SALARYSPORT
★ 0
NFL · 52.9% OF ALL CONTRACT MONEY

NFL base salary by player

$25,355,800,321 paid by the week across 1,924 careers, 52.9% of everything the league has itemised.

Base salary is 52.9% of everything the league has itemised, so a bare majority of NFL money is the part that stops the day a player is cut. It is the part a club stops paying the moment it releases somebody, so a career built on base salary is one that lasted rather than one that was bet on. Kirk Cousins has drawn more of it than anybody, $251,496,600.

PAID BY THE WEEK $25.36bn
BIGGEST CAREER $251.5m
SHARE OF A CONTRACT 52.9%
CAREERS WITH ANY 1,924
OVER $100M 22

The twenty biggest base salary careers

Money drawn week by week, across a whole career

114 careers over $50m

Kirk Cousins $251m Dak Prescott $230m Patrick Mahomes $218m Jared Goff $200m Joe Burrow $175m Justin Herbert $175m Derek Carr $173m Lamar Jackson $172m Von Miller $158m Matthew Stafford $158m D.J. Moore $144m Tua Tagovailoa $141m Chris Jones $138m Tristan Wirfs $136m Kyler Murray $136m Davante Adams $128m Trevor Lawrence $128m Russell Wilson $126m Brian Burns $117m Daniel Jones $116m

This is the list that rewards longevity. A player has to be on a roster in September to draw base salary and on it again in December to draw the rest of it, so twelve ordinary seasons beat four enormous ones here in a way they do not on the signing bonus list.

