Who Is The Highest-Paid Player In The NFL Right Now?

Forbes

Patrick Mahomes can add a crown to his collection of Super Bowl rings, as the leader of ten football stars hauling in an estimated $571 million combined this year.  Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2025/09/07/the-nfls-highest-paid-players-2025/  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

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00:00Today on Forbes, the NFL's Highest-Paid Players 2025

00:04After an off-season of acrimony with the Dallas Cowboys that ended last month with a blockbuster

00:11trade to the Green Bay Packers, defensive end Micah Parsons has a new four-year deal

00:17that sets NFL contract records for total value $188 million, average annual value $47 million,

00:24and guaranteed money $136 million, for a non-quarterback.

00:31That last qualifier is important because, as well-paid as the 26-year-old edge rusher is

00:36about to be, football's most important position remains in control of the financial huddle,

00:42claiming eight of the ten spots on this year's list of the NFL's highest-paid players.

00:47The ranking has now featured at least eight quarterbacks for four straight seasons.

00:51Parsons lands at No. 6 overall, due to make an estimated $48.2 million during the 2025 league

01:00year, including endorsements, licensing, memorabilia, and other business endeavors,

01:05in addition to his playing salary and signing bonus.

01:09Travis Kelsey, who these days is perhaps better known as Taylor Swift's fiancé,

01:13but in his day job still suits up as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs,

01:17is the only other non-quarterback to make the 2025 list, coming in at No. 8 with an estimated $47.3

01:25million before taxes and agent fees.

01:29At the top of the earnings ranking this year is Kelsey's teammate, Patrick Mahomes,

01:33who claims the No. 1 spot for the first time ever with an estimated $78 million.

01:38The two Chiefs stars also lead the rest of the NFL by a considerable margin off the field,

01:45where Mahomes, with the sport's best array of sponsorships, is collecting an estimated $28

01:50million, and Kelsey is hauling in an estimated $30 million, thanks in large part to his New

01:56Heights podcast. The two longtime teammates will soon open a restaurant together in Kansas City,

02:01a steakhouse named 1587 Prime in a combination of their uniform numbers.

02:08Together, the NFL's 10 highest-paid players this season are set to bring in $571 million,

02:15down 18% from last year's record $693 million, but still the second-highest total in the 16-year

02:22history of Forbes' NFL ranking, comfortably ahead of 2023's next best $508 million.

02:28The top of the list accounts for much of that drop, with Mahomes followed by the Buffalo

02:34Bills' Josh Allen at $73 million and the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert at $71 million,

02:41a year after four quarterbacks topped $80 million. However, the cutoff for the top 10 is $47 million,

02:50in line with 2024's and up 53% in just four years.

02:54Because the ranking is so quarterback-centric, it also doesn't capture the pay growth

03:00happening elsewhere around the league. For instance, this past offseason featured record

03:05contracts, in terms of average annual value, at running back, wide receiver, tight end,

03:12offensive tackle, guard, cornerback, safety, punter, and long snapper, in addition to Parsons' deal,

03:19according to SpotTrack. In all, the contract database has tracked a record $26.8 billion in

03:26new deals in 2025, including free agents, draft picks, and extensions, and the salary cap has

03:32jumped $23.8 million to $279.2 million, as the NFL continues to set new revenue highs.

03:42Allen, the Bills' star quarterback, had the largest contract of the offseason,

03:46worth $330 million over six years. And Brock Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension

03:54with the San Francisco 49ers, that left him just shy of the sport's top 10 earners.

03:59But many of football's other marquee quarterbacks received new deals in either 2023 or 2024,

04:06including the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff,

04:11the Chargers' Justin Herbert, the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar

04:16Jackson, the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, the Packers' Jordan Love, the Cowboys' Dak

04:22Prescott, and the Miami Dolphins' Tua Tonga-Vailoa. For full coverage and to see the whole list,

04:29check out Brett Knight's piece on Forbes.com. This is Kieran Meadows from Forbes. Thanks for tuning in.

04:41Kieran Meadows from Forbes. Thanks for tuning in.

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