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The quarterback position is the most lucrative in the NFL and is not even close. This position directly affects games; it can either win your championships or leave you wanting more. Hence, a list of ten best-paid QBs is essentially a top ten best-paid player list.
We will look at the top ten best-paid QBs list after some significant moves in the 2023 NFL offseason, from Jalen Hurts' mammoth extension to Justin Herbert's massive contract.
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Ten highest-paid NFL quarterbacks in 2023
In this list, we will be counting down from the tenth most-paid quarterback to the number one:
#10. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills | AAV: $43 million
Josh Allen is easily a top-five QB in the league, but according to data, he's the sixth-best-paid player in the NFL. Why you might ask? Well, it's because of the league's ever-changing and improving salary dynamism. How else would you explain that the Bills' shot caller isn't in the top five?
Allen's contract is worth $258.034 million, with $100.039 million fully guaranteed at signing and $150 million in total guarantees.
#9. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs | AAV: $45 million
The Kansas City Chiefs found a loophole and ran with it, and now the best player in the league is just the fifth-best paid at his position.
Patrick Mahomes signed a ten-year contract extension worth $450 million in 2020, and the Chiefs got their man for the long haul. Since then, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson have overtaken him on the earnings list. Guess what, though? None of them has more Super Bowl wins than the Chiefs' legend.
#8. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns | AAV: $46 million
Deshaun Watson's contract defies any reasonable method of thinking, but that's the NFL for you.
Did he deserve a fully guaranteed $230 million contract? No, but did he get it? Yes, he did. That almost doubles the position's next highest fully guaranteed money ($124 million).
Watson's contract is pretty interesting, if you ask us, and the Baltimore Ravens can blame the Browns for Lamar Jackson's reluctance to sign a deal last year.
#7. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals | AAV: $46.1 million
Kyler Murray is different from your typical quarterback, and as such, he's not going to be earning typical quarterback money. Instead, the quarterback signed a five-year contract extension worth $46.1 million during the 2022 NFL offseason.
The best part about Murray's deal is that it contains $103.3 million fully guaranteed on signing and $189.5 million in total guarantees. All that's left off for Murray to recover from his sordid injury and take to the gridiron.
#6. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos | AAV: $49 million
"Broncos Country, let's ride." That catchphrase got old quickly, becoming more of a mocking meme than anything else.
Russell Wilson still needs to produce the goods that his five-year contract extension worth $49 million ought to assure. Hence, Broncos fans will hope the rest of the quarterback's spell is more productive. By the way, Wilson's new contract will only kick in at the start of the 2023 NFL season.
#5. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets | AAV: $50.3 million
Isn't it fitting that the player with the most regular season MVP awards in his generation became the first to top the $50 million per year AAV mark?
It is, and the Green Bay Packers probably do as well. The Packers signed Aaron Rodgers to a new three-year extension worth $150.815 million. He didn't repay their faith in 2022, but at least it's a new season in 2023. He's starting thigns fresh in New York after a blockbuster trade. Let's see where Rodgers plays, but you can be sure he's staying within his ratio.
#4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles | AAV: $51 million
Since Lamar Jackson did so unanimously, Jalen Hurts was this close to becoming the first true dual-threat quarterback to win the NFL MVP Award. Well, at least his 2022 performances earned him a new five-year, $255 million contract, which made him the highest earner in the NFL for a brief period.
In addition to his $51 million average annual salary, Hurts will reportedly receive $179.304 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause. He’ll get $110 fully guaranteed and $126.5 million before Year 2 of the deal, while he can earn another $15 million via incentives. Hurts is now under contract through 2028
#3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens | AAV: $52 million
It wasn't too long ago that the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson were in a contract standoff, but all that is in the past. Ravens' legend Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million during the offseason, making him the NFL's highest-paid signal-caller for several months.
Jackson’s accord came with a $185 million total guarantee and a $135 million injury guarantee. His 2023 and 2024 salaries, 2024 roster bonus, and 2024 and 2025 option bonuses are fully guaranteed for injury.
#2. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers | AAV: $52.5 million
Very recently agreeing to a long-term contract extension with the Chargers, Justin Herbert became the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. The Pro Bowler has earned his deal, as only a handful of QBs have been as impressive as him since he got drafted into the NFL.
Herbert's new deal includes $133.7 million fully guaranteed and an injury guarantee of $193.7 million. Herbert will collect $100 million in cash in the first year of the deal, blowing past the previous one-year earnings mark of $80 million
#1. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals | AAV: $55 million
After Herbert's deal, Joe Burrow signed a massive five-year $275 million deal. Out of it, $222 million is guaranteed and the Bengals quarterback will earn approximately $55 million per year from his new deal.
He is currently the highest-paid player in the league, but it won't be a surprise if Mahomes' new reworked deal surpasses him.
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