Every career with base salary on it

Ranked by what was drawn week by week

1,924 careers

# Player Position Franchise Seasons Share of career Base salary
001 Kirk Cousins Michigan State Quarterback Atlanta Falcons 16 61.1% $251,496,600$251.5m
002 Dak Prescott Mississippi State Quarterback Dallas Cowboys 13 52.7% $230,104,000$230.1m
003 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs 15 43.8% $218,105,556$218.1m
004 Jared Goff California Quarterback Detroit Lions 13 49.8% $200,088,364$200.1m
005 Joe Burrow Louisiana State Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals 10 51.4% $175,223,878$175.2m
006 Justin Herbert Oregon Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers 10 54.9% $174,964,375$175.0m
007 Derek Carr Fresno State Quarterback New Orleans Saints 13 60.4% $172,652,519$172.7m
008 Lamar Jackson Louisville Quarterback Baltimore Ravens 10 58.9% $172,019,176$172.0m
009 Von Miller Texas A&M Defensive End Buffalo Bills 17 62.4% $158,307,992$158.3m
010 Matthew Stafford Georgia Quarterback Los Angeles Rams 18 37.0% $157,935,000$157.9m
011 D.J. Moore Maryland Wide Receiver Chicago Bears 12 75.0% $143,556,722$143.6m
012 Tua Tagovailoa Alabama Quarterback Miami Dolphins 9 53.6% $140,866,000$140.9m
013 Chris Jones Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Kansas City Chiefs 13 51.8% $138,317,095$138.3m
014 Tristan Wirfs Iowa Left Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 77.9% $136,421,913$136.4m
015 Kyler Murray Oklahoma Quarterback Arizona Cardinals 10 46.9% $136,320,000$136.3m
016 Davante Adams Fresno State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders 13 64.2% $128,452,746$128.5m
017 Trevor Lawrence Clemson Quarterback Jacksonville Jaguars 10 38.0% $128,266,000$128.3m
018 Russell Wilson Wisconsin Quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers 13 41.3% $126,250,651$126.3m
019 Brian Burns Florida State Outside Linebacker New York Giants 10 69.9% $117,184,778$117.2m
020 Daniel Jones Duke Quarterback New York Giants 8 62.4% $116,065,000$116.1m
021 Trent Williams Oklahoma Left Tackle San Francisco 49ers 17 42.2% $104,992,469$105.0m
022 Andrew Thomas Georgia Left Tackle New York Giants 10 64.7% $102,261,524$102.3m
023 Amon-Ra St. Brown Southern California Wide Receiver Detroit Lions 8 79.0% $98,361,000$98.4m
024 Justin Jefferson Louisiana State Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings 9 56.0% $95,793,946$95.8m
025 Nick Bosa Ohio State Defensive End San Francisco 49ers 10 43.1% $94,788,412$94.8m
026 Penei Sewell Oregon Right Tackle Detroit Lions 9 60.9% $94,511,000$94.5m
027 CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys 9 54.4% $89,251,912$89.3m
028 Montez Sweat Mississippi State Defensive End Chicago Bears 9 86.2% $87,393,777$87.4m
029 Jaylen Waddle Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins 8 67.8% $85,315,000$85.3m
030 Jordan Love Utah St Quarterback Green Bay Packers 9 34.1% $84,628,652$84.6m
031 Calvin Ridley Alabama Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans 9 74.8% $83,968,922$84.0m
032 Jeffery Simmons Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans 9 72.9% $83,936,750$83.9m
033 Taylor Decker Ohio State Left Tackle Detroit Lions 12 61.7% $83,780,995$83.8m
034 Josh Allen Wyoming Quarterback Buffalo Bills 11 27.3% $82,525,000$82.5m
035 T.J. Watt Wisconsin Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers 9 62.5% $82,485,064$82.5m
036 Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois Quarterback Los Angeles Rams 12 54.2% $82,111,552$82.1m
037 Derrick Brown Auburn Defensive Tackle Carolina Panthers 9 64.1% $80,947,201$80.9m
038 Christian Wilkins Clemson Defensive Tackle Las Vegas Raiders 9 59.7% $80,443,664$80.4m
039 Quinnen Williams Alabama Defensive Tackle New York Jets 9 59.6% $80,249,590$80.2m
040 Calais Campbell Miami (FL) Defensive End Miami Dolphins 17 55.7% $80,080,000$80.1m
041 Laremy Tunsil Mississippi Left Tackle Houston Texans 11 49.1% $79,972,541$80.0m
042 Aaron Rodgers California Quarterback New York Jets 21 19.1% $79,865,000$79.9m
043 Maxx Crosby Eastern Michigan Defensive End Las Vegas Raiders 8 75.8% $78,546,000$78.5m
044 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 50.5% $78,478,556$78.5m
045 Joshua Hines-Allen Kentucky Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars 10 45.4% $78,324,538$78.3m
046 Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech Left Tackle Minnesota Vikings 9 61.6% $77,815,928$77.8m
047 Trevon Diggs Alabama Cornerback Dallas Cowboys 9 77.6% $77,696,526$77.7m
048 Harrison Smith Notre Dame Safety Minnesota Vikings 15 63.7% $77,554,874$77.6m
049 Robert Hunt Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Carolina Panthers 9 70.6% $77,396,874$77.4m
050 Grady Jarrett Clemson Defensive Tackle Atlanta Falcons 11 62.9% $76,953,000$77.0m
051 Keenan Allen California Wide Receiver Chicago Bears 12 56.9% $75,780,529$75.8m
052 Chris Lindstrom Boston College Guard Atlanta Falcons 10 57.4% $74,991,403$75.0m
053 A.J. Terrell Clemson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons 9 69.3% $74,685,568$74.7m
054 Bradley Chubb North Carolina State Outside Linebacker Miami Dolphins 10 54.0% $72,831,556$72.8m
055 Patrick Surtain II Alabama Cornerback Denver Broncos 9 53.2% $72,262,000$72.3m
056 Leonard Williams Southern California Defensive End Seattle Seahawks 12 41.1% $71,464,219$71.5m
057 Andy Dalton Texas Christian Quarterback Carolina Panthers 14 63.0% $69,667,054$69.7m
