Top 10 Biggest NFL Quarterback Contracts
Over time, the price tags on NFL quarterbacks have risen consistently. In 2011, the cap hit for Mark Sanchez, the QB with the highest cap hit that year, was just over $17 million. In 2025, Aaron Rodgers’s cap hit is projected to be just under $60 million. Due to this trend, almost all quarterbacks with the biggest contracts are players who signed deals recently.
What are the Biggest NFL Quarterback Football Contracts of All Time?
- Patrick Mahomes - $450,000,000
- Josh Allen - $258,000,000
- Russell Wilson - $245,000,000
- Kyler Murray - $230,500,000
- Deshaun Watson - $230,000,000
- Dak Prescott - $160,000,000
- Matthew Stafford - $160,000,000
- Aaron Rodgers - $150,815,000
- Matt Ryan - $150,000,000
- Jared Goff - $134,000,000
1. Patrick Mahomes - $450,000,000
Patrick Mahomes became the highest-paid NFL player as a 26-year-old. His record-setting 2020 deal with the Kansas City Chiefs promises to pay him $450,000,000 over 10 seasons. The contract came with over $63 million guaranteed at signing and over $141 million guaranteed total. Mahomes won the Super Bowl in his third year in the NFL and returned to the championship in his fourth season. Mahomes was defeated by Tom Brady in the Super Bowl in 2020-21, in a matchup of two generational quarterbacks.
2. Josh Allen - $258,000,000
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are the two best quarterbacks of their generation, so it is fitting that they are the two highest-paid quarterbacks. Allen plays for the Buffalo Bills, who selected him seventh overall in 2018. Allen has spent most of his career in the shadow of Mahomes, not only salary-wise. Mahomes defeated Allen in the 2020-21 AFC championship and again in overtime in the 2021-22 AFC Semifinals. Allen has only been defeated in the playoffs three times, two of which were at the hands of Mahomes.
3. Russell Wilson - $245,000,000
Russell Wilson had spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks before a blockbuster trade in 2022 sent the signal-caller to the Denver Broncos. Wilson, who won Seattle their franchise’s only Super Bowl in 2014, was brought in to help the Broncos win a championship. The Broncos gave up six draft picks, including two first-round picks and two second-round picks, for Wilson. They then doubled down on their investment, signing Wilson to a five-year, $245,000,000 deal.
4. Kyler Murray - $230,500,000
Kyler Murray was drafted first overall in 2019. Murray’s five-year, $230.5 million deal came with $189.5 million guaranteed, $103.3 million of which was guaranteed at signing. Kyler Murray is an unusual athlete, standing 5’10” tall. However, despite his smaller stature, he is a star in multiple sports: he was selected ninth overall in 2018 by the Oakland Athletics, an MLB baseball team. He was forced to decide between baseball and football, between being a pitcher and an outfielder. Ultimately, Murray chose football, and it seemed to be the right decision, as he is now the fourth highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
5. Deshaun Watson - $230,000,000
Deshaun Watson inked a massive deal in 2022 after being traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns. Watson, who was 26 at the time of the signing, comes in just below Kyler Murray, with only $500,000 less in total contract earnings. Watson’s contract is a bit unusual, however, in that all of the money was guaranteed up-front. The contract was likely structured this way due to Watson’s impending investigation on matters of inappropriate behavior, which have threatened to keep him out of play.
6. Dak Prescott - $160,000,000
Dak Prescott’s four-year, $160 million deal lands him in sixth on this list. The deal came after Prescott missed nearly an entire season due to injury, which put his future in question., Even after the injury, however, the Cowboys trusted Prescott and his broken ankle. Prescott was drafted 135th overall in 2016 by the Dallas Cowboys. Born in 1993, Prescott signed his massive four-year deal as a 27-year-old.
7. Matthew Stafford - $160,000,000
Matthew Stafford spent his first 12 NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. In his first season with the Rams, Stafford won the Super Bowl, defeating college football standout Joe Burrow in his first year with the Cincinnati Bengals. Stafford’s latest contract was given to him by the Rams. A four-year deal, averaging $40 million per year, gave Stafford the honor of boasting the seventh-biggest NFL contract in QB history. Signing Stafford to this deal actually saved the Rams money against the cap in 2022. By signing the veteran long-term, they were able to restructure his contract, so he is no longer being paid $23 million in 2022-23.
8. Aaron Rodgers - $150,815,000
Aaron Rodgers’ most recent contract with the Green Bay Packers is set to pay him a total of $150,815,000 over three years. Rodgers is one of the most experienced and skilled quarterbacks of all time. He won the 2011 Super Bowl and has won four MVP awards. Rodgers signed this deal in 2022 as a 38-year-old. He signed this contract despite already being under contract for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Because of this, he will be paid all the way until the end of the 2026 season.
9. Matt Ryan - $150,000,000
Matt Ryan, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, signed his current contract while he was still playing for the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Falcons before being traded to the Colts in 2022. Ryan is often referred to by his nickname “Matty Ice,” which comes from his coolness under pressure. Ryan led the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2016-17 season. The Falcons famously had a 28-3 lead late in the third quarter of the Super Bowl but lost to Tom Brady’s Patriots after a stunning comeback which led New England to tie the game and then win in overtime. Ryan can take consolation in his contract, however, which is bigger than any contract Brady has ever played on.10. Michael Vick - $138,000,000
Michael Vick’s contract is the oldest on this list, spanning from 2004-2013. Vick originally signed with the Atlanta Falcons but played much of the years covered by this deal as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles on a separate contract. Vick’s massive $138 million deal was 10 years long, with an average annual value of $13.8 million. Vick is the NFL leader in QB rushing yards and was the first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single NFL season. Vick’s tenure with the Falcons was cut short, however, when he was investigated and imprisoned for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. After his incarceration, Vick spent the remainder of his career with the Eagles and the Steelers.
Honorable Mentions
Below is a list of some of the quarterbacks in the NFL who didn’t make the top 10 for the biggest contracts but whose earnings are still notable:
- Alex Smith - $94,000,000
- Carson Wentz - $128,000,000
- Derek Carr - $125,000,000
- Ryan Tannehill - $118,000,000
- Tom Brady - $72,000,000
- Drew Brees - $100,000,000
- Jimmy Garoppolo - $137,500,000
- Sam Darnold - $30,247,715
- Peyton Manning - $98,000,000
- Ben Roethlisberger - $87,986,500
FAQ
Who has the biggest NFL quarterback contract currently?
Patrick Mahomes has the biggest contract out of all active NFL quarterbacks, and it is also the largest NFL contract of all time. Mahomes' contract is significantly larger than any other player’s in the NFL: the next-biggest contract is almost $200,000,000 less! Mahomes’ deal will pay him through 2031, at which point he will be 35 years old.
Who has the biggest NFL quarterback salary of all time?
While Aaron Rodgers’ contract is not as big as Patrick Mahomes’ massive $450 million deal, Rodgers’ contract actually pays more per year. Rodgers is being paid $50 million a year on his current contract, which is the most a QB has ever been paid per season. Rodgers’ deal stretches from the 2024-25 season to the 2026-27 season. When the deal is complete, Rodgers will be 43 years old.