The NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks in 2026 salary, guaranteed money and total contract value

Quarterbacks in the NFL are in a different tier than everyone else, with consistent starters making up the highest-paid players in the league. In fact, only four of the top 20 highest-paid players in the NFL aren't quarterbacks, which shows just how much money this position earns on a yearly basis.

However, there are many ways to measure how much money a player makes, from yearly salary to overall value to guaranteed money. Still, no matter how it's measured, the same group of names tend to find themselves on the highest-paid lists.

Here's a breakdown of which quarterbacks are earning the most money in the NFL.

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Which NFL quarterback has the highest salary?

1. Dak Prescott

• Annual salary: $60 million

Prescott remains the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by average annual value, as he is the only player in the league making $60 million a season. The Dallas Cowboys starter signed a four-year, $260 million deal in 2024 that keeps him with the team through 2028.

T-2. Josh Allen

• Annual salary: $55 million

Four players are tied for second with an average annual value of $55 million, starting with Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen. The former MVP is entering the second year of a six-year, $330 million deal with the Bills in 2026 and has yet to miss a game due to injury

T-2. Joe Burrow

• Annual salary: $55 million

Joe Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million deal with Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 that didn't begin until last season. While Burrow has dealt with injuries over the course of his career, he still produced almost 7,000 passng yards and 60 passing touchdowns in his last 25 games.

T-2. Trevor Lawrence

• Annual salary: $55 million

Trevor Lawrence's five-year, $275 million deal kicked in for the 2025 season, and the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback proceeded to have his best year. Lawrence had a career-high 19 passing touchdowns in 2025 while leading the Jaguars to a 13-4 record.

T-2. Jordan Love

• Annual salary: $55 million

Jordan Love is currently in the second year of a four-year, $220 million contract with the Green Bay Packers that runs through 2028. In three years as a starter, Love has 80 passing touchdowns and 27 wins for Green Bay.

6. Tua Tagovailoa

• Annual salary: $53.1 million

Tua Tagovailoa's time with the Miami Dolphins has run out, as the team is set to move on from him in the offseason. That is despite Tagovailoa having three years left on his four-year, $212.4 million deal with the Dolphins, forcing Miami to take a significant cap hit with his departure.

T-7. Jared Goff

• Annual salary: $53 million

Jared Goff revived his career with the Detroit Lions, and the team rewarded him with a four-year, $212 million deal that runs through 2028. Goff has produced at least 4,500 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns in three-straight seasons.

T-7. Brock Purdy

• Annual salary: $53 million

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers agreed to a five-year, $265 million contract in 2025, and the deal kicks in for the 2026 season. Purdy played just nine games last year but still had over 2,000 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns.

9. Justin Herbert

• Annual salary: $52.5 million

Justin Herbert still hasn't won a playoff game with the Los Angeles Chargers, but he is currently in year three of a five-year, $262.5 million with the team. Herbert has had at least 20 passing touchdowns and in every year of his career, including 26 in 2025.

10. Lamar Jackson

• Annual salary: $52 million

As Lamar Jackson enters the fourth year of his five-year, $260 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, the two-time MVP is due for a new extension soon. Jackson missed some time in 2025 but still totaled 21 passing touchdowns.

Which NFL quarterback makes the most guaranteed money?

Fresh off his first MVP season, Josh Allen earned a new six-year, $330 million contract with the Bills. As part of that deal, Allen surpassed Dak Prescott for the most guaranteed money in the NFL, as the contract includes $250 million guaranteed.

Prior to Allen's contract, Prescott and Deshaun Watson where $1 million apart in total guarantees. Prescott's deal with the Cowboys gave him $231 million guaranteed out of $240 million, while Watson's entire $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns in guaranteed.

Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence round out the top six as the only other quarterbacks with $200 million guaranteed in their deals. Also of note o nthe list is Jalen Hurts, who signed a deal for over $179 million despite being outside the top 10 quarterback salaries in the league.

NFL QBs with the most guaranteed money

Which NFL quarterback has the largest overall contract?

After winning his first Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes signed a uniquely structured 10-year, $450 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. While that means Mahomes makes $45 million per season, the total value of his deal is the most in NFL history.

In fact, no other player in the NFL had a contract worth even $300 million overall until Josh Allen's extension in 2025. The total value of Mahomes' deal is still $120 million more than Allen's contract, and it could be a while before a player reaches that milestone.

After those two stars, quarterback contracts have fairly similar values. The difference between Joe Burrow's third-ranked contract and Jalen Hurts' eighth-ranked contract is just $20 million in overall value.

Largest NFL QB contracts

Which NFL quarterback has the highest career earnings?

Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers are the two highest-paid players in NFL history, but Stafford surpassed Rodgers in 2025. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback signed a two-year, $84 million deal with the team in 2025, giving him $42 million a year and making him the first player in NFL history to earn over $400 million in his career.

Rodgers, meanwhile, made just $13.65 million for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which dropped him to second place on the all-time list. Even if he returns in 2026, he is unlikely to match Stafford's total.

Highest career earnings for NFL QBs