058 DeForest Buckner Oregon Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts 11 42.8% $68,718,000$68.7m
059 Mike McGlinchey Notre Dame Right Tackle Denver Broncos 10 59.2% $68,705,000$68.7m
060 Jalen Ramsey Florida State Cornerback Miami Dolphins 13 33.0% $68,284,895$68.3m
061 Daron Payne Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders 9 60.9% $67,851,280$67.9m
062 Amari Cooper Alabama Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns 9 57.3% $66,907,235$66.9m
063 Antoine Winfield Jr. Minnesota Safety Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8 71.6% $66,436,434$66.4m
064 Lavonte David Nebraska Inside Linebacker Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 70.3% $66,371,836$66.4m
065 Brandon Aiyuk Arizona State Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers 9 45.8% $65,791,638$65.8m
066 Jake Matthews Texas A&M Left Tackle Atlanta Falcons 13 41.3% $65,528,823$65.5m
067 Roquan Smith Georgia Inside Linebacker Baltimore Ravens 10 50.7% $65,254,871$65.3m
068 Jawaan Taylor Florida Right Tackle Kansas City Chiefs 8 72.7% $64,923,670$64.9m
069 Terence Steele Texas Tech Right Tackle Dallas Cowboys 9 75.4% $64,714,000$64.7m
070 Dexter Lawrence Clemson Defensive Tackle New York Giants 9 60.2% $64,673,104$64.7m
071 Tremaine Edmunds Virginia Tech Inside Linebacker Chicago Bears 9 65.7% $64,188,603$64.2m
072 Christian Barmore Alabama Defensive Tackle New England Patriots 8 73.6% $62,964,248$63.0m
073 Jack Conklin Michigan State Right Tackle Cleveland Browns 11 55.1% $62,800,725$62.8m
074 Dion Dawkins Temple Left Tackle Buffalo Bills 11 51.7% $62,672,549$62.7m
075 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers 11 50.1% $62,391,000$62.4m
076 Harold Landry Boston College Outside Linebacker Tennessee Titans 9 65.4% $62,291,230$62.3m
077 Quenton Nelson Notre Dame Guard Indianapolis Colts 9 52.4% $62,283,059$62.3m
078 Bobby Wagner Utah State Inside Linebacker Washington Commanders 13 57.9% $62,194,854$62.2m
079 Danielle Hunter Louisiana State Defensive End Houston Texans 11 43.8% $61,864,000$61.9m
080 Stephon Gilmore South Carolina Cornerback Minnesota Vikings 14 50.6% $60,937,678$60.9m
081 Jonathan Greenard Florida Outside Linebacker Minnesota Vikings 8 77.1% $60,641,574$60.6m
082 Joey Bosa Ohio State Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers 10 36.0% $60,505,000$60.5m
083 DeAndre Hopkins Clemson Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans 15 42.6% $60,273,338$60.3m
084 Mike Evans Texas A&M Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12 39.5% $59,820,774$59.8m
085 Creed Humphrey Oklahoma Center Kansas City Chiefs 8 74.3% $59,458,892$59.5m
086 Nico Collins Michigan Wide Receiver Houston Texans 7 76.7% $58,969,465$59.0m
087 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams 10 43.8% $58,479,000$58.5m
088 L'Jarius Sneed Louisiana Tech Cornerback Tennessee Titans 8 73.8% $58,281,529$58.3m
089 Rashan Gary Michigan Defensive End Green Bay Packers 9 48.3% $58,130,954$58.1m
090 Minkah Fitzpatrick Alabama Safety Pittsburgh Steelers 9 57.6% $58,002,557$58.0m
091 Denzel Ward Ohio State Cornerback Cleveland Browns 10 41.1% $57,932,698$57.9m
092 Jaylon Johnson Utah Cornerback Chicago Bears 8 69.7% $57,605,105$57.6m
093 Brian O'Neill Pittsburgh Right Tackle Minnesota Vikings 9 59.2% $57,351,461$57.4m
094 Travis Kelce Cincinnati Tight End Kansas City Chiefs 13 51.8% $57,303,333$57.3m
095 Joe Flacco Delaware Quarterback Indianapolis Colts 20 31.7% $57,071,244$57.1m
096 Vita Vea Washington Defensive Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 62.2% $56,577,974$56.6m
097 DeMarcus Lawrence Boise State Defensive End Dallas Cowboys 11 43.3% $55,173,201$55.2m
098 Samuel Cosmi Texas Guard Washington Commanders 8 69.4% $54,999,486$55.0m
099 Kolton Miller California-Los Angeles Left Tackle Las Vegas Raiders 8 69.8% $54,789,999$54.8m
100 Quinn Meinerz Wisconsin-Whitewater Guard Denver Broncos 8 70.7% $54,693,616$54.7m
101 Nnamdi Madubuike Texas A&M Defensive Tackle Baltimore Ravens 8 52.1% $54,359,814$54.4m
102 Marcus Williams Utah Safety Baltimore Ravens 10 61.4% $54,288,938$54.3m
103 Michael Pittman Jr. Southern California Wide Receiver Indianapolis Colts 7 67.4% $53,948,067$53.9m
104 Ed Oliver Houston Defensive Tackle Buffalo Bills 9 55.4% $53,898,950$53.9m
105 Terron Armstead Arkansas-Pine Bluff Left Tackle Miami Dolphins 14 39.5% $53,820,000$53.8m
106 Odell Beckham, Jr. Louisiana State Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins 10 52.8% $53,549,524$53.5m
107 Joe Thuney North Carolina State Guard Kansas City Chiefs 10 53.4% $53,371,000$53.4m
108 Bud Dupree Kentucky Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers 12 67.2% $53,005,168$53.0m
109 Braden Smith Auburn Right Tackle Indianapolis Colts 8 67.3% $52,853,958$52.9m
110 Garett Bolles Utah Left Tackle Denver Broncos 8 66.6% $52,618,701$52.6m
111 Derwin James Florida State Safety Los Angeles Chargers 9 53.4% $52,350,806$52.4m
112 Jerry Hughes Texas Christian Defensive End Houston Texans 15 57.8% $52,325,000$52.3m
113 Brandon Scherff Iowa Guard Jacksonville Jaguars 10 47.6% $52,286,000$52.3m
114 Jonathan Allen Alabama Defensive Tackle Washington Commanders 9 56.6% $51,589,177$51.6m
115 Kevin Zeitler Wisconsin Guard Detroit Lions 13 54.2% $49,637,508$49.6m
116 Kenny Moore Valdosta State Cornerback Indianapolis Colts 10 75.6% $49,635,000$49.6m
117 Trey Hendrickson Florida Atlantic Defensive End Cincinnati Bengals 9 59.3% $49,536,000$49.5m
118 Justin Simmons Boston College Safety Atlanta Falcons 9 70.2% $49,304,769$49.3m
