The NFL is many things.
It’s the greatest sport in the world. It’s a source of entertainment for millions of people worldwide. And it’s a business—a multi-billion dollar business.
A big part of that business lies in the awarding of contracts to the league’s players. There are 53 on each roster during the regular season. And in 2023, each team has just under $225 million to spend on them.
Of course, that money won’t be allocated equally. Because players are not created equally. Some are just better at football than others. And some positions have more value to NFL teams than others.
For whatever reason, wide receivers (on average) are paid
more than running backs. Edge-rushers are paid more than cornerbacks. And
quarterbacks are paid more than everybody.
OK, so we know why quarterbacks are paid more—it’s the most important position in the game. But running backs aren’t necessarily less important than guards—they just have a shorter shelf life. It’s harder to find high-end tackles than centers, so the former make more money.
But what’s the going rate for these different positions? What does a superstar quarterback cost? A second-tier tight end? A middling off-ball linebacker?
This column endeavors to answer that question in terms of
average annual salary, along with some examples of players in each tier who
will be angling for a payday next offseason—if not sooner.
Salary and salary cap data courtesy of Spotrac.
When players and agents negotiate contracts, deals that have
already been agreed to are an important benchmark. Joe Burrow and Justin
Herbert will no doubt look to the five-year, $260 million deal Lamar Jackson
signed as a jumping-off point for negotiations on their own mega-deals.
With that said, there are a few NFL contracts that are so out there that they stand alone. They can’t be used as points of comparison for deals that will be signed in the future.
They are unicorns. Aberrations.
They are the outliers.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns (Five years, $230 million, $230 million guaranteed): Simply put, the Browns guaranteed Watson’s entire contract because until they did the team was reportedly out of the running for his services. But a completely guaranteed contract was absolutely unheard of in the NFL, and this deal didn’t enamor Jimmy Haslam to the league’s other owners even a little. The rest of the league is hell-bent against giving out another contract like this. Bank on it.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers (Four years, $64.1 million, $30.1 million guaranteed): There’s no denying that McCaffrey is wildly talented and an important part of the 49ers offense. And maybe if Bijan Robinson becomes the NFL’s best running back in Atlanta he’ll rate a massive second contract. But as we have seen quite clearly over the NFL’s past couple of years, teams just aren’t paying running backs $16 million a year anymore.
Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams (Three years, $95 million, $46.5 million guaranteed): No one is going to debate Donald’s talent or dominance on the football field—he’s one of the best defensive tackles to ever play in the NFL. But he’s also one of just three players in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year three times, and it will take similarly robust achievements before we see another defender get handed well over $30 million a season.
By 2010, Tom Brady had won three Super Bowls, led the New
England Patriots to the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history and been named
Most Valuable Player. The Patriots rewarded those achievements with a
four-year, $72 million contract that included just over $40 million in
guarantees.
In 2023, 11 NFL quarterbacks will make at least $40 million
in average annual salary alone.
To say that the quarterback market has exploded is an
understatement. Twice already this offseason, we have seen the market reset,
first by Jalen Hurts (five years, $255 million) and then by Lamar Jackson (five
years, $260 million). Both deals included at least $110 million in guarantees at
signing.
Second and third-tier starters aren’t exactly hurting for rent money. Daniel Jones got $40 million a season from the New York Giants. Derek Carr received $37.5 million a season to join the New Orleans Saints.
In hindsight, the $24 million and change the Las Vegas Raiders
gave Jimmy Garoppolo looks like a bargain.
The mega-deals are going to keep coming, too—Joe Burrow and
Justin Herbert will likely reset the market at the position yet again soon, and
Tua Tagovailoa could play his way into a massive payday of his own if he can
stay healthy in 2023.
Trevor Lawrence will be watching it all unfold intently.
Tier 1 ($50+ million/season): Joe Burrow (Bengals);
Justin Herbert (Chargers); Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
Tier 2 ($35-$45 million/season): Tua Tagovailoa
(Dolphins); Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
Tier 3 ($15-20 million/Season): Ryan Tannehill
(Titans)
It’s a great time to be a quarterback in the NFL. But it’s a rotten time to be a running back.
