Highest paid NFL quarterbacks
$6,741,568,417 paid to 83 quarterbacks, $81,223,716 a career, led by Matthew Stafford on $426,306,037.
Quarterback is the best paid of the 18 positions the league has enough careers to rank, $81.2m a career against $23.0m for the average NFL career on this site. Less of a quarterback's money is the weekly paycheque than the league average: 43.1% against 52.9%. The rest is guaranteed in advance, which is what a club does when it is committing years ahead.
The twenty richest quarterbacks
Money paid across a whole career
Matthew Stafford has been paid $8.1m more than any other quarterback the site holds, and the twenty here account for 74.4% of everything the position has earned.
Every quarterback ranked by career earnings
Money paid, and what is still contracted
| # | Player | Franchise | Seasons | Signing | Contracted | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Matthew Stafford Georgia | Los Angeles Rams | 18 | $137.5m | $426,306,037$426.3m | |
| 002 | Aaron Rodgers California | New York Jets | 21 | $182.5m | $418,158,010$418.2m | |
| 003 | Kirk Cousins Michigan State | Atlanta Falcons | 16 | $108.5m | $45.0m | $366,669,486$366.7m |
| 004 | Dak Prescott Mississippi State | Dallas Cowboys | 13 | $146.4m | $100.0m | $331,317,825$331.3m |
| 005 | Jared Goff California | Detroit Lions | 13 | $116.5m | $87.0m | $312,127,068$312.1m |
| 006 | Russell Wilson Wisconsin | Pittsburgh Steelers | 13 | $147.8m | $304,152,520$304.2m | |
| 007 | Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | $40.7m | $209.0m | $288,754,472$288.8m |
| 008 | Derek Carr Fresno State | New Orleans Saints | 13 | $50.7m | $285,666,395$285.7m | |
| 009 | Lamar Jackson Louisville | Baltimore Ravens | 10 | $77.5m | $52.0m | $240,024,549$240.0m |
| 010 | Josh Allen Wyoming | Buffalo Bills | 11 | $30.0m | $81.6m | $221,076,199$221.1m |
| 011 | Kyler Murray Oklahoma | Arizona Cardinals | 10 | $52.6m | $82.7m | $213,272,938$213.3m |
| 012 | Joe Burrow Louisiana State | Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | $63.9m | $128.3m | $212,386,403$212.4m |
| 013 | Deshaun Watson Clemson | Cleveland Browns | 8 | $80.2m | $188,762,978$188.8m | |
| 014 | Daniel Jones Duke | New York Giants | 8 | $52.7m | $186,129,056$186.1m | |
| 015 | Justin Herbert Oregon | Los Angeles Chargers | 10 | $33.0m | $138.5m | $180,199,753$180.2m |
| 016 | Joe Flacco Delaware | Indianapolis Colts | 20 | $74.8m | $180,175,063$180.2m | |
| 017 | Tua Tagovailoa Alabama | Miami Dolphins | 9 | $61.6m | $86.4m | $179,510,807$179.5m |
| 018 | Jordan Love Utah St | Green Bay Packers | 9 | $90.4m | $88.0m | $162,883,455$162.9m |
| 019 | Jalen Hurts Oklahoma | Philadelphia Eagles | 9 | $25.2m | $102.0m | $161,897,559$161.9m |
| 020 | Baker Mayfield Oklahoma | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 | $64.1m | $153,407,230$153.4m | |
| 021 | Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois | Los Angeles Rams | 12 | $10.3m | $151,711,744$151.7m | |
| 022 | Trevor Lawrence Clemson | Jacksonville Jaguars | 10 | $61.6m | $192.3m | $145,116,194$145.1m |
| 023 | Carson Wentz North Dakota State | Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | $35.1m | $132,754,340$132.8m | |
| 024 | Andy Dalton Texas Christian | Carolina Panthers | 14 | $29.6m | $110,627,794$110.6m | |
| 025 | Geno Smith West Virginia | Seattle Seahawks | 13 | $29.1m | $92,421,078$92.4m | |
| 026 | Tyrod Taylor Virginia Tech | New York Jets | 15 | $26.6m | $82,630,703$82.6m | |