119 Marlon Humphrey Alabama Cornerback Baltimore Ravens 10 41.0% $49,196,132$49.2m
120 Joel Bitonio Nevada Guard Cleveland Browns 12 45.6% $48,897,496$48.9m
121 Hunter Henry Arkansas Tight End New England Patriots 11 62.9% $48,797,084$48.8m
122 T.J. Hockenson Iowa Tight End Minnesota Vikings 9 52.2% $48,690,889$48.7m
123 Tyron Smith Southern California Left Tackle New York Jets 14 38.6% $48,422,026$48.4m
124 Alex Highsmith Charlotte Outside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers 8 65.4% $48,378,518$48.4m
125 Jaire Alexander Louisville Cornerback Green Bay Packers 9 45.0% $48,252,521$48.3m
126 Cam Robinson Alabama Left Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars 8 70.6% $48,222,490$48.2m
127 Kenny Clark California-Los Angeles Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers 12 32.4% $47,693,176$47.7m
128 Tyreek Hill West Alabama Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins 11 26.5% $47,550,000$47.5m
129 Frank Ragnow Arkansas Center Detroit Lions 9 60.3% $47,507,023$47.5m
130 Orlando Brown Jr. Oklahoma Left Tackle Cincinnati Bengals 9 56.0% $47,403,000$47.4m
131 C.J. Mosley Alabama Inside Linebacker New York Jets 12 46.0% $47,374,730$47.4m
132 Jessie Bates III Wake Forest Safety Atlanta Falcons 9 56.4% $47,308,702$47.3m
133 Grover Stewart Albany State Defensive Tackle Indianapolis Colts 10 67.3% $46,653,000$46.7m
134 Cameron Heyward Ohio State Defensive End Pittsburgh Steelers 16 29.0% $46,593,644$46.6m
135 Tyrann Mathieu Louisiana State Safety New Orleans Saints 13 44.1% $46,200,000$46.2m
136 Tyrod Taylor Virginia Tech Quarterback New York Jets 15 55.8% $46,090,000$46.1m
137 Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin Right Tackle New Orleans Saints 10 43.4% $46,083,186$46.1m
138 Budda Baker Washington Safety Arizona Cardinals 8 67.0% $45,626,365$45.6m
139 Cole Kmet Notre Dame Tight End Chicago Bears 8 76.8% $45,456,333$45.5m
140 Spencer Brown Northern Iowa Right Tackle Buffalo Bills 8 59.1% $45,435,277$45.4m
141 Carson Wentz North Dakota State Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs 9 33.5% $44,075,562$44.1m
142 Dalton Schultz Stanford Tight End Houston Texans 9 77.0% $43,414,000$43.4m
143 Jamel Dean Auburn Cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8 77.9% $43,140,000$43.1m
144 Fred Warner Brigham Young Inside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers 9 43.1% $42,976,137$43.0m
145 Marshon Lattimore Ohio State Cornerback New Orleans Saints 10 34.8% $42,863,972$42.9m
146 Chidobe Awuzie Colorado Cornerback Tennessee Titans 10 71.0% $42,648,252$42.6m
147 Matt Judon Grand Valley State Outside Linebacker Atlanta Falcons 9 58.1% $42,631,333$42.6m
148 Jadeveon Clowney South Carolina Outside Linebacker Carolina Panthers 12 41.3% $42,426,000$42.4m
149 Arik Armstead Oregon Defensive End Jacksonville Jaguars 12 34.4% $42,405,354$42.4m
150 Chris Godwin Penn State Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8 52.3% $42,169,500$42.2m
151 Tytus Howard Alabama State Right Tackle Houston Texans 8 52.3% $41,641,242$41.6m
152 Cameron Jordan California Defensive End New Orleans Saints 15 27.5% $41,247,564$41.2m
153 Damien Lewis Louisiana State Guard Carolina Panthers 8 70.9% $41,186,473$41.2m
154 Trenton Brown Florida Right Tackle Cincinnati Bengals 10 60.0% $40,732,000$40.7m
155 Elgton Jenkins Mississippi State Guard Green Bay Packers 8 54.2% $40,729,670$40.7m
156 Denico Autry Mississippi State Defensive Tackle Houston Texans 12 68.9% $40,454,058$40.5m
157 Shaq Mason Georgia Tech Guard Houston Texans 12 48.6% $40,162,000$40.2m
158 Kyle Dugger Lenoir-Rhyne Safety New England Patriots 8 63.9% $39,959,169$40.0m
159 Preston Smith Mississippi State Defensive End Green Bay Packers 12 39.1% $39,631,187$39.6m
160 Alvin Kamara Tennessee Running Back New Orleans Saints 9 49.8% $39,275,500$39.3m
161 Kendall Fuller Virginia Tech Cornerback Miami Dolphins 10 65.5% $38,855,000$38.9m
162 Derrick Henry Alabama Running Back Baltimore Ravens 10 53.2% $38,484,890$38.5m
163 Darious Williams Alabama-Birmingham Cornerback Los Angeles Rams 9 78.3% $38,424,820$38.4m
164 Marcedes Lewis California-Los Angeles Tight End Chicago Bears 19 59.1% $38,300,000$38.3m
165 Marcus Mariota Oregon Quarterback Washington Commanders 10 50.3% $37,757,000$37.8m
166 Pat Freiermuth Penn State Tight End Pittsburgh Steelers 8 69.2% $37,684,048$37.7m
167 Josh Jacobs Alabama Running Back Green Bay Packers 9 55.1% $37,595,558$37.6m
168 Curtis Samuel Ohio State Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills 10 59.2% $37,558,792$37.6m
169 D.J. Reader Clemson Defensive Tackle Detroit Lions 10 48.9% $37,495,000$37.5m
170 Tyson Campbell Georgia Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars 8 44.3% $37,325,332$37.3m
171 Dalvin Tomlinson Alabama Defensive Tackle Cleveland Browns 10 46.3% $37,296,937$37.3m
172 Christian Kirk Texas A&M Wide Receiver Jacksonville Jaguars 8 46.9% $37,256,845$37.3m
173 Tyler Lockett Kansas State Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks 11 35.5% $36,942,000$36.9m
174 Geno Smith West Virginia Quarterback Seattle Seahawks 13 39.8% $36,753,164$36.8m
175 Jonathan Taylor Wisconsin Running Back Indianapolis Colts 7 72.7% $36,403,611$36.4m
176 Linval Joseph East Carolina Defensive Tackle Dallas Cowboys 15 49.4% $36,045,000$36.0m
177 Emmanuel Ogbah Oklahoma State Defensive End Miami Dolphins 9 63.3% $35,827,629$35.8m
178 Erik McCoy Texas A&M Center New Orleans Saints 9 52.7% $35,629,951$35.6m
