackle New York Giants $15.9m $17,400,000$17.4m
082 Jaylen Waddle Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins $16.6m $17,241,000$17.2m
083 Bryce Huff Memphis Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $17,100,000$17.1m
084 Jonah Jackson Ohio State Guard Los Angeles Rams $9.0m $17,000,000$17.0m
085 Dion Dawkins Temple Left Tackle Buffalo Bills $15.5m $16,805,000$16.8m
086 Leonard Williams Southern California Defensive End Seattle Seahawks $15.8m $16,650,000$16.6m
087 Samuel Cosmi Texas Guard Washington Commanders $15.5m $16,500,000$16.5m
088 Ed Oliver Houston Defensive Tackle Buffalo Bills $14.1m $16,300,000$16.3m
089 Chris Lindstrom Boston College Guard Atlanta Falcons $16.0m $16,000,000$16.0m
090 Jaylon Johnson Utah Cornerback Chicago Bears $15.1m $16,000,000$16.0m
091 Kevin Dotson Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Los Angeles Rams $8.0m $16,000,000$16.0m
092 L'Jarius Sneed Louisiana Tech Cornerback Tennessee Titans $15.1m $16,000,000$16.0m
093 T.J. Hockenson Iowa Tight End Minnesota Vikings $15.4m $16,000,000$16.0m
094 Jake Matthews Texas A&M Left Tackle Atlanta Falcons $15.5m $15,500,000$15.5m
095 Trevon Diggs Alabama Cornerback Dallas Cowboys $14.5m $15,500,000$15.5m
096 Quinn Meinerz Wisconsin-Whitewater Guard Denver Broncos $14.9m $15,366,000$15.4m
097 Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech Left Tackle Minnesota Vikings $13.3m $15,041,000$15.0m
098 A.J. Terrell Clemson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons $15.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
099 Jack Conklin Michigan State Right Tackle Cleveland Browns $14.0m $15,000,000$15.0m
100 Spencer Brown Northern Iowa Right Tackle Buffalo Bills $7.1m $15,000,000$15.0m
101 Tremaine Edmunds Virginia Tech Inside Linebacker Chicago Bears $13.9m $15,000,000$15.0m
102 Alex Highsmith Charlotte Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $14.5m $14,500,000$14.5m
103 Arik Armstead Oregon Defensive End Jacksonville Jaguars $14.0m $14,500,000$14.5m
104 Creed Humphrey Oklahoma Center Kansas City Chiefs $14.3m $14,500,000$14.5m
105 Dalvin Tomlinson Alabama Defensive Tackle Cleveland Browns $13.0m $14,500,000$14.5m
106 Terron Armstead Arkansas-Pine Bluff Left Tackle Miami Dolphins $12.3m $14,330,000$14.3m
107 Cameron Heyward Ohio State Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers $1.3m $14,250,000$14.3m
108 Orlando Brown Jr. Oklahoma Left Tackle Cincinnati Bengals $13.1m $14,223,000$14.2m
109 Tyson Campbell Georgia Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars $1.6m $14,116,000$14.1m
110 Preston Smith Mississippi State Defensive End Green Bay Packers $12.6m $14,100,000$14.1m
111 Jessie Bates III Wake Forest Safety Atlanta Falcons $13.0m $14,020,000$14.0m
112 DeVonta Smith Alabama Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles $1.2m $14,000,000$14.0m
113 Marcus Williams Utah Safety Baltimore Ravens $14.0m $14,000,000$14.0m
114 Terence Steele Texas Tech Right Tackle Dallas Cowboys $13.2m $14,000,000$14.0m
115 Jordan Mailata Left Tackle Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $13,750,000$13.8m
116 Christian Barmore Alabama Defensive Tackle New England Patriots $12.0m $13,500,000$13.5m
117 Jamel Dean Auburn Cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers $13.0m $13,500,000$13.5m
118 Xavier McKinney Alabama Safety Green Bay Packers $4.3m $13,350,000$13.4m
119 Patrick Queen Louisiana State Inside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers $10.8m $13,330,000$13.3m
