The title of highest paid can often be skewed a lot of different ways considering what metric you are looking at. There’s base salary, contract value , or outright total career earnings . This article will list out the highest paid NFL Players all time based on total career earnings according to the metrics via Spotrac.

If you’re curious about the average salaries typically paid to each position in the NFL and the active highest paid players based on salary then click HERE.

List of Highest Paid NFL Players of All Time

Player	Position	Career Earnings
Aaron Rodgers	QB	$342,496,898
Tom Brady	QB	$332,962,392
Matthew Stafford	QB	$328,306,037
Matt Ryan	QB	$303,713,631
Drew Brees	QB	$269,710,422
Ben Roethlisberger	QB	$267,286,864
Russell Wilson	QB	$266,362,520
Eli Manning	QB	$252,280,004
Peyton Manning	QB	$248,732,000
Phillip Rivers	QB	$243,944,322
Kirk Cousins	QB	$231,669,486
Ryan Tannenhill	QB	$195,975,979
Alex Smith	QB	$189,725,000
Larry Fitzgerald	WR	$180,757,239
Von Miller	DE	$179,295,534

READ MORE: HOW DOES THE NFL MAKE MONEY?

Beyond his exploits on the gridiron, Rodgers has also ventured into the business world. In 2018, he acquired a minority ownership stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks franchise. A year later, he co-founded a $50 million venture and growth stage fund in partnership with Roth Capital, serving as a general partner alongside Nate Raabe and Byron Roth.

Rodgers’ on-field accomplishments are equally impressive. He is a ten-time Pro Bowl selection and a four-time recipient of the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Through the 2023 season, Rodgers ranks fifth all-time with 475 career passing touchdowns, cementing his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Tom Brady stunned the sports world when he departed from the New England Patriots in 2020 to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His move was an immediate success, as he captured his seventh Super Bowl championship that same season.

Following another impressive year in Tampa, Brady announced his retirement in February 2022. However, he had a change of heart quickly, unretiring less than six weeks later. Brady ultimately called it a career for good in February 2023.

Off the field, Brady launched the TB12 lifestyle brand and co-founded Autograph, an NFT platform that raised $170 million in a Series B funding round in January 2022. Additionally, in 2020, he established 199 Productions, a reference to his draft selection number, to create documentaries, films, and TV shows.

Brady already has his next lucrative opportunity lined up – he will serve as a commentator for Fox Sports after retiring from playing.

After 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in March 2021. He quickly won his first Super Bowl title.

Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, set an NFL record as the fastest to reach 3,000 career completions (125 games).

His five-year, $135 million contract signed in 2017 was the richest deal in NFL history at that time. He later agreed to a new four-year, $160 million contract in March 2022 with a $60 million signing bonus from the Rams.

Matt Ryan made history in 2018 when he signed a five-year, $150 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first NFL player to earn an average of $30 million per season.

In 2016, the four-time Pro Bowl selection had a standout year, winning the MVP award and leading the Falcons to their second-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Ryan recently announced his retirement in 2024 as the number 4 highest paid NFL Player of all time with a massive net worth.

Off the field, Ryan has expanded his endorsement portfolio in recent years, partnering with notable brands such as Gatorade, Mercedes-Benz, Tide, and Delta, bringing his total number of endorsement deals to 11.

During the coronavirus crisis, NFL quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany generously donated $5 million to support relief efforts in Louisiana.

Brees holds the NFL record for most career passing yards and has been selected to 13 Pro Bowls, just one shy of the all-time mark.

In 2020, the veteran QB signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the New Orleans Saints, including a substantial $23 million signing bonus.

Over his 19-year NFL career, Brees has amassed over $247 million in on-field earnings, tops among all players. He also leads in endorsement money with $15 million in sponsorships.

Beyond the gridiron, Brees is a savvy businessman, owning multiple Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’ franchises, while also investing in the food delivery service Waitr.

In April 2019, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger inked a contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers that included a sizable $37.5 million signing bonus.

Early in his NFL career, Roethlisberger, nicknamed “Big Ben,” achieved remarkable success, capturing two Super Bowl titles within his first five seasons. He is one of only 13 starting quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowl championships.

Since being drafted 11th overall by the Steelers in 2004, Roethlisberger has accumulated an impressive $247 million in salary earnings from the team.

Roethlisberger stands alone in NFL history as the only quarterback to record three individual 500-yard passing games throughout his career.

In April 2019, Russell Wilson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL at the time. However, his tenure with the team came to an end when he was traded to the Denver Broncos in March 2022.

After the trade, Wilson agreed to a new five-year, $245 million deal with the Broncos, which included $165 million in guaranteed money. He’s recent one year deal with the Steelers is only worth a little over 1 million. The focus at this point is securing a legacy , not more money.

The nine-time Pro Bowl selection is the founder of West2East Empire, a brand management firm that has established two production companies.

During his time with the Seahawks, Wilson led the team to their first and only Super Bowl championship in the 2013-14 season.

Eli Manning’s illustrious NFL career and various business ventures have reportedly amassed him a net worth estimated around $100 million. As a longtime starting quarterback for the New York Giants, Manning has maintained a high public profile, even hosting Saturday Night Live after his second Super Bowl win. His fame has also allowed him to secure lucrative endorsement deals.

