Just hours ahead of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season, quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a four-year extension worth $240 million, with $231 million guaranteed.
The $60 million annual average value is the highest in NFL history. Prescott’s deal vaulted the Cowboys quarterback to the top of the list.
After an MVP season, the Bills rewarded Josh Allen with one of the largest contracts in NFL history. Allen’s $250 million in guaranteed money is the largest ever given to an NFL player.
He’s tied with Green Bay’s Jordan Love, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow for second among the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks with a $55 million AAV.
All of these deals in the past two years follow a trend of NFL stars signing extensions before they hit the open market.
While this can be particularly lucrative for franchise quarterbacks more than other positions, NFL player agent Blake Baratz told Front Office Sports last June that the league’s controversial franchise tag prevented players from reaching free agency.
“Getting to free agency in the NFL is the hardest thing to do. None of the good players get to free agency,” Baratz said. “Patrick Mahomes isn’t getting there. Josh Allen isn’t getting there. Justin Herbert’s not gonna get there, Joe Burrow’s not gonna get there. It’s hard to get to free agency when you have a mechanism to keep a player at a fraction of their value. Lamar Jackson was the unanimous MVP and couldn’t get there.”
Ranking The Highest-Paid NFL QBs for 2025
Here are the highest-paid quarterbacks by average annual value, according to data compiled by Spotrac.
| Rank | Player | Team | Compensation |
| 1 | Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys | $60 million |
| T-2 | Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals | $55 million |
| T-2 | Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars | $55 million |
| T-2 | Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers | $55 million |
| T-2 | Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | $55 million |
| 6 | Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins | $53.1 million |
| 7 | Jared Goff | Detroit Lions | $53 million |
| 8 | Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers | $52.5 million |
| 9 | Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens | $52 million |
| 10 | Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles | $51 million |
| 11 | Kyler Murray | Arizona Cardinals | $46.1 million |
| 12 | Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns | $46 million |
| T-13 | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | $45 million |
| T-13 | Kirk Cousins | Atlanta Falcons | $45 million |
| 15 | Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams | $40 million |
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