179 Terry McLaurin Ohio State Wide Receiver Washington Commanders 7 49.5% $35,555,451$35.6m
180 Mike Onwenu Michigan Right Tackle New England Patriots 7 58.0% $35,278,000$35.3m
181 Ryan Kelly Alabama Center Indianapolis Colts 9 51.5% $35,000,268$35.0m
182 Robert Woods Southern California Wide Receiver Houston Texans 12 40.5% $34,870,634$34.9m
183 Joe Mixon Oklahoma Running Back Houston Texans 10 55.7% $34,795,205$34.8m
184 Courtland Sutton Southern Methodist Wide Receiver Denver Broncos 8 52.5% $34,765,989$34.8m
185 Carl Granderson Wyoming Defensive End New Orleans Saints 9 58.6% $34,765,000$34.8m
186 Cesar Ruiz Michigan Guard New Orleans Saints 8 60.7% $34,397,966$34.4m
187 Tyler Boyd Pittsburgh Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans 9 70.0% $34,251,537$34.3m
188 Matt Milano Boston College Outside Linebacker Buffalo Bills 10 46.9% $34,146,764$34.1m
189 George Fant Western Kentucky Right Tackle Seattle Seahawks 10 76.7% $34,108,000$34.1m
190 Harrison Butker Georgia Tech Kicker Kansas City Chiefs 12 70.1% $33,976,552$34.0m
191 Case Keenum Houston Quarterback Houston Texans 13 61.2% $33,448,941$33.4m
192 Khalil Mack Buffalo Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers 11 19.7% $33,336,000$33.3m
193 Kaleb McGary Washington Right Tackle Atlanta Falcons 7 73.5% $33,279,750$33.3m
194 Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame Left Tackle Baltimore Ravens 9 30.8% $33,277,636$33.3m
195 Lloyd Cushenberry Louisiana State Center Tennessee Titans 8 60.6% $33,067,908$33.1m
196 Graham Gano Florida State Kicker New York Giants 18 57.3% $33,043,299$33.0m
197 Uchenna Nwosu Southern California Outside Linebacker Seattle Seahawks 9 47.8% $32,730,794$32.7m
198 Jonah Williams Alabama Right Tackle Arizona Cardinals 7 55.1% $32,672,226$32.7m
199 Justin Tucker Texas Kicker Baltimore Ravens 16 50.4% $32,591,000$32.6m
200 Foyesade Oluokun Yale Inside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars 10 42.1% $32,563,000$32.6m
201 Stefon Diggs Maryland Wide Receiver Houston Texans 10 23.8% $32,522,000$32.5m
202 Graham Glasgow Michigan Guard Detroit Lions 11 60.1% $32,432,000$32.4m
203 Mitch Morse Missouri Center Jacksonville Jaguars 11 47.8% $32,319,478$32.3m
204 DaQuan Jones Penn State Defensive Tackle Buffalo Bills 11 62.6% $32,087,000$32.1m
205 Brandon Graham Michigan Outside Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles 15 32.7% $31,978,000$32.0m
206 William Gholston Michigan State Defensive End Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12 80.2% $31,881,000$31.9m
207 Brandin Cooks Oregon State Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys 11 27.3% $31,853,686$31.9m
208 Jimmie Ward Northern Illinois Safety Houston Texans 12 49.3% $31,678,891$31.7m
209 Jonah Jackson Ohio State Guard Los Angeles Rams 7 54.3% $31,476,104$31.5m
210 Jabrill Peppers Michigan Safety New England Patriots 11 65.3% $31,440,542$31.4m
211 Ben Powers Oklahoma Guard Denver Broncos 8 55.6% $31,165,000$31.2m
212 Matt Prater Central Florida Kicker Arizona Cardinals 18 67.9% $30,548,529$30.5m
213 Sam Hubbard Ohio State Defensive End Cincinnati Bengals 8 67.8% $30,019,176$30.0m
214 Mike Williams Clemson Wide Receiver New York Jets 8 35.5% $29,928,172$29.9m
215 Zaire Franklin Syracuse Inside Linebacker Indianapolis Colts 10 71.3% $29,410,000$29.4m
216 Kelvin Beachum Southern Methodist Right Tackle Arizona Cardinals 13 66.6% $29,407,000$29.4m
217 Xavier McKinney Alabama Safety Green Bay Packers 8 39.2% $29,178,461$29.2m
218 Tre'Davious White Louisiana State Cornerback Los Angeles Rams 8 42.3% $29,089,394$29.1m
219 Morgan Moses Virginia Right Tackle New York Jets 11 60.2% $29,045,000$29.0m
220 Eddie Jackson Alabama Safety Baltimore Ravens 8 56.8% $28,965,000$29.0m
221 Darius Slay Mississippi State Cornerback Philadelphia Eagles 13 23.0% $28,887,538$28.9m
222 Kevin Byard Middle Tennessee State Safety Chicago Bears 10 40.2% $28,858,688$28.9m
223 Taron Johnson Weber State Cornerback Buffalo Bills 10 50.1% $28,807,346$28.8m
224 Landon Dickerson Alabama Guard Philadelphia Eagles 8 24.3% $28,710,455$28.7m
225 Micah Parsons Penn State Defensive End Dallas Cowboys 5 74.5% $28,622,124$28.6m
226 Jameis Winston Florida State Quarterback Cleveland Browns 10 37.6% $28,604,588$28.6m
227 Azeez Al-Shaair Florida Atlantic Inside Linebacker Houston Texans 8 66.8% $28,586,000$28.6m
228 A'Shawn Robinson Alabama Defensive End Carolina Panthers 11 58.8% $28,530,884$28.5m
229 Kyle Juszczyk Harvard Fullback San Francisco 49ers 13 62.0% $28,415,000$28.4m
230 Andre James California-Los Angeles Center Las Vegas Raiders 8 77.6% $28,090,000$28.1m
231 David Njoku Miami (FL) Tight End Cleveland Browns 9 41.3% $28,045,754$28.0m
232 Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State Running Back Dallas Cowboys 9 37.5% $27,946,081$27.9m
233 Tee Higgins Clemson Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals 5 87.2% $27,823,562$27.8m
234 Mark Andrews Oklahoma Tight End Baltimore Ravens 8 43.8% $27,774,500$27.8m
235 Christian McCaffrey Stanford Running Back San Francisco 49ers 11 22.1% $27,601,085$27.6m
236 Tashaun Gipson Wyoming Safety Jacksonville Jaguars 14 61.7% $27,598,774$27.6m
237 Austin Jackson Southern California Right Tackle Miami Dolphins 7 57.5% $27,590,116$27.6m
238 Kevin Dotson Louisiana-Lafayette Guard Los Angeles Rams 7 51.0% $27,535,000$27.5m
239 Zach Ertz Stanford Tight End Washington Commanders 12 37.6% $27,415,387$27.4m
240 Justin Jones North Carolina State Defensive Tackle Arizona Cardinals 9 57.5% $27,313,893$27.3m