Manning has partnered with brands like Hublot, Toyota, Nationwide, and DirecTV. One of his most memorable endorsements was a Super Bowl commercial where he recreated an iconic scene from Dirty Dancing with Odell Beckham, Jr.

In his final season with the Giants, Manning earned $17 million in cash earnings, bringing his career on-field earnings to an impressive $252.28 million.

Peyton Manning retired as an NFL legend, amassing $249 million in career salary and bonuses from the league. When factoring in his lucrative endorsement deals, his total career earnings soared over $240 + million. Manning etched his name in the record books, setting numerous all-time passing marks, including yards (71,940), touchdowns (539), and game-winning drives (56). His unprecedented five MVP awards solidified his status as one of the greatest players in NFL history.

Despite his retirement, Manning remained the league’s most marketable figure over the past decade. In his final year away from the gridiron, he starred in five national ad campaigns. Manning also capitalized on his retirement and Super Bowl appearance through memorabilia sales. His endorsement partners included iconic brands like Nike, Buick, DirecTV, Gatorade, Nationwide, and Papa John’s. Notably, in 2012, Manning became a Papa John’s franchisee, owning 32 stores in the Denver area.

After spending 16 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Philip Rivers embarked on a new chapter by joining the Indianapolis Colts in March 2020. The Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a lucrative one-year, $25 million contract, which included a substantial $12 million signing bonus. River’s retired the following year having amassed over $200 million in total career earnings.

Rivers, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, has etched his name among the NFL’s all-time greats, ranking sixth in both career passing yards and touchdowns.

Despite his on-field success, Rivers has prioritized family over endorsement opportunities throughout his career, opting to spend more time with his nine children.

Showcasing his durability, Rivers entered the 2020 season with an impressive streak of 224 consecutive games started, the second-longest by a quarterback in NFL history, trailing only Brett Favre’s remarkable mark.

Kirk Cousins secured a lucrative four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, which included a staggering $100 million in guaranteed money.

Throughout his 12-year NFL career, evenly split between the Washington and Minnesota franchises, Cousins has earned four Pro Bowl selections and thrown 270 touchdown passes.

In 2022, Cousins was one of three players featured in Netflix’s “Quarterback” docuseries, providing an inside look at his season.

While with Washington, Cousins etched his name in the record books, holding three of the franchise’s top four single-season passing yardage marks.

The Dolphins selected Tannehill in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft as the eighth overall pick. He signed his first four-year, $12.68 million contract with Miami. In 2019, he was traded to the Tennessee Titans, where he has played since, missing only the 2017 season due to injuries.

Tannehill’s NFL career has amassed him an estimated net worth of approximately $50 million, primarily through his NFL contracts and endorsement deals. His current contract with the Titans is a lucrative $118 million deal, including a $20 million signing bonus, $62 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $29.5 million.

As a prominent NFL star, Tannehill has attracted endorsement opportunities from major brands, leveraging his on-field and off-field presence. Some of the notable brands he has partnered with include Adidas, Panini, Visa, USAA, Mercedes-Benz, Sunny Delight, DraftKings, Fuel Up to Play 60, Regenexx, and Orefici Watches.

Alex Smith amassed a net worth of $95 million during his illustrious NFL career. He showcased his skills playing for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins (now Commanders).

Smith’s standout moments include leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in 2011 and guiding the Chiefs to four playoff appearances between 2013 and 2017. With Washington, he overcame a life-threatening leg injury to make a remarkable comeback, helping the team clinch a division title before announcing his retirement in April 2021 after 16 seasons in the league.

In the 2017-2018 season alone, Smith’s earnings from salary and endorsements reached an impressive $41 million, placing him among the top 20 highest-paid athletes globally that year. Over the course of his NFL career, he amassed a total of nearly $190 million in salary earnings.

In 2011, Larry Fitzgerald secured a groundbreaking eight-year, $120 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, one of the largest deals ever awarded to a non-quarterback at the time.

Fitzgerald’s success on the field has translated into numerous lucrative endorsement opportunities. He has partnered with major brands such as Nike, Lenovo, EAS, Nokia, University of Phoenix, and Powercube, leveraging his high-profile status and marketability.

After concluding a lucrative six-year, $114 million contract with the Denver Broncos, Von Miller joined the Los Angeles Rams in a trade that involved the exchange of two draft picks. However, Miller’s stint with the Rams was brief, as he signed a one-year deal worth less than a million dollars, earning $722,222 due to salary cap constraints.

Miller’s impact was immediate, as he recorded four sacks during the playoffs, including two in the Super Bowl, helping the Rams secure the championship over the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite his contributions, the Rams were outbid in the offseason, and Miller signed a massive six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills.

As of 2023, Miller has amassed an impressive net worth of $60 million, primarily through his NFL earnings and strategic investments. His current lucrative deal with the Bills is expected to significantly boost his net worth further.

While defensive players rarely attract major endorsement deals, Miller’s stock rose after leading the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory. He has previously endorsed brands like Chef’s Cut Jerky and Muzik headphones, and currently has partnerships with Adidas and Best Buy.