| 027 | Jameis Winston Florida State | Cleveland Browns | 10 | $41.0m | $76,080,894$76.1m | |
| 028 | Marcus Mariota Oregon | Washington Commanders | 10 | $29.5m | $75,541,683$75.5m | |
| 029 | Sam Darnold Southern California | Minnesota Vikings | 7 | $27.8m | $65,253,948$65.3m | |
| 030 | Jacoby Brissett North Carolina State | New England Patriots | 9 | $26.7m | $58,856,475$58.9m | |
| 031 | Case Keenum Houston | Houston Texans | 13 | $14.8m | $51,422,877$51.4m | |
| 032 | Mitchell Trubisky North Carolina | Buffalo Bills | 9 | $33.4m | $51,221,690$51.2m | |
| 033 | Bryce Young Alabama | Carolina Panthers | 4 | $24.6m | $37,955,072$38.0m | |
| 034 | C.J. Stroud Ohio State | Houston Texans | 4 | $23.4m | $36,279,244$36.3m | |
| 035 | Gardner Minshew Washington State | Las Vegas Raiders | 7 | $7.9m | $35,671,582$35.7m | |
| 036 | Trey Lance North Dakota State | Dallas Cowboys | 4 | $22.2m | $34,095,270$34.1m | |
| 037 | Anthony Richardson Florida | Indianapolis Colts | 4 | $21.7m | $33,994,031$34.0m | |
| 038 | Caleb Williams Southern California | Chicago Bears | 4 | $25.5m | $6.2m | $33,306,595$33.3m |
| 039 | Zach Wilson Brigham Young | Denver Broncos | 4 | $25.7m | $32,424,043$32.4m | |
| 040 | Jayden Daniels Louisiana State | Washington Commanders | 4 | $24.3m | $5.9m | $31,804,379$31.8m |
| 041 | Drake Maye North Carolina | New England Patriots | 4 | $23.5m | $5.8m | $30,848,432$30.8m |
| 042 | Michael Penix Jr. Washington | Atlanta Falcons | 4 | $13.5m | $3.9m | $18,967,276$19.0m |
| 043 | Justin Fields Ohio State | Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 | $11.1m | $18,871,956$18.9m | |
| 044 | J.J. McCarthy Michigan | Minnesota Vikings | 4 | $12.7m | $3.8m | $18,079,596$18.1m |
| 045 | Taylor Heinicke Old Dominion | Los Angeles Chargers | 11 | $6.4m | $17,337,588$17.3m | |
| 046 | Drew Lock Missouri | New York Giants | 6 | $6.9m | $15,848,923$15.8m | |
| 047 | Mac Jones Alabama | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4 | $8.7m | $15,586,352$15.6m | |
| 048 | Bo Nix Oregon | Denver Broncos | 4 | $10.4m | $3.3m | $15,280,007$15.3m |
| 049 | Kenny Pickett Pittsburgh | Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | $7.4m | $14,067,904$14.1m | |
| 050 | Jarrett Stidham Auburn | Denver Broncos | 6 | $2.6m | $13,664,452$13.7m | |
| 051 | Mason Rudolph Oklahoma State | Tennessee Titans | 7 | $4.4m | $12,857,085$12.9m | |
| 052 | Davis Mills Stanford | Houston Texans | 5 | $3.2m | $11,965,373$12.0m | |
| 053 | Josh Johnson San Diego | Baltimore Ravens | 16 | $1.3m | $10,888,563$10.9m | |
| 054 | Joshua Dobbs Tennessee | San Francisco 49ers | 10 | $2.6m | $9,807,176$9.8m | |
| 055 | Will Levis Kentucky | Tennessee Titans | 4 | $3.9m | $9,542,165$9.5m | |
| 056 | Cooper Rush Central Michigan | Dallas Cowboys | 12 | $1.4m | $8,841,929$8.8m | |
| 057 | Brandon Allen Arkansas | San Francisco 49ers | 9 | $1.2m | $8,415,904$8.4m | |
| 058 | Easton Stick North Dakota State | Los Angeles Chargers | 6 | $598k | $7,731,063$7.7m | |
| 059 | Kyle Allen Houston | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | $821k | $7,391,906$7.4m | |
| 060 | Nick Mullens Southern Mississippi | Minnesota Vikings | 9 | $1.3m | $6,975,023$7.0m | |
| 061 | Jeff Driskel Louisiana Tech | Washington Commanders | 9 | $2.2m | $6,207,285$6.2m | |
| 062 | Kyle Trask Florida | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4 | $1.4m | $5,535,337$5.5m | |