241 Tony Pollard Memphis Running Back Tennessee Titans 8 79.6% $27,296,000$27.3m
242 Darnell Mooney Tulane Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons 7 63.3% $27,248,000$27.2m
243 Dante Fowler Jr. Florida Defensive End Washington Commanders 10 41.4% $27,099,303$27.1m
244 Rhamondre Stevenson Oklahoma Running Back New England Patriots 8 73.3% $27,041,000$27.0m
245 Julian Love Notre Dame Safety Seattle Seahawks 9 56.4% $27,025,000$27.0m
246 Nelson Agholor Southern California Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens 10 54.9% $26,969,466$27.0m
247 Jason Myers Marist Kicker Seattle Seahawks 12 70.1% $26,932,056$26.9m
248 Sheldon Rankins Louisville Defensive Tackle Cincinnati Bengals 10 43.2% $26,881,359$26.9m
249 Jon Runyan Michigan Guard New York Giants 7 74.1% $26,778,000$26.8m
250 Cordarrelle Patterson Tennessee Running Back Pittsburgh Steelers 13 58.5% $26,759,378$26.8m
251 Taylor Moton Western Michigan Right Tackle Carolina Panthers 9 29.7% $26,709,042$26.7m
252 Roy Robertson-Harris Texas El-Paso Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars 11 55.3% $26,674,000$26.7m
253 Kendrick Bourne Eastern Washington Wide Receiver New England Patriots 10 69.1% $26,474,000$26.5m
254 Eric Kendricks California-Los Angeles Inside Linebacker Dallas Cowboys 10 47.9% $26,346,160$26.3m
255 Rashawn Slater Northwestern Left Tackle Los Angeles Chargers 5 73.5% $26,215,934$26.2m
256 Patrick Queen Louisiana State Inside Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers 7 48.7% $25,996,819$26.0m
257 Sam Darnold Southern California Quarterback Minnesota Vikings 7 40.8% $25,978,000$26.0m
258 Dawson Knox Mississippi Tight End Buffalo Bills 8 49.1% $25,848,236$25.8m
259 Maliek Collins Nebraska Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers 10 37.6% $25,802,500$25.8m
260 Adam Thielen Minnesota-Mankato Wide Receiver Carolina Panthers 11 31.3% $25,749,529$25.7m
261 Ka'imi Fairbairn California-Los Angeles Kicker Houston Texans 11 67.8% $25,520,256$25.5m
262 Ja'Marr Chase Louisiana State Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals 5 48.1% $25,296,000$25.3m
263 Rob Havenstein Wisconsin Right Tackle Los Angeles Rams 11 34.6% $25,142,733$25.1m
264 Logan Wilson Wyoming Outside Linebacker Cincinnati Bengals 8 60.4% $25,047,398$25.0m
265 Demario Davis Arkansas State Inside Linebacker New Orleans Saints 14 31.6% $24,967,000$25.0m
266 Dorance Armstrong Kansas Defensive End Washington Commanders 9 53.0% $24,940,000$24.9m
267 Michael Carter II Duke Cornerback New York Jets 7 70.7% $24,883,500$24.9m
268 Leonard Floyd Georgia Defensive End San Francisco 49ers 10 29.1% $24,879,417$24.9m
269 Nate Davis North Carolina Charlotte Guard Chicago Bears 7 71.9% $24,810,000$24.8m
270 Jonathan Jones Auburn Cornerback New England Patriots 9 57.5% $24,740,000$24.7m
271 Dre'Mont Jones Ohio State Defensive End Seattle Seahawks 7 44.2% $24,721,200$24.7m
272 Sean Bunting Central Michigan Cornerback Arizona Cardinals 8 67.4% $24,695,819$24.7m
273 Zack Martin Notre Dame Guard Dallas Cowboys 12 21.7% $24,531,764$24.5m
274 D.K. Metcalf Mississippi Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks 7 30.7% $24,455,371$24.5m
275 Justin Reid Stanford Safety Kansas City Chiefs 7 65.6% $24,402,936$24.4m
276 Davon Godchaux Louisiana State Defensive Tackle New England Patriots 10 44.1% $24,298,000$24.3m
277 Gardner Minshew Washington State Quarterback Las Vegas Raiders 7 69.7% $24,165,000$24.2m
278 Alex Cappa Humboldt State Guard Cincinnati Bengals 8 62.8% $24,028,000$24.0m
279 D.J. Jones Mississippi Defensive Tackle Denver Broncos 8 67.5% $24,015,000$24.0m
280 Cody Whitehair Kansas State Center Las Vegas Raiders 9 50.4% $23,962,155$24.0m
281 Harrison Phillips Stanford Defensive Tackle Minnesota Vikings 9 64.0% $23,930,833$23.9m
282 Samson Ebukam Eastern Washington Defensive End Indianapolis Colts 9 60.9% $23,868,000$23.9m
283 Frankie Luvu Washington State Outside Linebacker Washington Commanders 9 57.2% $23,542,349$23.5m
284 Amani Hooker Iowa Safety Tennessee Titans 7 68.7% $23,510,000$23.5m
285 Austin Ekeler Western State Colorado Running Back Washington Commanders 9 67.5% $23,375,000$23.4m
286 Noah Fant Iowa Tight End Seattle Seahawks 7 58.7% $23,243,834$23.2m
287 Saquon Barkley Penn State Running Back Philadelphia Eagles 9 26.8% $23,130,943$23.1m
288 Michael Davis Brigham Young Cornerback Washington Commanders 8 71.0% $23,030,765$23.0m
289 Bilal Nichols Delaware Defensive Tackle Arizona Cardinals 9 64.2% $22,818,000$22.8m
290 George Kittle Iowa Tight End San Francisco 49ers 9 30.0% $22,773,000$22.8m
291 Thomas Morstead Southern Methodist Punter New York Jets 16 58.8% $22,676,056$22.7m
292 Zach Sieler Ferris State Defensive End Miami Dolphins 9 56.6% $22,666,765$22.7m
293 Jakobi Meyers North Carolina State Wide Receiver Las Vegas Raiders 7 58.4% $22,586,000$22.6m
294 Jordyn Brooks Texas Tech Inside Linebacker Miami Dolphins 7 60.1% $22,531,984$22.5m
295 Malik Hooker Ohio State Safety Dallas Cowboys 10 56.2% $22,447,509$22.4m
296 D'Andre Swift Georgia Running Back Chicago Bears 7 72.1% $22,438,794$22.4m
297 James Daniels Iowa Guard Pittsburgh Steelers 7 64.8% $22,320,749$22.3m
298 Alijah Vera-Tucker Southern California Guard New York Jets 5 71.4% $22,285,280$22.3m
299 Deebo Samuel South Carolina Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers 7 27.6% $22,255,640$22.3m
300 DeMarcus Walker Florida State Defensive End Chicago Bears 9 76.6% $22,128,780$22.1m

