$64 million a year. That is the average annual value of Patrick Mahomes’ contract in Over The Cap’s database, the highest in the NFL. The Chiefs reworked his deal in June. The Associated Press reported it on June 10 at $504.75 million through 2033, an average of $63.1 million, with incentives that could take it to $522.25 million. The two averages differ because AP and Over The Cap count the old and new money differently. On either count, Mahomes passed Dak Prescott’s $60 million a year, which had led the league.
We pulled all 1,996 contracts in Over The Cap’s table on October 28, 2026, and ranked them by average per year (APY). That is the standard way to compare NFL deals, because the total values and lengths vary so much. Here is the top 25, plus what the full table says about how the league pays by position.
The 25 richest NFL contracts in 2026
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team | Avg. per year | Total value | Guaranteed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | QB | Chiefs | $64.00M | $448.0M | $95.5M |
| 2 | Dak Prescott | QB | Cowboys | $60.00M | $240.0M | $129.0M |
| 3 | Jordan Love | QB | Packers | $55.00M | $220.0M | $100.8M |
| 3 | Josh Allen | QB | Bills | $55.00M | $330.0M | $147.0M |
| 3 | Baker Mayfield | QB | Buccaneers | $55.00M | $165.0M | $70.0M |
| 3 | Matt Stafford | QB | Rams | $55.00M | $55.0M | $90.0M |
| 3 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | Jaguars | $55.00M | $275.0M | $142.0M |
| 3 | Joe Burrow | QB | Bengals | $55.00M | $275.0M | $146.5M |
| 9 | Brock Purdy | QB | 49ers | $53.00M | $265.0M | $100.0M |
| 9 | Jared Goff | QB | Lions | $53.00M | $212.0M | $113.6M |
| 11 | Justin Herbert | QB | Chargers | $52.50M | $262.5M | $133.7M |
| 12 | Lamar Jackson | QB | Ravens | $52.00M | $260.0M | $135.0M |
| 13 | Jalen Hurts | QB | Eagles | $51.00M | $255.0M | $110.0M |
| 14 | Will Anderson Jr. | EDGE | Texans | $50.00M | $150.0M | $100.1M |
| 15 | Micah Parsons | EDGE | Packers | $46.50M | $186.0M | $120.0M |
| 16 | Deshaun Watson | QB | Browns | $46.00M | $230.0M | $230.0M |
| 17 | Aidan Hutchinson | EDGE | Lions | $45.00M | $180.0M | $55.7M |
| 18 | Daniel Jones | QB | Colts | $44.00M | $88.0M | $49.5M |
| 19 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Seahawks | $42.15M | $168.6M | $69.1M |
| 20 | T.J. Watt | EDGE | Steelers | $41.00M | $123.0M | $108.0M |
| 21 | Ja’Marr Chase | WR | Bengals | $40.25M | $161.0M | $73.9M |
| 22 | Danielle Hunter | EDGE | Texans | $40.10M | $40.1M | $39.6M |
| 23 | Myles Garrett | EDGE | Rams | $40.00M | $160.0M | $88.8M |
| 24 | Jalen Carter | IDL | Eagles | $38.00M | $152.0M | $40.9M |
| 25 | Maxx Crosby | EDGE | Raiders | $35.50M | $106.5M | $62.5M |
Ties share a rank. “Guaranteed” is Over The Cap’s total guarantee figure; for Matt Stafford it exceeds the listed contract value, so treat that row with care. Teams are as Over The Cap lists them on October 28.
The highest-paid player at every position
Over The Cap tags each contract with a position. The top deal at each one:
| Position | Player | Team | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | $64.00M |
| Edge rusher | Will Anderson Jr. | Texans | $50.00M |
| Wide receiver | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seahawks | $42.15M |
| Interior D-line | Jalen Carter | Eagles | $38.00M |
| Cornerback | Christian Gonzalez | Patriots | $33.75M |
| Left tackle | Laremy Tunsil | Commanders | $30.10M |
| Right tackle | Darnell Wright | Bears | $29.00M |
| Center | Tyler Linderbaum | Raiders | $27.00M |
| Safety | Derwin James | Chargers | $25.20M |
| Linebacker | Nick Herbig | Steelers | $25.00M |
| Left guard | Peter Skoronski | Titans | $25.00M |
| Right guard | Trey Smith | Chiefs | $23.50M |
| Running back | Jahmyr Gibbs | Lions | $22.50M |
| Tight end | George Kittle | 49ers | $19.10M |
| Kicker | Chris Boswell | Steelers | $7.00M |
| Punter | Jordan Stout | Giants | $4.10M |
Five things the full table shows
1. Quarterbacks are a separate pay scale. Quarterbacks hold the first 13 places. The 10 richest quarterback contracts average $56.0 million a year by our count. The 10 richest edge-rusher deals average $39.2 million, and receivers $35.0 million.
