Listing NFL’s 25 Highest Paid Players 2023

Every March, NFL clubs distribute hundreds of millions of dollars to players with the express purpose of helping those players help their team win the Super Bowl. The total dollar value of NFL contracts has increased along with the salary cap. Because of this, the highest-paid players come and go.

There should be no difference in the NFL offseason of 2023. Numerous quarterbacks, notably Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, and Lamar Jackson, are in line for costly, protracted contracts.

Geno Smith, Daniel Jones, and Derek Carr have already signed nine-figure contracts. The list of the highest-paid NFL players as of the end of the 2022 season has undergone a significant shift as a result.

Of course, these significant agreements are not merely made at the beginning of the free-agent era. In reality, many of them are decided upon as contract renewals in the summer. Nonetheless, the new league year does act as a motivator for these agreements, and fans will undoubtedly be considering the NFL’s highest-paid players in the near future.

Listing NFL’s 25 Highest Paid Players 2023

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers

  • Annual salary: $50.3 million

Will Rodgers continue to earn the most money in the NFL going into the 2023 NFL offseason? This sum may be exceeded by a hypothetical Lamar Jackson contract extension, and Rodgers himself might step down as leader. After consecutive MVP seasons in 2022, Rodgers made a little decline. While guiding the Packers to an 8-9 record, he completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. For his Age 39 season, he will have another opportunity to fulfil his obligations.

Image Credits – Athlon Sports

2. Russell Wilson, QB, Broncos

  • Annual salary: $48.5 million

Wilson’s lengthy contract extension from the Broncos, who acquired him from the Seahawks last season, is now being regretted. Wilson started for Denver, which went 4-11, and completed just 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. After the Nathaniel Hackett debacle, Denver is hopeful that Sean Payton can revive Wilson’s career; nevertheless, for him to deliver a good return on the team’s investment, he would need to make a significant improvement.

Image Credits – Athlon Sports

3. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals

  • Annual salary: $46.1 million

Murray also struggled to fulfil the terms of his 2022 contract extension. Before tearing his ACL against the Patriots, Murray had a career-worst passing rating of 87.2 while starting for the 3-8 Cardinals. Cardinals fans may have to wait until 2024 to find out if Murray can complete a full season as a reliable starter because it’s unclear if he will be available for the start of the 2023 NFL season.

Kyler Murray

4. Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns

  • Annual salary: $46 million

After signing a $230 million contract with the Browns, Watson only participated in six games of the 2022 NFL season due to a league ban. In those six games, the Browns finished 3-3, but he only completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland’s first-game starter, significantly outperformed him, but it’s important to remember that Watson hadn’t played for over two years before making his comeback. When he continues to get out of the rut in 2023, he may get better.

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5. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

  • Annual salary: $45 million

Who would have imagined a $450 million contract would appear to be a good deal? In his five years as a starter, Mahomes has won two Super Bowls and is currently the top quarterback in the League. Even without Tyreek Hill, he managed 5,250 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2022, earning him his second MVP trophy. He is obviously worth the money Kansas City is paying him, and he really ought to be the highest-paid player in the League.

KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 12: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs greets outside linebacker Darius Leonard #53 of the Indianapolis Colts following the AFC Divisional Playoff at Arrowhead Stadium on January 12, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. The chiefs won, 31-13. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

6. Josh Allen, QB, Bills

  • Annual salary: $43 million

With some of the recent quarterback acquisitions, Allen is starting to seem like a little bit of a bargain, much like Mahomes. Although Allen hasn’t had nearly as much success in the postseason as Mahomes, he was a strong candidate for MVP last season before an elbow injury slowed him down. He passed for 4,238 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions on 63.3 percent of his attempts overall. He also ran for 762 yards and seven more touchdowns. In the not-too-distant future, he will have a chance to earn an MVP award if he can reduce the number of picks.

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T-7. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams

  • Annual salary: $40 million

After helping the Rams win Super Bowl 56, Stafford received a contract extension in the summer. His recovery from it wasn’t spectacular either; after being twice put into the NFL’s concussion protocol, he ended up missing the season’s last four games due to a spinal cord contusion. The 35-year-old quarterback completed 68 percent of his throws for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while leading the Rams to a 3-6 record in nine starts in 2022.

T-7. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys

  • Annual salary: $40 million

Although Prescott and Stafford are paid the same per year, the Cowboys’ starting quarterback had a stronger year in 2022. With a league-high 15 interceptions, he wasn’t perfect, but he still led Dallas to a 12-5 record despite missing four games. Prescott is expected to stay in Dallas for the long haul since Jerry Jones has addressed negotiating a deal with the veteran.

NFL QB Dak Prescott
Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

T-7. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants

  • Annual salary: $40 million

As of right now, Jones and Prescott are tied for highest-paid quarterback in the NFC East. Jones just had a breakthrough season in which he ran for 708 yards and seven scores while completing 67.2 percent of his throws for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Jones will need to demonstrate that his outstanding season was no fluke, but the fact that his turnover rate has drastically dropped each year is encouraging for the future.