The table holds the 300 biggest of 1,924 careers with base salary on them, and the share column is the same number the signing bonus page ranks the other way up. The all-time list ranks every career on everything it was paid.

The careers that are almost all base salary

Base salary as a share of everything a player was paid

Careers over $20.0m

# Player Position Base Earned Share
01 Tee Higgins Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver $27.8m $31.9m 87.2%
02 Montez Sweat Chicago Bears Defensive End $87.4m $96.1m 86.2%
03 Daniel Carlson Las Vegas Raiders Kicker $19.2m $23.5m 81.5%
04 William Gholston Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive End $31.9m $39.7m 80.2%
05 Tony Pollard Tennessee Titans Running Back $27.3m $35.8m 79.6%
06 Alex Singleton Denver Broncos Inside Linebacker $15.8m $21.1m 79.0%
07 Amon-Ra St. Brown Detroit Lions Wide Receiver $98.4m $66.6m 79.0%
08 Darious Williams Los Angeles Rams Cornerback $38.4m $49.4m 78.3%
09 Aaron Brewer Miami Dolphins Center $20.4m $27.3m 78.2%
10 Tristan Wirfs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Left Tackle $136.4m $94.5m 77.9%
11 Jamel Dean Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cornerback $43.1m $57.3m 77.9%
12 Bradley Pinion Atlanta Falcons Punter $15.6m $20.8m 77.6%
13 Trevon Diggs Dallas Cowboys Cornerback $77.7m $63.6m 77.6%
14 Andre James Las Vegas Raiders Center $28.1m $37.7m 77.6%
15 Odafe Oweh Baltimore Ravens Outside Linebacker $19.0m $24.6m 77.2%
16 Jonathan Greenard Minnesota Vikings Outside Linebacker $60.6m $61.7m 77.1%
17 Dalton Schultz Houston Texans Tight End $43.4m $58.1m 77.0%
18 Cole Kmet Chicago Bears Tight End $45.5m $49.2m 76.8%
19 Greg Rousseau Buffalo Bills Defensive End $19.2m $25.0m 76.8%
20 Nico Collins Houston Texans Wide Receiver $59.0m $57.5m 76.7%
21 George Fant Seattle Seahawks Right Tackle $34.1m $45.6m 76.7%
22 DeMarcus Walker Chicago Bears Defensive End $22.1m $28.9m 76.6%
23 Jason Sanders Miami Dolphins Kicker $19.0m $24.9m 76.3%
24 Maxx Crosby Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End $78.5m $106.3m 75.8%
25 Kenny Moore Indianapolis Colts Cornerback $49.6m $67.9m 75.6%
26 Tress Way Washington Commanders Punter $17.0m $22.5m 75.6%
27 Terence Steele Dallas Cowboys Right Tackle $64.7m $55.1m 75.4%
28 Pete Werner New Orleans Saints Outside Linebacker $21.2m $21.7m 75.2%
29 Mo Alie-Cox Indianapolis Colts Tight End $16.5m $23.0m 75.1%
30 Anthony Brown Carolina Panthers Cornerback $15.6m $20.8m 75.1%
31 Payton Turner New Orleans Saints Defensive End $19.4m $25.9m 75.0%
32 D.J. Moore Chicago Bears Wide Receiver $143.6m $120.9m 75.0%
33 Calvin Ridley Tennessee Titans Wide Receiver $84.0m $92.0m 74.8%
34 Dre Greenlaw San Francisco 49ers Outside Linebacker $15.3m $21.5m 74.8%
35 Greg Newsome Cleveland Browns Cornerback $19.5m $26.1m 74.6%
36 Micah Parsons Dallas Cowboys Defensive End $28.6m $38.4m 74.5%
37 Jourdan Lewis Dallas Cowboys Cornerback $15.3m $21.0m 74.5%
38 Creed Humphrey Kansas City Chiefs Center $59.5m $45.0m 74.3%
39 Jon Runyan New York Giants Guard $26.8m $36.1m 74.1%
40 L'Jarius Sneed Tennessee Titans Cornerback $58.3m $65.8m 73.8%

