Highest paid NFL punters
$384,913,213 paid to 34 punters, $11,320,977 a career, led by Thomas Morstead on $38,416,116.
Punter is the 17th best paid of the 18 positions the league has enough careers to rank, $11.3m a career against $23.0m for the average NFL career on this site, so it is one of the positions the league pays least. More of a punter's money is the weekly paycheque than the league average: 72.6% against 52.9%. That is the mark of a position a club can walk away from in March.
The twenty richest punters
Money paid across a whole career
Thomas Morstead has been paid $7.4m more than any other punter the site holds, and the twenty here account for 89.2% of everything the position has earned.
Every punter ranked by career earnings
Money paid, and what is still contracted
| # | Player | Franchise | Seasons | Signing | Contracted | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Thomas Morstead Southern Methodist | New York Jets | 16 | $10.3m | $38,416,116$38.4m | |
| 002 | Johnny Hekker Oregon State | Carolina Panthers | 13 | $5.2m | $31,051,316$31.1m | |
| 003 | Bryan Anger California | Dallas Cowboys | 13 | $4.5m | $25,712,768$25.7m | |
| 004 | Sam Martin Appalachian State | Buffalo Bills | 13 | $5.5m | $24,028,866$24.0m | |
| 005 | Tress Way Oklahoma | Washington Commanders | 12 | $4.3m | $22,469,100$22.5m | |
| 006 | Bradley Pinion Clemson | Atlanta Falcons | 11 | $1.9m | $20,845,241$20.8m | |
| 007 | Michael Dickson Texas | Seattle Seahawks | 8 | $6.8m | $20,173,210$20.2m | |
| 008 | Cameron Johnston Ohio State | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 | $3.9m | $18,756,156$18.8m | |
| 009 | Jack Fox Rice | Detroit Lions | 8 | $1.8m | $16,412,709$16.4m | |
| 010 | Rigoberto Sanchez Hawaii | Indianapolis Colts | 8 | $12k | $15,837,505$15.8m | |
| 011 | Mitch Wishnowsky Utah | San Francisco 49ers | 8 | $3.5m | $15,049,072$15.0m | |
| 012 | Logan Cooke Mississippi State | Jacksonville Jaguars | 8 | $3.1m | $14,860,873$14.9m | |
| 013 | A.J. Cole North Carolina State | Las Vegas Raiders | 7 | $2.0m | $14,302,024$14.3m | |
| 014 | Riley Dixon Syracuse | Denver Broncos | 9 | $1.2m | $12,935,011$12.9m | |
| 015 | Jake Bailey Stanford | Miami Dolphins | 7 | $4.7m | $12,274,671$12.3m | |
| 016 | Tommy Townsend Florida | Houston Texans | 6 | $2.0m | $10,991,148$11.0m | |
| 017 | Corey Bojorquez New Mexico | Cleveland Browns | 7 | $1.4m | $8,276,428$8.3m | |
| 018 | JK Scott Alabama | Los Angeles Chargers | 7 | $1.0m | $7,163,528$7.2m | |
| 019 | Jamie Gillan Arkansas-Pine Bluff | New York Giants | 6 | $1.8m | $7,121,532$7.1m | |
| 020 | Blake Gillikin Penn State | Arizona Cardinals | 6 | $902k | $6,542,524$6.5m | |
| 021 | Braden Mann Texas A&M | Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | $1.1m | $4,423,065$4.4m | |
| 022 | Jordan Stout Penn State | Baltimore Ravens | 4 | $698k | $4,357,836$4.4m | |
| 023 | Jake Camarda Georgia | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4 | $680k | $4,340,320$4.3m | |
| 024 | Bryce Baringer Michigan State | New England Patriots | 4 | $178k | $4,018,456$4.0m | |
| 025 | Ethan Evans Wingate | Los Angeles Rams | 4 | $108k | $3,948,004$3.9m | |
| 026 | Tory Taylor Iowa | Chicago Bears | 4 | $748k | $1.2m | $3,577,900$3.6m |
| 027 | Brad Robbins Michigan | Cincinnati Bengals | 4 | $133k | $3,553,336$3.6m | |
| 028 | Matthew Hayball Vanderbilt | New Orleans Saints | 3 | $10k | $2,840,000$2.8m | |
| 029 | Ryan Wright Tulane | Minnesota Vikings | 3 | $5k | $2,565,000$2.6m | |
| 030 | Ryan Stonehouse Colorado State | Tennessee Titans | 3 | $10k | $2,460,278$2.5m | |
| 031 | Corliss Waitman Mississippi State | Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | $71k | $2,058,072$2.1m | |
| 032 | Daniel Whelan California-Davis | Green Bay Packers | 3 | $5k | $1,670,000$1.7m | |
| 033 | Matt Araiza San Diego State | Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | $216k | $1,011,148 | |
| 034 | Ryan Rehkow Brigham Young | Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | $10k | $870,000 |
The table holds every one of the 34 careers at the position. The contracted column is money written into a deal for a season that has not been played, so it is not in the career figure beside it. The whole league's contracted money is ranked here.
