With the NFL season just around the corner, all 32 teams are in the process of finalizing their rosters. This often means signing key players to long-term big money deals. Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James was the latest to get one of those deals when he signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension. He is now the highest-paid safety in NFL history. (Of course top-earning athletes don’t get to keep all they bring in. Here’s a list of the best-paid athletes and what they owed in taxes.)
With the NFL generating more revenue than ever before, players are eager to get a piece of the profits. NFL athletes at virtually every position have signed mega-deals, paying them tens of millions of dollars per year.
To determine the highest paid player at every position, 24/7 Tempo used data from Spotrac, the largest online sports team and player contract resource on the internet, to review the total earnings of NFL players under contract for the 2022 season.
An NFL player’s income is highly dependent on his position. As the most important players on the field, starting quarterbacks tend to outearn their teammates; seven of the 11 top paid NFL players for 2022 are QBs. Many high-end pass rushers like outside linebackers, defensive ends, and edge players also rank among the top earners – as do a number of left tackles, who are paid handsomely to stop those pass rushers from getting to the QB’s blind side.
Many of the players on this list received massive multi-million dollar signing bonuses up front, and will earn much less for the 2023 season. For instance, Derwin James’ contract is worth just over $19 million per year but for 2022 he will take home $24.5 million – $20.5 million as a signing bonus and about $4 million in salary – while the rest of the money is doled out over the following seasons.
Click here to see every position in football’s highest paid player
While $24.5 million is certainly a sizable income, there are other players on this list earning upwards of $30 million in 2022 on their contract alone, and that’s exclusive of any endorsement deals they may have. Such high salaries elevate these players to being some of the highest paid athletes not just in the NFL, but in the world. These are the world’s richest athletes.
1. Quarterback
> Highest paid quarterback: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
> 2022 earnings: $61,500,000
> Avg. quarterback salary: $5,490,981
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2. Running Back
> Highest paid running back: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
> 2022 earnings: $12,400,000
> Avg. running back salary: $1,702,393
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3. Fullback
> Highest paid fullback: Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens
> 2022 earnings: $4,500,000
> Avg. fullback salary: $1,736,402
4. Wide Receiver
> Highest paid wide receiver: D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
> 2022 earnings: $31,000,000
> Avg. wide receiver salary: $2,073,071
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5. Tight End
> Highest paid tight end: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
> 2022 earnings: $19,000,000
> Avg. tight end salary: $1,843,106
6. Left Tackle
> Highest paid left tackle: D.J. Humphries, Arizona Cardinals
> 2022 earnings: $21,065,594
> Avg. left tackle salary: $6,342,909
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7. Right Tackle
> Highest paid right tackle: Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints
> 2022 earnings: $19,241,608
> Avg. right tackle salary: $3,663,859
8. Left Guard
> Highest paid left guard: Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs
> 2022 earnings: $14,400,000
> Avg. left guard salary: $2,001,652
9. Right Guard
> Highest paid right guard: Brandon Scherff, Jacksonville Jaguars
> 2022 earnings: $17,764,712
> Avg. right guard salary: $2,001,652
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10. Center
> Highest paid center: Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions
> 2022 earnings: $20,751,529
> Avg. center salary: $2,273,003
11. Edge
> Highest paid edge: Travon Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars
> 2022 earnings: $25,065,088
> Avg. edge salary: $2,896,111
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12. Defensive End
> Highest paid defensive end: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
> 2022 earnings: $23,858,372
> Avg. defensive end salary: $2,594,469
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13. Defensive Tackle
> Highest paid defensive tackle: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
> 2022 earnings: $31,500,000
> Avg. defensive tackle salary: $2,445,706
14. Outside Linebacker
> Highest paid outside linebacker: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
> 2022 earnings: $24,000,000
> Avg. outside linebacker salary: $3,396,563
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15. Inside Linebacker
> Highest paid inside linebacker: C.J. Mosley, New York Jets
> 2022 earnings: $16,000,000
> Avg. inside linebacker salary: $2,785,687
16. Cornerback
> Highest paid cornerback: Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers
> 2022 earnings: $31,076,000
> Avg. cornerback salary: $2,063,448
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17. Free Safety
> Highest paid free safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers
> 2022 earnings: $22,124,235
> Avg. free safety salary: $3,446,802
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18. Strong Safety
> Highest paid strong safety: Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
> 2022 earnings: $24,584,000
> Avg. strong safety salary: $2,866,594
19. Kicker
> Highest paid kicker: Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers
> 2022 earnings: $9,861,180
> Avg. kicker salary: $2,408,342
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20. Punter
> Highest paid punter: Jake Bailey, New England Patriots
> 2022 earnings: $4,500,000
> Avg. punter salary: $1,424,659
21. Long Snapper
> Highest paid long snapper: Josh Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
> 2022 earnings: $1,920,000
> Avg. long snapper salary: $1,007,018
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