Ranking the NFL's biggest contracts for 2020 (2024)

FAQs

How much do quarterbacks make in 2020? ›

In 2019, Russell Wilson's $35 million per year topped it. In 2020, Patrick Mahomes hit $39.5 million per year. In 2021, Josh Allen earned a record $43 million per year. Those all look like bargains today.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo top this year's Forbes ranking of the highest-paid soccer players once again, after Messi resolved a weeks-long contract drama to land the top spot with $126 million, nudging out Juventus' Ronaldo, who comes in at No. 2 with $117 million.

49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey, who signed a two-year, $38 million extension in June, tops the list as the league's highest-paid running back. Five-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara comes in at second on the list at $15 million per year. He signed a five-year, $75 million extension with the Saints in 2020.

Former National Football League (NFL) player and executive Jerry Richardson was the richest NFL player of all time as of January 2023, with a net worth of around two billion U.S. dollars.

The player in the National Football League (NFL) with the highest cumulative career earnings was Aaron Rodgers, with total earnings of 342.5 million U.S. dollars.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson becomes highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.

Brock Purdy signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 that turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the NFL. Because Purdy, 24, was drafted with the final pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft in 2022, he's locked into a lower yearly salary for his first four years in the league.

How much do Waterboys in the NFL make? ›

NFL waterboys actually make a fairly decent salary. Typically speaking individuals earn around $35,000 per year. Those who have been in the game for an extended period of time, however, can earn significantly more, with some even reported to be starting well above $50,000.

Now, it's Joe Burrow, who has agreed to a monster five-year extension with the Bengals worth $275 million and includes $219.01 million guaranteed. That makes him the highest-paid player in league history.

While Tyrone Swoopes won the reigning title of the lowest-paid NFL player in 2021, looking at the low end of league earners isn't as simple. NFL players face different minimum values that depend on their contract and designation as active or inactive players.

The Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow is the highest paid player in the NFL.

Joe Burrow enters the 2024 offseason as the NFL's highest-paid quarterback, making a cool $55 million annually as part of his five-year extension with the Bengals. He's one of five quarterbacks league-wide making over $50 million a season.

The Dallas Cowboys maintain their status as the league's most valuable franchise, boasting a staggering valuation of $9 billion, representing a 13% increase from the previous year.