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In 2020, fresh off a Super Bowl victory, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year rookie extension worth $450 million. The contract made him not only the highest-paid quarterback in history but the highest-paid athlete in all of North American sports.
Things move fast. Just hours ahead of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season, Dak Prescott agreed to a four-year extension worth $240 million. Suddenly, by the metric of average annual value (AAV), the Cowboys QB had the highest-paying contract in NFL history. Then, before the 2026 season, Mahomes renegotiated his deal to earn $504,750,000 over eight years. Kansas City’s chief play-caller was back on top.
Eleven other players also earn at least $50 million per season. And all of them are the highest-paid players not only at their position, but in the league.
After a 2024 MVP season, the Bills rewarded Josh Allen with a six-year, $330 million deal. He’s tied with Green Bay’s Jordan Love, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, and the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford for third among the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks with a $55 million AAV.
These deals show 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 in 2023 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.”
Those players who do go to free agency rarely see the same returns.
Three players dropped off the list from last season after becoming free agents: Tua Tagovailoa, who signed with the Saints in March 2026 after being released by the Dolphins; Kirk Cousins, who signed with the Raiders in April 2026 after starting 22 games in two years for the Falcons; and Kyler Murray, who signed with the Vikings for the veteran’s minimum after being released by the Cardinals. Those players have been replaced by the Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield (No. 3), the 49ers’ Brock Purdy (No. 9), and the Colts’ Daniel Jones (No. 15).
Ranking the Highest-Paid NFL QBs for 2026
Here are the highest-paid quarterbacks by average annual value, according to data compiled by Spotrac.
| Rank | Player | Team | Total Contract AAV |
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | $63.1 million |
| 2 | Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys | $60 million |
| T-3 | Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals | $55 million |
| T-3 | Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers | $55 million |
| T-3 | Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars | $55 million |
| T-3 | Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | $55 million |
| T-3 | Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $55 million |
| T-3 | Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams | $55 million |
| T-9 | Jared Goff | Detroit Lions | $53 million |
| T-9 | Brock Purdy | San Francisco 49ers | $53 million |
| 11 | Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers | $52.5 million |
| 12 | Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens | $52 million |
| 13 | Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles | $51 million |
| 14 | Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns | $46 million |
| 15 | Daniel Jones | Indianapolis Colts | $44 million |
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