| 063 | Hendon Hooker Tennessee | Detroit Lions | 4 | $1.2m | $5,469,023$5.5m | |
| 064 | Malik Willis Liberty | Green Bay Packers | 5 | $933k | $5,349,200$5.3m | |
| 065 | Brett Rypien Boise State | Minnesota Vikings | 11 | $10k | $4,644,031$4.6m | |
| 066 | Aidan O'Connell Purdue | Las Vegas Raiders | 4 | $509k | $4,349,380$4.3m | |
| 067 | Jake Haener Fresno State | New Orleans Saints | 4 | $705k | $4,294,816$4.3m | |
| 068 | Clayton Tune Houston | Arizona Cardinals | 4 | $351k | $4,228,356$4.2m | |
| 069 | Dorian Thompson-Robinson California-Los Angeles | Cleveland Browns | 4 | $342k | $4,148,938$4.1m | |
| 070 | Stetson Bennett Georgia | Los Angeles Rams | 4 | $699k | $4,119,138$4.1m | |
| 071 | Tanner McKee Stanford | Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | $187k | $4,026,520$4.0m | |
| 072 | Sam Howell North Carolina | Seattle Seahawks | 4 | $362k | $4,021,600$4.0m | |
| 073 | Brock Purdy Iowa State | San Francisco 49ers | 4 | $77k | $3,985,346$4.0m | |
| 074 | Skylar Thompson Kansas State | Miami Dolphins | 4 | $82k | $3,742,216$3.7m | |
| 075 | Sam Ehlinger Texas | Indianapolis Colts | 4 | $131k | $3,529,036$3.5m | |
| 076 | Jake Browning Washington | Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | $130k | $3,405,333$3.4m | |
| 077 | Spencer Rattler South Carolina | New Orleans Saints | 4 | $336k | $1.2m | $3,166,480$3.2m |
| 078 | Joe Milton III Tennessee | New England Patriots | 4 | $0 | $1.2m | $2,830,000$2.8m |
| 079 | Jordan Travis Florida State | New York Jets | 4 | $254k | $1.2m | $2,759,276$2.8m |
| 080 | Tyson Bagent Shepherd | Chicago Bears | 3 | $25k | $2,720,000$2.7m | |
| 081 | Shane Buechele Southern Methodist | Buffalo Bills | 4 | $55k | $1,894,328$1.9m | |
| 082 | Tommy DeVito Illinois | New York Giants | 2 | $10k | $1,331,666 | |
| 083 | Sam Hartman Notre Dame | Washington Commanders | 1 | $20k | $795,000 |
The table holds every one of the 83 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 quarterback's money is paid
The seven parts of a contract, for this position and for the league
- Base salary 43.1%
- Signing bonus 28.3%
- Restructured money 11.4%
- Roster bonus 5.6%
- Option bonus 10.6%
- Workout bonus 0.7%
- Incentives 0.4%
| 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 | 43.1% | 52.9% | $3,518,522,065$3.52bn |
| Signing bonus | paid up front and guaranteed the moment the contract is signed | 28.3% | 27.6% | $2,311,068,000$2.31bn |
| Restructured money | base salary converted to signing money so a deal fits under the cap | 11.4% | 6.3% | $929,826,160$929.8m |
| Roster bonus | paid for being on the roster on a named day of the year | 5.6% | 6.6% | $460,464,849$460.5m |
| Option bonus | paid to take up a season already written into the deal | 10.6% | 5.3% | $862,996,405$863.0m |
| Workout bonus | paid for turning up to the offseason programme | 0.7% | 0.7% | $54,029,909$54.0m |
| Incentives | paid for hitting a number | 0.4% | 0.5% | $32,004,513$32.0m |
Less of a quarterback's money is the weekly paycheque than the league average: 43.1% against 52.9%. The rest is guaranteed in advance, which is what a club does when it is committing years ahead. Base salary and signing bonus money are each ranked across the whole league on their own pages.
What the league pays quarterbacks each season
Every quarterback on a payroll that year, added together
2024 is the biggest year for quarterback pay on record at $1,232,767,355 across 84 players, which is $14.7m each. The whole 2024 payroll is here.