120 Saquon Barkley Penn State Running Back Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $13,250,000$13.2m
121 Damien Lewis Louisiana State Guard Carolina Panthers $12.2m $13,000,000$13.0m
122 Gabriel Davis Central Florida Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars $12.0m $13,000,000$13.0m
123 Jonathan Taylor Wisconsin Running Back Indianapolis Colts $12.0m $13,000,000$13.0m
124 Carl Granderson Wyoming Defensive End Two clubs $10.7m $12,750,000$12.7m
125 Ben Powers Oklahoma Guard Denver Broncos $12.0m $12,500,000$12.5m
126 Christian McCaffrey Stanford Running Back San Francisco 49ers $1.3m $12,500,000$12.5m
127 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame Outside Linebacker Cleveland Browns $1.2m $12,500,000$12.5m
128 Kyle Dugger Lenoir-Rhyne Safety New England Patriots $10.7m $12,500,000$12.5m
129 Grover Stewart Albany State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts $11.7m $12,250,000$12.2m
130 Chidobe Awuzie Colorado Cornerback Tennessee Titans $11.5m $12,000,000$12.0m
131 Dawson Knox Mississippi Tight End Buffalo Bills $9.9m $12,000,000$12.0m
132 Frank Ragnow Arkansas Center Detroit Lions $11.9m $12,000,000$12.0m
133 Grant Delpit Louisiana State Safety Cleveland Browns $1.2m $12,000,000$12.0m
134 Darnell Mooney Tulane Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons $11.0m $11,980,000$12.0m
135 Uchenna Nwosu Southern California Outside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks $11.0m $11,510,000$11.5m
136 Austin Jackson Southern California Right Tackle Miami Dolphins $9.9m $11,500,000$11.5m
137 Azeez Al-Shaair Florida Atlantic Inside Linebacker Houston Texans $11.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
138 Dalton Schultz Stanford Tight End Houston Texans $11.0m $11,500,000$11.5m
139 Josh Jacobs Alabama Running Back Green Bay Packers $10.2m $11,500,000$11.5m
140 Shaq Mason Georgia Tech Guard Houston Texans $10.4m $10,950,000$10.9m
141 Elijah Chatman Southern Methodist Defensive Tackle New York Giants $10.8m $10,750,003$10.8m
142 Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Florida Safety Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $10,500,000$10.5m
143 Erik McCoy Texas A&M Center Tennessee Titans $10.0m $10,500,000$10.5m
144 Michael Carter II Duke Cornerback New York Jets $9.7m $10,250,000$10.2m
145 Cole Kmet Notre Dame Tight End Chicago Bears $8.9m $10,000,000$10.0m
146 Foyesade Oluokun Yale Inside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars $9.0m $10,000,000$10.0m
147 Kenny Moore Valdosta State Cornerback Indianapolis Colts $9.5m $10,000,000$10.0m
148 Matt Milano Boston College Outside Linebacker Buffalo Bills $9.4m $9,965,000$10.0m
149 Cesar Ruiz Michigan Guard Two clubs $9.5m $9,500,000$9.5m
150 Dorance Armstrong Kansas Defensive End Washington Commanders $8.6m $9,355,000$9.4m
151 Justin Jones North Carolina State Defensive Tackle Arizona Cardinals $7.5m $9,305,000$9.3m
152 Jon Runyan Michigan Guard New York Giants $9.0m $9,250,000$9.2m
153 Pat Freiermuth Penn State Tight End Pittsburgh Steelers $7.6m $9,100,000$9.1m
154 Julian Love Notre Dame Safety Seattle Seahawks $8.3m $9,000,000$9.0m
155 Michael Danna Michigan Defensive End Kansas City Chiefs $8.2m $9,000,000$9.0m
156 Frankie Luvu Washington State Outside Linebacker Washington Commanders $7.6m $8,995,000$9.0m
157 Bobby Okereke Stanford Inside Linebacker New York Giants $5.8m $8,950,000$9.0m
158 Taron Johnson Weber State Cornerback Buffalo Bills $8.1m $8,760,000$8.8m