To be fair, there are nine backs in the league who currently
make $10 million or more a season. But two of those backs (Dalvin Cook and Joe
Mixon) have been rumored
as cut candidates much of the offseason, and the market for free agent backs in
2022 was terrible.
The top three backs in this year’s free agent class (Josh Jacobs of the Raiders, Saquon Barkley of the Giants and Tony Pollard of the Cowboys) all were slapped with the franchise tag. Miles Sanders and David Montgomery, both of whom have 1,000-yard seasons on their NFL resumes, settled for around $6 million a season. Jamaal Williams, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last year, got $4 million a season.
NFL teams just don’t value the running back position like they used to, which is going to make next spring a fascinating time in the NFL.
Because in addition to all those stars who were tagged this
year, a number of other big names at the position will hit free agency in 2024.
And most will either be tagged or settle for short-term
deals.
Tier 1 ($10-$12 million/season): Saquon Barkley
(Giants); Jonathan Taylor (Colts); Austin Ekeler (Chargers); Josh Jacobs
(Raiders)
Tier 2 ($7-$10 million/season): Derrick Henry
(Titans); Tony Pollard (Cowboys); Joe Mixon (Bengals); A.J. Dillon (Packers);
JK Dobbins (Ravens)
Tier 3 ($2-$5 million/season): D’Andre Swift (Eagles); D’Onta Foreman (Bears); Cam Akers (Rams)
Compared to a wild 2022 offseason that saw a handful of
elite wide receivers traded, the 2023 offseason was whisper-quiet. The free-agent
class was light on star power, and the only trade of note sent Brandin Cooks to
Dallas.
Don’t worry though—things will liven up soon enough.
The lack of high-end talent in this year’s class actually benefitted some players. Despite missing all of 2022, Odell Beckham got $15 million in guarantees from the Baltimore Ravens. Allen Lazard got $11 million a season from the Jets despite never amassing a thousand-yard season. Ditto for Jakobi Meyers in Las Vegas.
That’s nothing compared to what could be coming. After amassing the most receiving yards in NFL history over the first three seasons of his career, Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson is eligible for an extension that could surpass the $30 million a season Tyreek Hill got from the Dolphins. By the time the 2024 offseason rolls around, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith and Miami’s Jaylen Waddle will also be eligible for extensions.
It puts all those teams in quite a bind, because all already
have high-priced wideouts or free agents hitting the open market.
Decisions, decisions.
Tier 1 ($28-$32 million/season): Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals; Justin Jefferson (Vikings)
Tier 2 ($21-$28 million/season): Jaylen Waddle
(Dolphins); DeVonta Smith (Eagles); Tee Higgins (Bengals); Mike Evans (Buccaneers);
Michael Pittman (Colts)
Tier 3 ($13-$20 million/season): Odell Beckham
(Ravens); Tyler Boyd (Bengals); Marquise Brown (Cardinals); Calvin Ridley
(Jaguars); Gabriel Davis (Bills)
Being an NFL tight end can be a lucrative gig. Led by Darren Waller’s $17 million a season, there are 10 tight ends in the league who make over $10 million a season.
The wisdom of some of those deals is debatable (looking at
you, Taysom Hill). But whatever.
However, we aren’t especially likely to see any blockbuster deals at the position in the near future. Barring a massive leap forward in 2023, Kyle Pitts of the Falcons isn’t getting extended next year. Dalton Schultz got a modest $6.25 million from the Houston Texans this season. Evan Engram will play for $11.3 million under the franchise tag in 2023, but it’s hard to imagine him getting much more than that on the open market a year from now.
In fact, the tight end most likely to get a big payday next
year (T.J. Hockenson of the Vikings) is a prime candidate for the same
franchise tag that Engram just received.
The rest of the available players next year are middling talents who will likely vie for smaller, short-term deals similar to Schultz’s.
Because while teams will pay up for talent at tight end, this group isn’t an especially impressive one.
Tier 1 ($10-$12 million/season): T.J. Hockenson
(Vikings); Evan Engram (Jaguars); Noah Fant (Seahawks)
Tier 2 ($7-$10 million/season): Dalton Schultz (Texans);
Cole Kmet (Bears); Gerald Everett (Chargers)
Tier 3 ($4-$7 million/season): Tyler Higbee (Rams);
Mike Gesicki (Patriots); Hunter Henry (Patriots); Robert Tonyan (Bears)
Offensive tackle has long been a lucrative position to play in the NFL. Led by the $25 million per season Laremy Tunsil just got from the Houston Texans, there are five tackles in the league who earn $20 million or more a season. Two of those players (Tunsil and Jawaan Taylor) signed their deals in this offseason.
