NFL QB contracts: Every team's highest-paid quarterback for 2025 season
The NFL quarterback market has exploded over the last decade-plus, and top signal-callers continue to reset the market each offseason.
Most recently, San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy was able to cash in with a lucrative extension. The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft had previously been one of the cheapest starting quarterbacks in the league, as he played on a four-year, $3.74 million rookie contract. Now, he is set to play on a five-year deal worth up to $265 million.
Purdy's jump to a top-paid player highlights the dichotomy within the league when it comes to quarterback spending. Those with rookie quarterbacks tend to have cheap quarterback rooms where their top-paid signal callers are making less than $10 million annually. Meanwhile, many with top veterans are paying at least $50 million in average annual value (AAV) for their passers.
Here's a look at the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks by team as it currently stands.
Highest-paid NFL QB by team
There are a few important things to keep in mind when assessing this list. They are as follows:
- The New Orleans Saints are likely to carry Derek Carr on their roster until June 2 despite his retirement. This will allow them to avoid having the void years on Carr's contract accelerate onto the team's 2025 salary cap, per CBS Sports' Joel Corry. As such, Carr will remain the Saints' highest-paid quarterback until he is officially removed from the roster.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily tied to Aaron Rodgers during the offseason. If he signs with the team, he will likely become their highest-paid quarterback even if he accepts a salary of $10 million, which he indicated he would do in a recent interview.
- Cam Ward figures to eventually be the Tennessee Titans' highest-paid quarterback. The team just hasn't yet inked him to his official rookie contract, which is expected to give him an average annual value (AAV) of about $12.2 million.
(All salary information via Spotrac.com.)
Arizona Cardinals
- Player: Kyler Murray
- Contract: Five years, $230.5 million
- AAV: $46.1 million
Atlanta Falcons
- Player: Kirk Cousins
- Contract: Four years, $180 million
- AAV: $45 million
Baltimore Ravens
- Player: Lamar Jackson
- Contract: Five years, $260 million
- AAV: $52 million
Buffalo Bills
- Player: Josh Allen
- Contract: Six years, $330 million
- AAV: $55 million
Carolina Panthers
- Player: Bryce Young
- Contract: Four years, $37.96 million
- AAV: $9.49 million
Chicago Bears
- Player: Caleb Williams
- Contract: Four years, $39.49 million
- AAV: $9.87 million
Cincinnati Bengals
- Player: Joe Burrow
- Contract: Five years, $275 million
- AAV: $55 million
Cleveland Browns
- Player: Deshaun Watson
- Contract: Five years, $230 million
- AAV: $46 million
Dallas Cowboys
- Player: Dak Prescott
- Contract: Four years, $240 million
- AAV: $60 million
Denver Broncos
- Player: Jarrett Stidham
- Contract: Two years, $12 million
- AAV: $6 million
Detroit Lions
- Player: Jared Goff
- Contract: Four years, $212 million
- AAV: $53 million
Green Bay Packers
- Player: Jordan Love
- Contract: Four years, $220 million
- AAV: $55 million
Houston Texans
- Player: C.J. Stroud
- Contract: Four years, $36.28 million
- AAV: $9.07 million
Indianapolis Colts
- Player: Daniel Jones
- Contract: One year, $14 million
- AAV: $14 million
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Player: Trevor Lawrence
- Contract: Five years, $275 million
- AAV: $55 million
Kansas City Chiefs
- Player: Patrick Mahomes
- Contract: 10 years, $450 million
- AAV: $45 million
Las Vegas Raiders
- Player: Geno Smith
- Contract: Two years, $75 million
- AAV: $37.5 million
Los Angeles Chargers
- Player: Justin Herbert
- Contract: Five years, $262.5 million
- AAV: $52.5 million
Los Angeles Rams
- Player: Matthew Stafford
- Contract: Two years, $84 million
- AAV: $42 million
Miami Dolphins
- Player: Tua Tagovailoa
- Contract: Four years, $212.4 million
- AAV: $53.1 million
Minnesota Vikings
- Player: J.J. McCarthy
- Contract: Four years, $21.85 million
- AAV: $5.46 million
New England Patriots
- Player: Drake Maye
- Contract: Four years, $36.64 million
- AAV: $9.16 million
New Orleans Saints
- Player: Derek Carr
- Contract: Four years, $150 million
- AAV: $37.5 million
New York Giants
- Player: Russell Wilson
- Contract: One year, $10.5 million
- AAV: $10.5 million
New York Jets
- Player: Justin Fields
- Contract: Two years, $40 million
- AAV: $20 million
Philadelphia Eagles
- Player: Jalen Hurts
- Contract: Five years, $255 million
- AAV: $51 million
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Player: Mason Rudolph
- Contract: Two years, $7.5 million
- AAV: $3.75 million
San Francisco 49ers
- Player: Brock Purdy
- Contract: Five years, $265 million
- AAV: $53 million
Seattle Seahawks
- Player: Sam Darnold
- Contract: Three years, $100.5 million
- AAV: $33.5 million
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Player: Baker Mayfield
- Contract: Three years, $100 million
- AAV: $33.33 million
Tennessee Titans
- Player: Will Levis
- Contract: Four years, $9.54 million
- AAV: $2.39 million
Washington Commanders
- Player: Jayden Daniels
- Contract: Four years, $37.75 million
- AAV: $9.44 million