159 A'Shawn Robinson Alabama Defensive End Carolina Panthers $7.6m $8,500,000$8.5m
160 Davon Godchaux Louisiana State Defensive Tackle New England Patriots $6.5m $8,500,000$8.5m
161 Hunter Henry Arkansas Tight End New England Patriots $7.2m $8,500,000$8.5m
162 Joe Mixon Oklahoma Running Back Houston Texans $8.0m $8,500,000$8.5m
163 DaVon Hamilton Ohio State Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars $7.4m $8,435,000$8.4m
164 Jordyn Brooks Texas Tech Inside Linebacker Miami Dolphins $7.8m $8,375,000$8.4m
165 Zach Sieler Ferris State Defensive End Miami Dolphins $7.6m $8,095,000$8.1m
166 Tyler Biadasz Wisconsin Center Washington Commanders $6.8m $8,050,000$8.0m
167 Curtis Samuel Ohio State Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills $6.5m $8,000,000$8.0m
168 Lloyd Cushenberry Louisiana State Center Tennessee Titans $6.5m $8,000,000$8.0m
169 Darnell Savage Maryland Safety Jacksonville Jaguars $7.0m $7,750,000$7.7m
170 Blake Cashman Minnesota Inside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings $6.9m $7,500,000$7.5m
171 D'Andre Swift Georgia Running Back Chicago Bears $6.4m $7,500,000$7.5m
172 Darious Williams Alabama-Birmingham Cornerback Los Angeles Rams $7.0m $7,500,000$7.5m
173 Harrison Phillips Stanford Defensive Tackle Minnesota Vikings $6.9m $7,500,000$7.5m
174 Jerry Jeudy Alabama Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns $1.5m $7,500,000$7.5m
175 Sean Bunting Central Michigan Cornerback Arizona Cardinals $7.2m $7,500,000$7.5m
176 Ezra Cleveland Boise State Guard Jacksonville Jaguars $6.8m $7,250,000$7.2m
177 Tony Pollard Memphis Running Back Tennessee Titans $6.7m $7,250,000$7.2m
178 Andre James California-Los Angeles Center Las Vegas Raiders $6.5m $7,120,000$7.1m
179 Zaire Franklin Syracuse Inside Linebacker Indianapolis Colts $6.2m $7,005,000$7.0m
180 Aaron Brewer Texas State Center Miami Dolphins $6.5m $7,000,000$7.0m
181 Colby Parkinson Stanford Tight End Los Angeles Rams $5.5m $7,000,000$7.0m
182 Graham Glasgow Michigan Guard Detroit Lions $6.5m $7,000,000$7.0m
183 Malik Hooker Ohio State Safety Dallas Cowboys $6.5m $7,000,000$7.0m
184 Roy Robertson-Harris Texas El-Paso Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars $5.8m $6,800,000$6.8m
185 Brandon Jones Texas Safety Denver Broncos $6.2m $6,750,000$6.8m
186 Jabrill Peppers Michigan Safety New England Patriots $5.1m $6,750,000$6.8m
187 Rashod Bateman Minnesota Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens $6.5m $6,750,000$6.8m
188 Logan Wilson Wyoming Outside Linebacker Cincinnati Bengals $6.0m $6,550,000$6.5m
189 Kendrick Bourne Eastern Washington Wide Receiver New England Patriots $5.5m $6,500,000$6.5m
190 Pete Werner Ohio State Outside Linebacker Two clubs $6.3m $6,250,000$6.3m
191 Bilal Nichols Delaware Defensive Tackle Arizona Cardinals $5.7m $6,000,000$6.0m
192 Drue Tranquill Notre Dame Outside Linebacker Kansas City Chiefs $5.2m $6,000,000$6.0m
193 Jake Elliott Memphis Kicker Philadelphia Eagles $1.3m $6,000,000$6.0m
194 Nick Allegretti Illinois Guard Washington Commanders $5.5m $6,000,000$6.0m
195 Rhamondre Stevenson Oklahoma Running Back New England Patriots $4.8m $6,000,000$6.0m
196 Bryce Young Alabama Quarterback Carolina Panthers $1.1m $5,925,692$5.9m
197 Harrison Butker Georgia Tech Kicker Kansas City Chiefs $5.8m $5,905,000$5.9m
198 C.J. Stroud Ohio State Quarterback Houston Texans $1.1m $5,697,170$5.7m
199 Hjalte Froholdt Arkansas Center Arizona Cardinals $4.8m $5,625,000$5.6m
200 Will Anderson Alabama Defensive End Houston Texans $1.1m $5,551,749$5.6m