2. $55 million is the going rate. Six quarterbacks are tied at exactly $55 million a year: Love, Allen, Mayfield, Stafford, Lawrence and Burrow. Fourteen contracts in the league average $50 million or more, and 23 average $40 million or more.
3. The man paid to hit quarterbacks is 14th. Will Anderson Jr.’s $50 million a year is the most for any non-quarterback. Five of the top 25 are edge rushers. Only two wide receivers make the list, Smith-Njigba and Chase.
4. Guarantees tell a different story from the average. Mahomes has the biggest average but only $95.5 million guaranteed, 21.3% of his $448 million total in Over The Cap’s accounting. Deshaun Watson’s $230 million is fully guaranteed. Our quarterback contract rankings compare every starter on both measures.
5. Running backs are paid like linemen. The richest running back deal, Jahmyr Gibbs’ $22.5 million a year, is smaller than 17 offensive linemen’s contracts on Over The Cap’s list. The top 10 running backs average $17.9 million, less than a third of the quarterback figure.
The cap these contracts sit under
The NFL set the 2026 salary cap at $301.2 million per team, the first time it has passed $300 million and $22 million more than in 2025, according to the league. Mahomes’ $64 million average is 21.2% of that. A cap figure in any one season can be much higher or lower than the average, because teams move money between years with signing bonuses and restructures. The same accounting creates the dead money every team carries for players it no longer employs.
Methodology
- Source. Every contract figure comes from the Over The Cap contracts table, which we pulled in full (1,996 contracts) on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
- Ranking. Players are ranked by APY, Over The Cap’s average per year: total contract value divided by contract length. It is not the player’s 2026 cash or cap charge.
- Positions are Over The Cap’s tags (EDGE, IDL, LT and so on).
- Our arithmetic. Position averages, counts and percentages are our own calculations on that table.
- Reported totals. Where a news report gives a different total for the same contract (Mahomes), we quote both and name the source.
The bottom line
The NFL’s pay scale has one tier for quarterbacks and another for everyone else. A good starting quarterback now costs $55 million a year, about 18% of the cap. The best non-quarterback in the sport is paid less than the 13th-best quarterback contract. That gap shapes every roster in the league. It is why teams with a quarterback on a rookie deal can spend so heavily elsewhere, and why the teams that miss on a quarterback contract carry the cost for years.
More from Absolute Baller:
- NFL Quarterback Contracts 2026, Ranked by Guaranteed Money
- NFL Career Earnings Leaders: Stafford Tops Brady
- Patrick Mahomes Net Worth 2026: $160M and a $504M Deal
- NFL Dead Money 2026: Every Team, and the Biggest Charges
- NFL Team Valuations 2026: Record $9.6B Seahawks Sale
- Bijan Robinson’s $75M Falcons Deal: Record Lasted Two Days
- Highest-Paid NBA Players 2026-27: Top 25 Salaries
- The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2026
Frequently Asked
Who is the highest-paid NFL player in 2026?
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, at $64 million a year in Over The Cap's contract database. The Associated Press reported his reworked deal on June 10, 2026 at $504.75 million through the 2033 season, an average of $63.1 million; the two figures differ because they count the contract differently. Dak Prescott is second at $60 million a year.
Who is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL?
Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., at $50 million a year on a $150 million contract, per Over The Cap. He is 14th overall; every player above him is a quarterback. Green Bay's Micah Parsons ($46.5 million) and Detroit's Aidan Hutchinson ($45 million) are next among non-quarterbacks.
Who is the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL?
Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, at $42.15 million a year on a $168.6 million contract, according to Over The Cap. Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase is next at $40.25 million.
What is the NFL salary cap for 2026?
$301.2 million per team, the first time the cap has passed $300 million. The NFL announced the figure before the 2026 league year, a $22 million increase on the 2025 cap of $279.2 million.
How much more are quarterbacks paid than other NFL players?
By our average of Over The Cap's figures, the 10 richest quarterback contracts pay $56.0 million a year. The top 10 edge rushers average $39.2 million and the top 10 wide receivers $35.0 million. At running back the top 10 average $17.9 million, less than a third of the quarterback figure.