In the National Football League (NFL) competitive landscape, player earnings reflect their on-field performance and off-field ventures. For 2024, the top-earning players have set new financial benchmarks with impressive contracts and lucrative endorsements.
An NFL offseason saw a record $12.4 billion in new contracts, surpassing the previous high by $2 billion in 2022, with average annual contract values at a record 13 positions.
The top 10 earners are projected to collect $644 million combined in the 2024 league year, exceeding last year’s record of $508 million. This total is more than double the $296 million earned by the top 10 in 2017, with the cutoff rising to $47 million, up 15% from the $41 million in 2023.
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For the third consecutive year, at least nine quarterbacks make the list, continuing a trend of at least seven quarterbacks since 2018.
According to Forbes, here are the top 10 NFL’s highest-paid players
Jared Goff — $85.6 million
Age 29, Quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Goff earned $80.6 million on-field and $5 million off-field, securing a four-year, $212 million extension in May with $170 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause; his $73 million signing bonus was an NFL record for two months until Jordan Love surpassed it, and he has endorsement deals with Ford, Old Spice, and Jared jewellers, while in 2023, he purchased homes in Manhattan Beach for $10.5 million and $8.6 million.
Patrick Mahomes — $81 million
Age 28, Quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Mahomes earned $56 million on-field and $25 million off-field; he holds the largest contract in NFL history with a 10-year, $450 million deal from 2020, though annual earnings have been surpassed by other quarterbacks, and he has endorsements with Prime sports drinks, launched Throne Sports Coffee, and was a producer on the Netflix docuseries Receiver.
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Jordan Love — $80.5 million
Age 25, Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Love earned $79 million on-field and $1.5 million off-field, signing a four-year, $220 million contract in July after a standout 2023 season; despite limited career starts, the Packers showed confidence in him, and his profile is rising with improved rankings in polls and surveys.
Joe Burrow — $69.7 million
Age 27, Quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Burrow earned $65.7 million on-field and $4 million off-field, signing a five-year, $275 million extension last September, including a $55 million option bonus, and despite an injury-shortened season, he has made significant strides both on and off the field, including a new sponsorship with Alo Yoga.
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Justin Herbert — $66.6 million
Age 26, Quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers, Herbert earned $56.6 million on-field and $10 million off-field, signing a five-year, $262.5 million contract with a $50.6 million bonus, and has additional bonus money due in 2025; he set records for fastest 1,500 completions and most passing yards in the first four seasons, with endorsements from SoFi, TCL, and Dr. Squatch soap.
Kirk Cousins — $65 million
Age 36, Quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins earned $62.5 million on-field and $2.5 million off-field, joining the Falcons with a four-year, $180 million contract after six seasons with the Vikings; he remains focused on winning a Super Bowl despite a recent injury and competition from rookie Michael Penix Jr., and he has deals with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Truist bank.
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Travis Kelce — $52 million
Age 34, Tight End for the Kansas City Chiefs, Kelce earned $17 million on-field and $35 million off-field; his off-field ventures include $2.4 million from jersey sales, hosting a Prime Video game show, roles in TV and film, and signing new deals with A SHOC and General Mills, while he also signed a two-year, $34.3 million extension with the Chiefs.
Russell Wilson — $49 million
Age 35, Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson earned $39 million on-field and $10 million off-field; released by the Broncos, he joined the Steelers on a veteran’s-minimum contract, remains a team captain, and has numerous endorsements including Bose and Gulfstream jets, plus co-founded the fashion brand House of LR&C with his wife, Ciara.
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Aaron Rodgers — $47.2 million
Age 40, Quarterback for the New York Jets, Rodgers earned $38.2 million on-field and $9 million off-field; he restructured his contract to a fully guaranteed $75 million for the next two years after a short-lived season due to an Achilles injury, pushing his career on-field earnings to over $418 million, and continues earning from endorsements with ZenWtr and Amberjack dress shoes.
Deshaun Watson — $47 million
Age 28, Quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, Watson earned $46 million on-field and $1 million off-field; he is in Year 3 of a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract and agreed to a recent restructuring to lower the Browns’ cap hit, with recent activities including a fast-food investment and a tour of Saudi Arabia, despite legal issues and an injury.