How a punter's money is paid
The seven parts of a contract, for this position and for the league
- Base salary 72.6%
- Signing bonus 18.1%
- Restructured money 4.8%
- Roster bonus 3.5%
- Option bonus 0.2%
- Workout bonus 0.5%
- Incentives 0.3%
| Part of the contract | What it is | This position | The league | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary | the weekly paycheque, and the part that stops the day a player is cut | 72.6% | 52.9% | $279,968,503$280.0m |
| Signing bonus | paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed | 18.1% | 27.6% | $69,739,599$69.7m |
| Restructured money | base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap | 4.8% | 6.3% | $18,465,799$18.5m |
| Roster bonus | paid for being on the roster on a named day of the year | 3.5% | 6.6% | $13,421,354$13.4m |
| Option bonus | paid to take up a season already written into the deal | 0.2% | 5.3% | $950,000 |
| Workout bonus | paid for turning up to the offseason programme | 0.5% | 0.7% | $1,750,584$1.8m |
| Incentives | paid for hitting a number | 0.3% | 0.5% | $1,202,153 |
More of a punter's money is the weekly paycheque than the league average: 72.6% against 52.9%. That is the mark of a position a club can walk away from in March. Base salary and signing bonus money are each ranked across the whole league on their own pages.
What the league pays punters each season
Every punter on a payroll that year, added together
2024 is the biggest year for punter pay on record at $62,600,174 across 35 players, which is $1.8m each. The whole 2024 payroll is here.
Punter money by franchise
What the punters on each roster have earned in their careers
| # | Franchise | Players | Per player | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | New York Jets | 1 | $38.4m | $38,416,116$38.4m |
| 02 | Carolina Panthers | 1 | $31.1m | $31,051,316$31.1m |
| 03 | Dallas Cowboys | 1 | $25.7m | $25,712,768$25.7m |
| 04 | Buffalo Bills | 1 | $24.0m | $24,028,866$24.0m |
| 05 | Washington Commanders | 1 | $22.5m | $22,469,100$22.5m |
| 06 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 | $20.8m | $20,845,241$20.8m |
| 07 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | $10.4m | $20,814,228$20.8m |
| 08 | Seattle Seahawks | 1 | $20.2m | $20,173,210$20.2m |
| 09 | Detroit Lions | 1 | $16.4m | $16,412,709$16.4m |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts | 1 | $15.8m | $15,837,505$15.8m |
| 11 | San Francisco 49ers | 1 | $15.0m | $15,049,072$15.0m |
| 12 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | $14.9m | $14,860,873$14.9m |
| 13 | Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | $14.3m | $14,302,024$14.3m |
| 14 | Denver Broncos | 1 | $12.9m | $12,935,011$12.9m |
| 15 | Miami Dolphins | 1 | $12.3m | $12,274,671$12.3m |
| 16 | Houston Texans | 1 | $11.0m | $10,991,148$11.0m |
| 17 | Cleveland Browns | 1 | $8.3m | $8,276,428$8.3m |
| 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | $7.2m | $7,163,528$7.2m |
| 19 | New York Giants | 1 | $7.1m | $7,121,532$7.1m |
| 20 | Arizona Cardinals | 1 | $6.5m | $6,542,524$6.5m |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | $2.2m | $4,423,336$4.4m |
| 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 | $4.4m | $4,423,065$4.4m |
| 23 | Baltimore Ravens | 1 | $4.4m | $4,357,836$4.4m |
| 24 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | $4.3m | $4,340,320$4.3m |
| 25 | New England Patriots | 1 | $4.0m | $4,018,456$4.0m |
| 26 | Los Angeles Rams | 1 | $3.9m | $3,948,004$3.9m |
| 27 | Chicago Bears | 1 | $3.6m | $3,577,900$3.6m |
| 28 | New Orleans Saints | 1 | $2.8m | $2,840,000$2.8m |
| 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 | $2.6m | $2,565,000$2.6m |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | 1 | $2.5m | $2,460,278$2.5m |
| 31 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | $1.7m | $1,670,000$1.7m |
| 32 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | $1.0m | $1,011,148 |
A career total lands on the franchise a player is at now, so this is a ranking of which rosters hold the expensive punters rather than of which clubs wrote the cheques. Every franchise is ranked here.