The cash just keeps flowing from there. Eleven more tackles make at least $17 million a season. Twelve more make at least $10 million a season. That’s 28 tackles in total who make at least $10 million a campaign.
Some of those tackles are worth every penny. Trent Williams of the 49ers remains the gold standard at the position even at 32 years old. The Cincinnati Bengals landing Orlando Brown Jr. for just over $16 million a season this offseason was a coup.
But even mediocre tackles regularly receive big contracts in free agency. Per PFF, Joseph Noteboom allowed five sacks in just 325 snaps with the Rams last year.
His contract averages over $13 million a year.
Next year will be no different. Demand annually outweighs supply at tackle—and that drives contracts up.
Tier 1: ($16-$20 million/season): Jonah Williams (Bengals); Donovan Smith (Buccaneers)
Tier 2 ($11-$15 million/season): Isaiah Wynn (Dolphins); Tyron Smith (Cowboys)
Tier 3 ($7-$10 million season): Terence Steele (Cowboys); Trent Brown (Patriots)
It used to be that contracts for guards and centers lagged
well behind tackles. And as a whole, they still do—especially at center.
But in recent years, some guards have hit the proverbial jackpot. Quenton Nelson of the Colts makes over $20 million a season, but he’s regarded by many as the best offensive lineman in the game. Chris Lindstrom one-upped Nelson this offseason, inking a whopping five-year, $102.5 million contract that included $48 million in guarantees at signing.
It’s good work if you can get it.
We aren’t going to see that sort of gonzo contract signed by a guard any time soon unless a player breaks out in an unexpected way in 2023. In fact, next year could be one of the relatively rare seasons in which a center signs the biggest deal among interior linemen.
Because there’s a much better crop of centers set to hit the open market than guards.
Tier 1 ($11-$14 million/season): Andrus Peat (Saints);
Evan Brown (Seahawks); Andre Brown (Raiders); Connor McGovern (Jets)
Tier 2 ($7-$10 million/season): Robert Hunt
(Dolphins); Connor Williams (Dolphins); Cesar Ruiz (Saints); Matt Hennessy
(Falcons)
Tier 3 ($5-$7 million/season): Lucas Patrick (Bears),
Aaron Brewer (Titans); Lloyd Cushenberry (Broncos)
The reality of the NFL is that some positions have more value than others. On offense, quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive tackles get the big bucks. On defense, it’s the cornerbacks and defensive linemen—especially the edge-rushers.
With that said, it was a quiet year in free agency for edge-rushers. Marcus Davenport got one of the larger deals in terms of average annual salary—and that was a one-year, “prove it” deal with the Minnesota Vikings. As of this writing, one of the best available edge-rushers in the 2023 class (Yannick Ngakoue) still hasn’t found a new team.
Things may have been quiet in 2023, but much like at wide receiver, it’s about to get a lot louder. Because the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is about to enter a contract year.
The chances that the San Francisco 49ers let Nick Bosa get anywhere near the open market are slim. It’s more likely, in fact, that Bosa’s deal lands on the “outliers” list—the sort of contract that players will be unable to use as a point of comparison because it’s such a whopper. T.J. Watt’s $112 million pact, $28 million annual salary and $80 million guaranteed at signing are all the current benchmarks for edge-rushers.
Bosa will all but certainly get more—perhaps $30 million a
season.
And players like Danielle Hunter of the Vikings and Brian
Burns of the Panthers are going to aim for the same ballpark. So will Micah
Parsons of the Cowboys, who will be eligible for an extension.