The table holds the 200 biggest of the 760 players paid in 2026. 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 2026 money was made of

The season's payroll, split by kind of promise

Base salary 82.6%

  • Base salary 82.6%
  • Restructured money 7.4%
  • Option bonus 9.4%
  • Workout bonus 0.6%
What the money was What it means Share Paid in 2026
Base salary the weekly paycheque, and the part that stops the day a player is cut 82.6% $3,508,816,535$3.51bn
Option bonus paid to take up a season already written into the deal 9.4% $398,450,000$398.5m
Restructured money base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap 7.4% $312,465,227$312.5m
Workout bonus paid for turning up to the offseason programme 0.6% $27,354,500$27.4m

Base salary was 82.6% of the 2026 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 2026 sits 29.7 points away from the long-run split. Signing bonus and base salary each have a page of their own.

What every franchise paid in 2026

The season's outlay, club by club

32 franchises

# Franchise Players paid Biggest single payday Per player Paid in 2026
01 Miami Dolphins 24 Tua Tagovailoa $9.3m $222,065,703$222.1m
02 Philadelphia Eagles 27 Jalen Hurts $8.2m $220,272,548$220.3m
03 Green Bay Packers 28 Jordan Love $7.2m $202,430,545$202.4m
04 Detroit Lions 26 Jared Goff $6.7m $174,337,312$174.3m
05 Kansas City Chiefs 23 Patrick Mahomes $7.5m $172,551,713$172.6m
06 Buffalo Bills 25 Josh Allen $6.9m $171,327,311$171.3m
07 Jacksonville Jaguars 30 Trevor Lawrence $5.6m $168,535,415$168.5m
08 New York Giants 23 Daniel Jones $7.3m $168,296,591$168.3m
09 Baltimore Ravens 23 Lamar Jackson $7.0m $161,972,313$162.0m
10 San Francisco 49ers 22 Trent Williams $7.3m $161,037,269$161.0m
11 Minnesota Vikings 22 Justin Jefferson $7.2m $157,641,946$157.6m
12 Atlanta Falcons 21 Kirk Cousins $7.0m $147,618,794$147.6m
13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22 Baker Mayfield $6.5m $142,851,293$142.9m
14 Tennessee Titans 24 Calvin Ridley $5.7m $137,741,798$137.7m
15 Indianapolis Colts 23 Michael Pittman Jr. $5.9m $136,161,742$136.2m
16 Houston Texans 24 Laremy Tunsil $5.7m $135,642,974$135.6m
17 Los Angeles Rams 32 Matthew Stafford $4.1m $130,350,984$130.4m
18 Cleveland Browns 22 Myles Garrett $5.8m $128,371,140$128.4m
19 Dallas Cowboys 19 Dak Prescott $6.4m $121,939,254$121.9m
20 New England Patriots 31 Mike Onwenu $3.9m $121,592,388$121.6m
21 Chicago Bears 20 D.J. Moore $5.9m $118,824,801$118.8m
22 Las Vegas Raiders 24 Davante Adams $4.9m $116,672,403$116.7m
23 Arizona Cardinals 29 Kyler Murray $4.0m $115,421,980$115.4m
24 Pittsburgh Steelers 23 Minkah Fitzpatrick $4.2m $97,507,188$97.5m
25 Washington Commanders 21 Daron Payne $4.5m $95,054,203$95.1m
26 Carolina Panthers 21 Derrick Brown $4.5m $95,014,191$95.0m
27 Denver Broncos 19 Patrick Surtain II $4.6m $88,006,196$88.0m
28 Cincinnati Bengals 25 Joe Burrow $3.5m $87,515,514$87.5m
29 Los Angeles Chargers 21 Justin Herbert $3.5m $74,461,275$74.5m
30 Seattle Seahawks 21 Leonard Williams $3.2m $67,893,902$67.9m
31 New York Jets 22 Quinnen Williams $2.7m $58,647,369$58.6m
32 New Orleans Saints 1 Zach Wood $1.4m $1,400,000$1.4m

Miami Dolphins paid the most in 2026, $222,065,703 across 24 players. A further $136,571,712 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 2026

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

19 positions

Quarterback $804m Wide Receiver $510m Defensive Tackle $435m Cornerback $361m Defensive End $309m Guard $287m Outside Linebacker $263m Safety $246m Left Tackle $239m Right Tackle $237m Inside Linebacker $154m Running Back $145m Tight End $136m Center $106m Kicker $72m Punter $14m Long Snapper $12m Fullback $5.0m
Tackle $1.1m

Quarterbacks took 18.5% of the 2026 payroll across 37 players, which is $21.7m each against $5.4m 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 2026?

Patrick Mahomes, $56,750,000 at Kansas City Chiefs. That was 1.3% of everything the league paid out that season.

How much did the NFL pay its players in 2026?

$4,335,729,767 across 760 players, an average of $5,704,908 each. The 2026 payroll was 24.3% down on 2025, which paid $5,729,497,627.

Which team spent the most in 2026?

Miami Dolphins, $222,065,703 across 24 players.

What was the average NFL salary in 2026?

$5,704,908 across the 760 players paid that season, against a middle figure of $1,452,086. The gap between those two is the top of the league: the twenty biggest paydays of 2026 were 20.0% of the whole payroll.

How much of an NFL salary is base pay?

In 2026, 82.6% of it. Signing bonus was 0.0% 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 2025 season · NFL career earnings · The all-time list · Money under contract · By position · By franchise · By draft round

The biggest earners of 2026

Every season

By franchise

Elsewhere in American football