Money talks.
This offseason, NFL free agency got plenty of guys paid. Milton Williams played less than half the snaps for the Philadelphia Eagles last year and got $104 million over four years from the New England Patriots. His former teammate, Josh Sweat, parlayed a great Super Bowl into $76 million from the Arizona Cardinals.
Then there’s Sam Darnold, who a year ago was on the scrap heap. Now, he’s sitting on $100 million over three years (if he can keep the job) with the Seattle Seahawks.
But who is king of the dollar sign at each position? We’ll break it down with a few guidelines:
- This is based on guaranteed money. We’re not talking about overall contract value or annual cash. There are way, way too many ways to make those numbers lie.
- We’re combining left and right tackles. We’re also combining left and right guards.
Quarterback
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Full guarantee: $250 million
Allen essentially got a new deal this offseason, with the Bills locking up his services for the next six seasons. Coming off his first NFL MVP award, he’s certainly worth the top spot on the list. With a Super Bowl victory in the coming seasons, Buffalo would get to work building a statue outside of the Bills’ new stadium.
Running back
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Full guarantee: $36 million
Barkley is coming off one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen from a running back. He rushed for over 2,000 yards without even playing in Week 18, and then was dominant in the NFC playoffs en route to Philadelphia winning its second Super Bowl in franchise history.
Wide receiver
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Full guarantee: $112 million
Like Allen and Barkley, Chase was paid handsomely this offseason. After negotiating all last summer and failing to strike a deal with the Bengals, the two sides finally agreed in March, making Chase the highest-paid nonquarterback in the league. Making more than $40 million annually as well, Chase tops out across the board for receivers.
Tight end
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Full guarantee: $43 million
McBride has been an excellent piece for the Cardinals since entering the league in 2022. A second-round pick out of Colorado State, McBride had his best season in ’24, posting 111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns, earning him his first Pro Bowl nod. In April, the Cardinals rewarded him with a contract extension totaling $76 million over four seasons.
Offensive Tackle
Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Full guarantee: $88.2 million
Wirfs was a first-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2020, and he’s proved to be one of the league’s best players since that time. Originally playing on the right side and then moving to the left when Donovan Smith left town, Wirfs is an elite talent who has been named a first-team All-Pro twice and earned four Pro Bowl berths.
Guard
Robert Hunt, Carolina Panthers
Full guarantee: $63 million
Hunt was paid a fortune last offseason in free agency, signing with the Panthers after spending his first four years with the Miami Dolphins. He reached his first Pro Bowl in 2024 with Carolina, helping shore up one of the league’s worst offensive lines from a year prior. The result was Bryce Young playing much-improved football over the latter part of last season.
Center
Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs
Full guarantee: $50.3 million
Humphrey was taken care of by Kansas City in the summer of 2024 and became the highest-paid center in football by both annual average and guarantees. Throughout the first four seasons of his career, the second-round pick from Oklahoma has won two Super Bowls, reached three, and been an All-Pro twice and a Pro Bowler on three occasions.
Defensive end
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Full guarantee: $123.5 million
Garrett was demanding a trade for the first few weeks of the offseason. Then, suddenly, the Browns gave Garrett a fortune, including an eye-popping $123.5 million guaranteed. Garrett is signed through the 2030 season, with the Browns tacking on an additional four void years to smooth out the cap hits.
Defensive tackle
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Full guarantee: $95 million
Jones signed a blockbuster deal last March, keeping him with the Chiefs for five more seasons. A future Hall of Famer, Jones was given a record-setting $95 million guaranteed on his third contract, and likely his last significant deal before retirement. At 30 years old, Jones should have a few more elite seasons in him.
Inside linebacker
Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Full guarantee: $60 million
Smith was traded to the Ravens from the Chicago Bears in 2022, and he’s done nothing but produce. Given a five-year, $100 million deal including $60 million guaranteed, Smith has been a first-team All-Pro each of his two years in Baltimore, helping the Ravens win the AFC North in both campaigns.
Outside linebacker
Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Full guarantee: $88 million
Hines-Allen is an excellent player, but it’s a bit surprising he’s ahead of some others including T.J. Watt, Brian Burns and Josh Sweat. Ultimately, Hines-Allen was given a five-year, $141 million deal in 2024, resetting the market for stand-up edge rushers. Last season, Hines-Allen registered eight sacks and a forced fumble in 16 games.
Cornerback
Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
Full guarantee: $89 million
Stingley got a new deal this offseason. While originally reported as three years and $90 million, Stingley essentially was given $89 million guaranteed across the five seasons on his deal, including the last two of his rookie deal, giving him a five-year contract worth $114 million. Regardless, he’s deserving of such a haul.
Safety
Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Full guarantee: $45 million
Winfield is an All-Pro safety who is leading a Buccaneers defense worthy of reaching the playoffs every year since 2020. At 26 years old, it’s arguable Winfield is only going to get better for the next few seasons. Through five years, he has racked up 17 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and seven interceptions.
Kicker
Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs
Full guarantee: $17.7 million
Butker has become one of the greatest clutch kickers of all time. Spending his entire career with the Chiefs, the 29-year-old has been in the playoffs every year since entering the NFL. In the postseason, Butker is 36-of-40 on field goal attempts, including missing just one of seven kicks from 50-plus yards.
Punter
Michael Dickson, Seattle Seahawks
Full guarantee: $7.5 million
Dickson has been with the Seahawks throughout his seven-year career. As a rookie, he was named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, and while he hasn’t earned those honors since, he’s remained among the best punters in the league.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Player Salaries: Highest-Paid Player at Every Position.