Tier 1 ($22-$30 million/season): Nick Bosa (49ers);
Danielle Hunter (Vikings); Brian Burns (Panthers); Micah Parsons (Cowboys)
Tier 2 ($17-$22 million/season): Rashan Gary
(Packers); Montez Sweat (Commanders); Cameron Jordan (Saints); Josh Allen
(Jaguars)
Tier 3 ($12-$17 million/season): Za’Darius Smith (Browns); Trey Hendrickson (Bengals); Chase Young (Commanders); Marcus Davenport (Vikings); Uchenna Nwosu (Seahawks)
It may have been a relatively quiet year in free agency for
the edge-rushers, but the interior linemen made all kinds of noise.
Javon Hargrave got $21 million a season with $40 million in guarantees from the same San Francisco 49ers team that has to figure out a way to pay Bosa. Dalvin Tomlinson signed a four-year, $57 million pact with the Cleveland Browns. Dre’Mont Jones inked a deal with the Seattle Seahawks that averages $17.2 million a season. Zach Allen received a little under $16 million to replace Jones in Denver.
That’s a whole lot of cabbage spent on the trenches. There are now eight interior defensive linemen in the NFL who have average annual salaries of at least $20 million. Five more average at least $17 million a year.
That money will all but certainly keep flowing a year from now.
One of those $20 million defensive linemen (Leonard Williams of the Giants) is
in the last year of his contract. So is Chris Jones of the Chiefs, who is
arguably the best defensive player for the defending Super Bowl champions. And
Quinnen Williams of the Jets, who might be the best three-technique in the NFL
not named Aaron Donald.
The latter is a prime franchise tag candidate. But there are
going to be some massive checks written.
Tier 1 ($20-$28 million/season): Quinnen Williams
(Jets); Chris Jones (Chiefs); Leonard Williams (Giants)
Tier 2 ($13-$20 million/season): Christian Wilkins
(Dolphins); Grover Stewart (Colts); D.J. Reader (Bengals)
Tier 3: ($8 – $12 million/season): Fletcher Cox (Eagles); A’Shawn Robinson (Giants); Ed Oliver (Bills); Zach Sieler (Dolphins)
There are off-ball linebackers who hit the proverbial
jackpot. Tremaine Edmunds did so with the Chicago Bears this season, inking a
$72 million contract that includes $50 million in guarantees. Others get fairly
lucrative deals—Bobby Okereke will earn $10 million a season over his four-year
pact with the Giants.
But compared to some other positions, the life of most
off-ball linebackers involves relatively modest salaries and short-term deals.
T.J. Edwards played a key role in the Eagles run to the Super Bowl, but he got
just $6.5 million a season from Chicago.
It’s just not a highly-valued position as a whole.
Given the landscape of the position heading into next season, it’s unlikely that next year will be much different.
There’s one young linebacker who stands atop the class who could earn an Edmunds-esque payday—Devin White of the Buccaneers has topped 120 total tackles each of the past three years and is only just entering the prime of his career.
After that, things get cloudy quickly. Jordyn Brooks of the Seahawks has shown immense potential but tore his ACL late last season. Isaiah Simmons has shown flashes, but they haven’t equated to consistent production.
There’s going to be one big linebacker deal in 2024. Maybe a couple more that approach (or clear) $10 million a season—and then a lot of smaller contracts and “prove it” deals.
Tier 1 ($12-$17 million/season): Devin White
(Buccaneers)
Tier 2 ($8-$12 million/season): Jordyn Brooks
(Seahawks); Isaiah Simmons (Cardinals); Logan Wilson (Bengals); Patrick Queen
(Ravens); Jerome Baker (Dolphins)
Tier 3 ($5-$8 million season): Bobby Wagner
(Seahawks); Drue Tranquill (Chiefs); Willie Gay (Chiefs); Frankie Luvu
(Panthers); Josey Jewell (Broncos)
It’s not a stretch to call the cornerback position one of the most important on defense. If you can’t cover on defense, your team isn’t going to have a ton of success.
But the salaries of the NFL’s top cornerbacks aren’t as gaudy as one might think. Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander is the highest-paid corner in terms of average annual salary at $21 million a season. He’s one of just two players at the position who makes $20 million a year. Only seven make $15 million or more a season. But there’s a good-sized upper-middle class at corner—14 more players check in between $10 and $15 million a year.
In other words, there aren’t many corners making the sort of cash elite defensive linemen do, but there’s no shortage of players at the position who make $10 million a year.
