Patrick Mahomes has once again cashed in big, becoming the first player in league history to earn a contract worth at least a half-billion dollars.
Mahomes inked a two-year extension worth $239.05 million in new money. That – coupled with the six seasons remaining on the 10-year extension the star signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 – brought the total value of the three-time Super Bowl champion’s contract to $504.5 million.
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Mahomes’ latest extension is sure to have a ripple effect on the NFL’s ever-burgeoning quarterback market. His raise will likely result in raises for several other top-end quarterbacks – including Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and more – and could further accelerate the average annual value (AAV) arms race at the position.
Where does Mahomes rank among the NFL’s highest-paid players after his new deal? Here’s an in-depth look at the NFL’s highest-paid players for the 2026 season and of all time.
Who is the highest-paid NFL player?
Patrick Mahomes became the highest-paid player in the NFL after signing a two-year extension with the Chiefs.
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Mahomes is set to make a base value of $504.5 million over the eight seasons remaining on his contract with the Chiefs. His average annual value (AAV) of just under $63.1 million is greater than the previous record, $60 million, which was held by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
In terms of total contract value, Mahomes has held the top spot since signing his initial 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs in 2020. He has now blown by that original figure by $54.5 million and could add another $17.75 million in contract incentives.
Highest-paid NFL players: Full list
There are two primary ways to assess the highest-paid player in the NFL at any given time. One is by measuring the AAV of a player’s deal while the other is to look at the total contract value.
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Below is a look at how the NFL’s top talents stack up across each category.
AAV
A total of 13 NFL players are making at least $50 million in AAV. Here’s a look at the 15 highest-paid players by that metric.
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1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: $63.1 million
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2. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: $60 million
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T-3. Josh Allen, QB, Bills: $55 million
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11. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens: $52 million
Total contract value
Mahomes isn’t just the NFL’s only $500 million man. He’s also just one of two NFL players to make at least $300 million on a single contract, alongside Josh Allen.
Below is a look at the 15 highest-paid NFL players in terms of total contract value.
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1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: $504.75 million
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2. Josh Allen, QB, Bills: $330 million
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T-3. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals: $275 million
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T-3. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars: $275 million
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5. Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers: $265 million
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6. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers: $262.5 million
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7. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens: $260 million
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8. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles: $255 million
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9. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: $240 million
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10. Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns: $230 million
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11. Jordan Love, QB, Packers: $220 million
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12. Jared Goff, QB, Lions: $212 million
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14. Micah Parsons, edge, Packers: $186 million
NFL career earnings leaders
While Mahomes is currently the NFL’s highest-paid player, he still has a ways to go before he can become the top-earning player in the league’s history. The Chiefs star currently ranks 16th all-time in career earnings, a list topped by current Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
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Here’s a full look at the NFL’s top-ever earners, per Spotrac.com:
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Matthew Stafford: $408.3 million
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Dak Prescott: $297.9 million
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Jared Goff: $259.6 million
While Mahomes isn’t yet a top-10 earner, that is expected to change rapidly thanks to his new contract. Spotrac.com projects that by the 2030 NFL season, Mahomes will rank third in all-time career earnings behind only Stafford and Allen.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are highest-paid NFL players? Patrick Mahomes stands alone