Where a punter is drafted
Career earnings by the round a player was taken in
The rounds on record here run from 3 to 7. The whole draft is ranked here.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid NFL punter of all time?
Thomas Morstead, $38,416,116, a fifth-round pick in 2009, 164th overall. Johnny Hekker is second on $31,051,316.
How much does an NFL punter earn over a career?
$11,320,977 on average across the 34 careers here, and 17th of 18 positions on money per career. The figure is money actually paid rather than the headline value of a contract.
Is a punter's money guaranteed?
18.1% of it arrives as a signing bonus, which is the part that cannot be taken back, against 27.6% across the league. The other 72.6% is base salary and it stops the day a player is released.
Which franchise has paid the most at punter?
New York Jets, $38,416,116 across the one player on its books, counted as everything those careers have earned anywhere.
How many NFL punters are still playing?
8 of the 34 here were on a roster in 2026, with $1,190,000 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.
Where to next
The positions either side of this one, and the rest of the money
Quarterback · Wide Receiver · Tight End · Running Back · Center · Kicker · Long Snapper · Fullback · Every position · NFL career earnings
The fifty richest punters
- Thomas Morstead
- Johnny Hekker
- Bryan Anger
- Sam Martin
- Tress Way
- Bradley Pinion
- Michael Dickson
- Cameron Johnston
- Jack Fox
- Rigoberto Sanchez
- Mitch Wishnowsky
- Logan Cooke
- A.J. Cole
- Riley Dixon
- Jake Bailey
- Tommy Townsend
- Corey Bojorquez
- JK Scott
- Jamie Gillan
- Blake Gillikin
- Braden Mann
- Jordan Stout
- Jake Camarda
- Bryce Baringer
- Ethan Evans
- Tory Taylor
- Brad Robbins
- Matthew Hayball
- Ryan Wright
- Ryan Stonehouse
- Corliss Waitman
- Daniel Whelan
- Matt Araiza
- Ryan Rehkow
Every position
- Quarterback earnings
- Wide Receiver earnings
- Defensive End earnings
- Defensive Tackle earnings
- Cornerback earnings
- Outside Linebacker earnings
- Safety earnings
- Guard earnings
- Left Tackle earnings
- Right Tackle earnings
- Inside Linebacker earnings
- Tight End earnings
- Running Back earnings
- Center earnings
- Kicker earnings
- Punter earnings
- Long Snapper earnings
- Fullback earnings
By season
- The 2026 NFL payroll
- The 2025 NFL payroll
- The 2024 NFL payroll
- The 2023 NFL payroll
- The 2022 NFL payroll
- The 2021 NFL payroll
- The 2020 NFL payroll
- The 2019 NFL payroll
- The 2018 NFL payroll
- The 2017 NFL payroll
- The 2016 NFL payroll
- The 2015 NFL payroll
- The 2014 NFL payroll
- The 2013 NFL payroll
- The 2012 NFL payroll