Quarterback money by franchise
What the quarterbacks on each roster have earned in their careers
| # | Franchise | Players | Per player | Career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Los Angeles Rams | 3 | $194.0m | $582,136,919$582.1m |
| 02 | New York Jets | 3 | $167.8m | $503,547,989$503.5m |
| 03 | Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | $210.8m | $421,508,812$421.5m |
| 04 | Atlanta Falcons | 2 | $192.8m | $385,636,762$385.6m |
| 05 | Dallas Cowboys | 3 | $124.8m | $374,255,024$374.3m |
| 06 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | $110.1m | $330,416,382$330.4m |
| 07 | Detroit Lions | 2 | $158.8m | $317,596,091$317.6m |
| 08 | New Orleans Saints | 3 | $97.7m | $293,127,691$293.1m |
| 09 | Buffalo Bills | 3 | $91.4m | $274,192,217$274.2m |
| 10 | Cleveland Browns | 3 | $89.7m | $268,992,810$269.0m |
| 11 | Baltimore Ravens | 2 | $125.5m | $250,913,112$250.9m |
| 12 | Indianapolis Colts | 3 | $72.6m | $217,698,130$217.7m |
| 13 | Arizona Cardinals | 2 | $108.8m | $217,501,294$217.5m |
| 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | $107.9m | $215,791,736$215.8m |
| 15 | Los Angeles Chargers | 3 | $68.4m | $205,268,404$205.3m |
| 16 | New York Giants | 3 | $67.8m | $203,309,645$203.3m |
| 17 | Miami Dolphins | 2 | $91.6m | $183,253,023$183.3m |
| 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | $60.0m | $179,991,983$180.0m |
| 19 | Green Bay Packers | 2 | $84.1m | $168,232,655$168.2m |
| 20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | $80.4m | $160,702,546$160.7m |
| 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | $79.5m | $158,942,567$158.9m |
| 22 | Carolina Panthers | 2 | $74.3m | $148,582,866$148.6m |
| 23 | Washington Commanders | 4 | $28.6m | $114,348,347$114.3m |
| 24 | Houston Texans | 3 | $33.2m | $99,667,494$99.7m |
| 25 | Seattle Seahawks | 2 | $48.2m | $96,442,678$96.4m |
| 26 | Minnesota Vikings | 4 | $23.7m | $94,952,598$95.0m |
| 27 | New England Patriots | 3 | $30.8m | $92,534,907$92.5m |
| 28 | Denver Broncos | 3 | $20.5m | $61,368,502$61.4m |
| 29 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2 | $20.0m | $40,020,962$40.0m |
| 30 | Chicago Bears | 2 | $18.0m | $36,026,595$36.0m |
| 31 | Tennessee Titans | 2 | $11.2m | $22,399,250$22.4m |
| 32 | San Francisco 49ers | 3 | $7.4m | $22,208,426$22.2m |
A career total lands on the franchise a player is at now, so this is a ranking of which rosters hold the expensive quarterbacks rather than of which clubs wrote the cheques. Every franchise is ranked here.
Where a quarterback is drafted
Career earnings by the round a player was taken in
A first-round quarterback has earned $130.4m a career against $3.9m for one taken in round 7. The whole draft is ranked here.
Which colleges produce the richest quarterbacks
Schools with three or more in the position
Oklahoma has put 3 quarterbacks into the league, worth $528,577,727 between them. Every college is ranked across all positions here.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid NFL quarterback of all time?
Matthew Stafford, $426,306,037. Aaron Rodgers is second on $418,158,010.
How much does an NFL quarterback earn over a career?
$81,223,716 on average across the 83 careers here, and no position in the league is paid more per career. The figure is money actually paid rather than the headline value of a contract.
Is a quarterback's money guaranteed?
28.3% of it arrives as a signing bonus, which is the part that cannot be taken back, against 27.6% across the league. The other 43.1% is base salary and it stops the day a player is released.
Which franchise has paid the most at quarterback?
Los Angeles Rams, $582,136,919 across the 3 players on its books, counted as everything those careers have earned anywhere.
How many NFL quarterbacks are still playing?
37 of the 83 here were on a roster in 2026, with $1,425,221,785 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.
Where to next
The positions either side of this one, and the rest of the money
Wide Receiver · Defensive End · Defensive Tackle · Cornerback · Kicker · Punter · Long Snapper · Fullback · Every position · NFL career earnings
The fifty richest quarterbacks
- Matthew Stafford
- Aaron Rodgers
- Kirk Cousins
- Dak Prescott
- Jared Goff
- Russell Wilson
- Patrick Mahomes
- Derek Carr
- Lamar Jackson
- Josh Allen
- Kyler Murray
- Joe Burrow
- Deshaun Watson
- Daniel Jones
- Justin Herbert
- Joe Flacco
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Jordan Love
- Jalen Hurts
- Baker Mayfield
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Trevor Lawrence
- Carson Wentz
- Andy Dalton
- Geno Smith
- Tyrod Taylor
- Jameis Winston
- Marcus Mariota
- Sam Darnold
- Jacoby Brissett
- Case Keenum
- Mitchell Trubisky
- Bryce Young
- C.J. Stroud
- Gardner Minshew
- Trey Lance
- Anthony Richardson
- Caleb Williams
- Zach Wilson
- Jayden Daniels
- Drake Maye
- Michael Penix Jr.
- Justin Fields
- J.J. McCarthy
- Taylor Heinicke
- Drew Lock
- Mac Jones
- Bo Nix
- Kenny Pickett
- Jarrett Stidham
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