American Football is on the top 10 list of most popular sports in the world with a fan base of around 400 million people. With that said, the larger portion of the audience goes to the NFL, which is why it is the main goal for every player that starts with this sport.
Last year, the 32 teams in the NFL generated revenue of more than 12 billion U.S dollars, and this is a 20% down due to the pandemic. Additionally, the NFL signed a $111.7 billion in media rights, where teams get a large portion of the pie due to the national media rights.
All of these facts suggest that NFL athletes are receive a mind-blowing salary per year, but let’s dig deeper and find out the top 10 highest-paid NFL players right now.
- Matt Ryan
Throughout his career, he managed to throw at least 4,000 passing yards and he has been the most consistent player in the league with only one missed game. All of his talent and hard work are recognized by the team, which is why he is rewarded with a $30 million salary.
- Carson Wentz – Colts
After an unlucky 2020 season where Wentz started good with 15 interceptions, he was benched in favour of Jalen Hurts. That was the main reason why he was traded this offseason to the Colts and signed a deal for $32 million per year.
- Kirk Cousins – Vikings
Cousins was brought to Minnesota at a high gate and the team had great expectations from this athlete. He had some impressive moments such as reaching a career-high 35 TD passes and 13 interceptions. His annual salary is $33 million which is considered very high for players at his age.
- Jared Goff – Lions
Goff had an impressive career with the lions averaging 4,215 passing yards, 13 interceptions, and 25 touchdowns per 16 games, which is why he signed a multi-year contract with a $33.5 million salary. Since then, he has been inconsistent and he needs to improve if he likes to extend his contract.
- Aaron Rodgers – Packers
Here we have the oldest player on the list at 37 years old, but still one of the highest-paid athletes in the league with a $33.5 million annual salary. His league-best result is 48 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 4,299 passing yards.
- Russel Wilson – Seahawks
Even though Wilson isn’t at its peak since he is 32 years old, he is one of the steadiest NFL performers after the Seahawks got him in their line-up. His annual salary is $35 million and it is well-earned with 3,772 passing yards, nine interceptions, and 30 TDs.
- Deshaun Watson – Texans
Watson is one of the youngest and most promising quarterbacks in the NFL right now. With an annual salary of $39 million, he is fourth on our highest-paid athlete’s list.
However, the future of this young talent is still uncertain due to multiple civil lawsuits and criminal complaints of sexual misconduct. It is unclear when or if he’ll play again.
- Dak Prescott – Cowboys
Dak Prescott had an unfortunate injury in the 2020 NFL season where he played only five games before breaking his ankle. Despite the low appearance, he still was on the bridge of reaching 6,000 yard passing season.
His annual salary costs the Cowboy $40 million per year, which is a lot of money for someone who isn’t playing that much. But the Cowboys are confident enough in his reappearance.
- Josh Allen – Bills
Josh Allen broke another NFL record of signing a contract with $150 million in guarantees at age 25. He has massively improved over the past couple of seasons leading the Bills to the AFC Championship, by throwing 4,544 yards, 10 interceptions, and making 37 touchdowns.
His annual salary is $43 million making him the second-highest-paid athlete in the league.
- Patric Mahomes – Chiefs
With an annual salary of $45 million Mahomes is on the top of the list of highest-paid athletes in the NFL, and there is a good reason for that. He has some impressive stats with making it in the last two Super Bowls and winning one.
On top of that, he has averaged close to 5,000 passing yards, 41 pass TDs, and eight interceptions per 16 games.
It seems like he is well worth the highest NFL contract of $450 million for 10 years.
Final Thoughts
So these are the top 10 highest paid NFL players right now. In case you are wondering, the legendary Tom Brady only ranks 17. Despite being a current Superbowl winner and still rocking at the Buccaneers, the 44-year-old does not make the top 10.
If you are wondering who are the highest-paid NFL players of all time, TwinSpires made a list for you, so make sure to check it out: edge.twinspires.com/nfl/top-30-highest-paid-nfl-players-of-all-time/
Did any of these names surprise you? Do you agree with the top 10? If you do why not tell us in the comments below.