Tee Higgins has taken 87.2% of his money as base salary and Jalen Hurts only 3.7% of his, on careers that are both worth more than $20.0m. The first was paid for turning up and the second was paid to sign, and only one of those survives being cut in March.

Base salary by position

How much of each position's money is the weekly paycheque

League average 52.9%

Long Snapper 88.9% Punter 72.6% Fullback 69.9% Kicker 63.1% Center 62.1% Running Back 58.7% Safety 58.1% Inside Linebacker 57.9% Guard 56.9% Defensive Tackle 55.7% Cornerback 55.2% Tight End 54.7% Outside Linebacker 53.6% Right Tackle 53.5% Left Tackle 51.6% Wide Receiver 51.3% Defensive End 48.8% Quarterback 43.1%

A position at the top of this chart is one clubs rent by the season. A position at the bottom is one they buy years in advance, and the money it is missing here is on the signing bonus page instead. Every position is ranked by career earnings here.

Base salary paid each season

The weekly paycheques of a whole league, year by year

Peak in 2025

2025 is the biggest base salary year on record at $4,301,621,895, which was 76.5% of that season's payroll. Base moves with the cap rather than with the contract cycle, so this line is smoother than the signing bonus one beside it.

Base salary by franchise

What the players on each roster drew week by week

32 franchises

# Franchise Players Base salary
01 Miami Dolphins 65 $1,102,271,291$1.10bn
02 Atlanta Falcons 59 $1,040,025,291$1.04bn
03 Kansas City Chiefs 56 $977,216,736$977.2m
04 Dallas Cowboys 59 $952,183,602$952.2m
05 Detroit Lions 63 $930,690,902$930.7m
06 Houston Texans 63 $890,753,599$890.8m
07 Baltimore Ravens 61 $875,075,967$875.1m
08 Buffalo Bills 58 $874,068,767$874.1m
09 Chicago Bears 60 $872,172,293$872.2m
10 Minnesota Vikings 61 $869,226,095$869.2m
11 Jacksonville Jaguars 60 $862,028,574$862.0m
12 New Orleans Saints 60 $840,163,365$840.2m
13 San Francisco 49ers 60 $829,389,063$829.4m
14 Pittsburgh Steelers 63 $828,659,556$828.7m
15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 60 $796,308,220$796.3m
16 Indianapolis Colts 60 $794,787,823$794.8m
17 Washington Commanders 57 $781,442,779$781.4m
18 Carolina Panthers 64 $779,414,651$779.4m
19 Cincinnati Bengals 60 $777,827,820$777.8m
20 New York Giants 57 $764,153,401$764.2m
21 Cleveland Browns 66 $757,952,388$758.0m
22 Tennessee Titans 59 $750,188,543$750.2m
23 New York Jets 62 $727,446,288$727.4m
24 Los Angeles Chargers 59 $719,350,311$719.4m
25 Los Angeles Rams 62 $706,316,194$706.3m
26 Las Vegas Raiders 57 $682,383,794$682.4m
27 Arizona Cardinals 58 $657,437,764$657.4m
28 Denver Broncos 59 $639,811,611$639.8m
29 New England Patriots 62 $627,049,835$627.0m
30 Seattle Seahawks 57 $613,116,757$613.1m
31 Green Bay Packers 57 $597,883,616$597.9m
32 Philadelphia Eagles 60 $439,003,425$439.0m

Frequently asked questions

Who has earned the most base salary in the NFL?

Kirk Cousins, $251,496,600 across 16 seasons, and 61.1% of everything Kirk Cousins has been paid arrived as base salary. Dak Prescott is second on $230,104,000.

How much of an NFL contract is base salary?

52.9% of it, $25,355,800,321 across the whole file. It is the biggest of the seven parts and the only one paid out week by week.

Is NFL base salary guaranteed?

Usually not. Base salary is earned week by week during the season and it stops the day a player is released, which is why the guaranteed figure quoted with a contract is mostly signing and option money rather than base. A player who is cut in March keeps every dollar of his bonus and none of that year's salary.

What is the NFL minimum salary?

It rises with credited seasons, so a rookie and a ten-year veteran on the same roster spot are paid different minimums. The figures here are what was actually paid rather than what the floor was in any given year.

Which position lives most on base salary?

Long Snapper, at 88.9% of everything the position has been paid, against 52.9% across the league. Quarterback is the other end at 43.1%.

How many NFL players have earned over $100m in base salary?

22, and 114 have passed $50m, out of 1,924 careers with any base salary on record.

Where to next

The other six things an NFL contract is made of

Signing bonus · Bonus money · NFL career earnings · The all-time list · Money under contract · By position · By franchise · By draft round

The fifty biggest base salaries

By position

By season

Elsewhere in American football