A few more joined the club in 2023—Jamel Deal got over $20
million in guarantees at signing as part of a $52 million contract to stay in
Tampa. James Bradberry received $38 million over three seasons from the Eagles.
And Cameron Sutton bolted Pittsburgh for Detroit for $11 million a season.
Given the available players in 2024, it will likely be more
of the same. Trevon Diggs will get a Texas-sized payday, likely from the
Cowboys. Patrick Surtain could be extended by the Broncos. And another
cornerback or two might clear $10 million a season.
But in recent years at least, teams are using the draft more
than their checkbooks to improve at cornerback.
Tier 1 ($12-$16 million/season): Trevon Diggs
(Cowboys); Patrick Surtain (Broncos); Adoree Jackson (Giants); Stephon Gilmore
(Cowboys)
Tier 2 ($8-$12 million/season): Emmanuel Moseley
(Lions); Kendall Fuller (Commanders); Rock Ya-Sin (Ravens); Chidobe Awuzie
(Bengals); Jeff Okudah (Falcons); C.J. Henderson (Panthers)
Tier 3 ($5-$8 million/season): Jaylon Johnson
(Bears); Kenny Moore (Colts); Steven Nelson (Texans); Jalen Mills (Patriots);
Jourdan Lewis (Cowboys)
There was a time when the safety position wasn’t as especially lucrative one. But as the NFL has become more and more pass-heavy, demand has increased for quality players at the back of the defense—and salaries have risen as a result.
When Jessie Bates signed a four-year, $64 million deal to
join the Atlanta Falcons in free agency this year, he became the 10th safety in
the league with an average annual salary of over $14 million a season. Four more
make at least $10 million a year.
One of those safeties (Budda Baker of the Cardinals) will hit the open market again in 2024. But he’s not the only big name who could be set to receive a large salary—Antoine Winfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jeremy Chinn of the Carolina Panthers could generate considerable demand as well.
The safety position also contains a fairly robust middle
class—there are 17 players at the position who bring home between $5 million
and $10 million a year. That group should also grow next year—there are quite a
few good but not great safeties set to hit free agency in 2024.
It’s a deep class.
They won’t break the bank—but it can be argued they might actually be better values for the teams who sign them next year.
Tier 1 ($11-$15 million/season): Budda Baker
(Cardinals); Antoine Winfield Jr. (Buccaneers); Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
(Lions); Jeremy Chinn (Panthers)
Tier 2 ($7-$10 million/season): Kyle Dugger
(Patriots); Jayron Kearse (Cowboys); DeShon Elliott (Dolphins); Xavier McKinney
(Giants); Grant Delpit (Browns); Kamren Curl (Commanders)
Tier 3 ($4-$6 million/season): Chuck Clark (Ravens);
Mike Edwards (Chiefs); Terrell Edmunds (Eagles); Taylor Rapp (Bills); Jordan Fuller
(Rams)
Kickers are people too!
Sure, kickers don’t land massive contracts like quarterbacks. Or edge-rushers. Or centers. But there are some kickers who are doing quite well for themselves.
In news that should surprise exactly no one, Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens is the NFL’s highest-paid kicker, bringing in $6 million a season. When Matt Gay signed a four-year, $22.5 million pact with the Indianapolis Colts, he became the fifth kicker in the league to average $5 million a season. Eight more make at least $4 million a year.
It’s a little harder to make the big bucks as a punter. Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks is the league’s highest-paid punter at $3.7 million, and only five punters bring home three million a season.
It’s unlikely we’ll see much change to the market at the position in 2024, although there are a few kickers about to hit the market who could land $4 million in free agency.
Tier 1 ($4-$5 million/season): Wil Lutz (K, Saints);
Graham Gano (K, Giants); Chase McLaughlin (K, Buccaneers); Ka’imi Fairbairn (K,
Texans), Cameron Dicker (K, Chargers)
Tier 2 ($3-$4 million/season): Cairo Santos (K,
Bears); Tommy Townsend (P, Chiefs); Rigoberto Sanchez (P, Colts); Michael
Badgley, (K, Lions)
Tier 3 ($2-$3 million/season): Joey Slye (K, Commanders); Zane Gonzalez (K, SF); Pat O’ Donnell (P, Packers); Thomas Morstead (P, NYJ)