Daniel Jones New York Giants
Credits: Giants Wire

10. Derek Carr, QB, Saints

  • Annual salary: $37.5 million

Carr was the first domino to fall in the 2023 NFL offseason involving quarterbacks. He signed a $150 million, four-year contract with the Saints after being released by the Raiders. Dennis Allen, who selected him as the Raiders’ starter in 2014, was reunited with him as a result. After a poor season in which he completed only 60.8 percent of his passes and equaled his career high with 14 interceptions, Carr will look to rebound in 2018.

11. Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings

  • Annual salary: $35 million

Since joining the Vikings as a free agency five years ago, Cousins has consistently ranked among the highest-paid quarterbacks. For Minnesota, he has regularly produced well, averaging 4,448 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions over the course of his 17 games with the team. Cousins has only guided the Vikings to one postseason victory despite his statistical success; the organisation will hope that figure rises significantly in 2023.

12. Jared Goff, QB, Lions

  • Annual salary: $33.5 million

For the Rams’ first trip to the Super Bowl under Sean McVay in 2019, Goff started as quarterback. After that, he received a significant contract, but his propensity for turnovers caused him to be heavily criticised. He was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford, and Dan Campbell has since helped him sharpen his perception. In leading Detroit to a 9-8 record last season, Goff completed 65.1 percent of his throws for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns, and a career-low seven interceptions. If he keeps performing well in Ben Johnson’s scheme, he will offer the Lions a chance to reach the playoffs.

13. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

  • Annual salary: $32.4 million

Jackson has been given a non-exclusive franchise tag by the Ravens, making him one of the highest-paid players at his position in 2023. His one-year tender will pay him $32.4 million; for comparison, his first eight seasons’ worth of earnings were $32.8 million. Jackson wants a long-term contract that is totally guaranteed, but it’s unclear if he will succeed in getting one. The 2022 MVP ran for 764 yards and three scores in 12 starts while throwing for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

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14. Aaron Donald, DT, Rams

  • Annual salary: $31.7 million

The seven-time All-comeback Pro’s for the 2023 NFL season was somewhat in doubt, although he hasn’t officially announced his retirement. He just had a poor season, appearing in just 11 games due to an ankle ailment and recording a career-low five sacks. He has 103 career sacks and is a three-time defensive player of the year, thus he is still well worth his asking price.

T-15. Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins

  • Annual salary: $30 million

Hill became the highest-paid receiver in the NFL after being traded from the Chiefs to the Dolphins in the offseason. Hill delivered on his promise, setting new highs for both catches (119) and receiving yards (1,710) while placing ninth in the MVP vote. The four-time All-Pro will continue to be Miami’s top receiver and create one of the league’s top receiving tandems with Jaylen Waddle.

T-15. Matt Ryan, QB, Colts

  • Annual salary: $30 million

Although earning the same salary as Hill in 2022, Ryan wasn’t nearly as effective. His 14 touchdown passes were a career low, as he also threw 13 interceptions and fumbled a shocking 15 times. Ryan’s finest years are behind him, he will turn 38 in May, and it is unclear whether he will retire. If not, the Colts will almost probably release him before free agency if he doesn’t.

17. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans

  • Annual salary: $29.5 million

After signing a long-term contract deal with the Titans, Tannehill has been largely effective, though unspectacular, as the team’s starting quarterback. After suffering a season-ending ankle injury, there were doubts as to whether Tennessee would maintain him as the starter going into the 2023 offseason, but it now appears that they will keep him for at least one more season. In 12 starts in 2022, Tannehill accumulated 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions (6-6 record).

18. T.J. Watt, EDGE, Steelers

  • Annual salary: $28 million

How crucial was Watt to the Steelers’ 2022 success? The Steelers had an 8-2 record in the 10 games he participated. The squad had a 1-6 record in the seven that he missed. In 2020 and 2021, Watt, a three-time All-Pro, topped the NFL in sacks. In the latter season, he tied the NFL’s single-season sack record and was honoured as the Defensive Player of the Year. He is a good bargain, indeed. He intends to increase upon his 5.5 sacks from the previous year.

19. Davante Adams, WR, Raiders

  • Annual salary: $28 million

Adams, who was also moved during the 2022 offseason, got a large contract to rank among the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. With 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns, he also had a productive season. No matter which quarterback the Raiders choose to start at quarterback in 2023, he should be the team’s top receiver because he has been an All-Pro for three straight seasons.

20. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals

  • Annual salary: $27.25 million

With Kyler Murray’s ACL injury, the Cardinals are navigating a mini-rebuild and Hopkins might be the next receiver dealt. Hopkins is a gifted receiver, but the past two seasons have seen him struggle to remain on the field. As a result of injuries and a suspension, he has only participated in 19 of Arizona’s previous 34 games. Even still, if he had played the entire season, he would have had 121 receptions, 1,354 yards, and six touchdowns, so perhaps a change of environment would help him become better.

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