KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The quarterback market continues to evolve in the NFL, with a new record-setting contract seemingly coming every time there’s a new deal.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott became the highest-paid player in NFL history on Sunday, signing a 4-year, $240 million extension with $231 million guaranteed. The deal also features an $80 million signing bonus. Prescott is now the only player to earn $60 million a year.
Prescott’s deal surpasses that of Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence, all of whom make $55 million a year.
That begs the question, where does Patrick Mahomes, who is widely considered the best signal-caller in the league, rank among the league’s highest-paid?
Back in 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year extension worth up to $503 million, becoming the first athlete to have a half-billion-dollar contract (the contract was restructured in 2023).
And while Mahomes still has the largest contract in NFL history, his salary per year is actually not even in the top 10 amongst NFL QBs, a deal many consider a bargain.
Mahomes makes over $45 million a year, still a hefty price, but here’s where he currently ranks among the highest-paid QBs in the NFL:
- Dak Prescott – $60M
- Joe Burrow – $55M
- Jordan Love – $55M
- Trevor Lawrence – $55M
- Tua Tagovailoa – $53M
- Jared Goff – $53M
- Justin Herbert – $52M
- Lamar Jackson – $52M
- Jalen Hurts – $51M
- Kyler Murray – $46M
- Deshaun Watson – $46M
- Kirk Cousins – $45M
- Patrick Mahomes – $45M
- Josh Allen – $43M
- Daniel Jones – $40M
- Matthew Stafford – $40M
Mahomes’ restructured deal includes a guaranteed cash flow of $210.6 million from 2023 to 2026, the most in NFL history over a four-year span at the time.
NFL contracts, especially the quarterback position, are continuing to reset the market, and it wouldn’t be surprising if there was another record-setting contract just around the corner.
