The first Sunday of football during the NFL season is a big deal every year, but this year was even more event-filled than usual because of contract drama around the league. CeeDee Lamb signed a massive contract just days before the 2024 season started, and his Dallas Cowboys teammate, Dak Prescott, sent shock waves through the league when he signed a new deal just hours before the Cowboys' first game of the year.
Dallas' quarterback inked a four-year, $240 million dollar extension that guarantees he will receive $231 million. That deal is record setting on multiple fronts. It sets both the league record for total guarantees by $1 million, and it sets the record for average annual value ($60 million).
While Prescott's deal is both massive and unprecedented, it actually isn't the biggest NFL contract ever in terms of total value. In this article, we are going to look at the largest total contract values ever signed throughout the history of the NFL.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs – $450 million
Quarterbacks are signing mega deals with more and more frequency these days, but no one is close to Patrick Mahomes when it comes to total contract value. In fact, Mahomes' $450 million dollar deal is pushing close to $200 million more than the next biggest contract in the NFL, and he is more than worth it.
The Chiefs quarterback's contract situation is unique. Mahomes signed his deal way back in 2020, so plenty of signal callers around the league have/will have time to sign deals bigger than Mahomes before he gets even close to becoming a free agent, but in all likelihood, no one will come to close reaching the $450 million Mahomes is set to make. Mahomes' deal is worth so much because it is a 10-year contract, which is rare in a league where most deals are five years or fewer.
The long-term deal gives Kansas City and Mahomes security and ensures the two a happy marriage for a long time, but it also means that his year-to-year cap salary is lower than a lot of the other gunslingers around the league. Mahomes is making only $45 million dollars per season, which puts him outside of the top 10 for average annual value and, therefore, makes him a bargain of sorts.
Nearly half a billion dollars over a decade is plenty enough for Mahomes, though. No one deserves a bigger contract considering Mahomes is not only the best quarterback in the NFL, but the best player overall, regardless of position. In his six seasons as a starter, Mahomes has three championships and six AFC Championship Game appearances to his name, giving him claim to the best six-year stretch in NFL history.
2. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars – $275 million
One of the many quarterbacks to get a new deal during the 2024 offseason was Trevor Lawrence, and he signed a new contract with the Jaguars that could pay him more money than everyone not named Patrick Mahomes. Lawrence's deal is over five years, and the Jaguars agreed to it under the assumption that the former first-overall pick will get better.
Lawrence entered the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the greatest prospects of the 21st century, but some might be surprised to see him so highly paid, considering that he hasn't quite lived up to expectations yet.
Even so, huge paydays are the going rate for above-average quarterbacks these days, and Lawrence is solid for his position. He is only progressing, too, and since his underwhelming rookie campaign, his numbers are actually pretty solid. Lawrence has thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, and he is well on his way to reaching the potential that scouts saw in him during his days at Clemson.
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals – $275 million
Joe Burrow also signed a five-year, $275 million deal, but he agreed to terms at the start of the 2023 season. The Bengals are happy to have the LSU product under center for the long run, but the team is still dealing with contract drama. Burrow's favorite target, former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase, held out during training camp/the preseason in search of a new deal.
While the receiver did play in Week 1, his lack of practice in recent weeks was evident, as the pass catcher was far less dominant than usual. Chase is next in line to get a huge deal in the NFL, and he might even become the highest-paid receiver ever, but his contract value won't become as high as Burrows is.
While Burrow has struggled with injuries (he played in only 10 games in both his rookie season and last year), he has been magnificent when he has been on the field. Burrow threw for 9,086 yards and 69 touchdowns combined in his two fully healthy seasons.
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers – $262.5 million
Justin Herbert is handsomely paid, and the Chargers will need him to carry the burden and live up to his five year contract. Herbert has all of the talent in the world, but he lost a number of his best playmakers in the offseason. Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Gerald Everett all found new homes before the start of the 2024 season.
Herbert's large contract is part of the reason Los Angeles didn't re-sign those players, but the lack of team success is more the reason the Chargers went in a new direction. Herbert has the skill level to right the ship and turn the Chargers into contenders.
He has been dominant when throwing the football since stepping onto the field his rookie season. He holds records for both rookie touchdowns (31) and rookie completions (396).
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens – $260 million
Lamar Jackson, one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks ever, is also a pretty good thrower of the football, too. There is so much an offense can do with Jackson leading it, and that is why his hefty contract is justified. Jackson's $260 million deal is over five years, so he won't become a free agent until 2028.
We ranked Jackson as the second best quarterback in the NFL, so there really aren't any better options out there for the Ravens. The one risky factor with his contract is that the frequency in which he runs increases his risk for injury, and paying a player a large salary to not play is no fun.
Luckily, injuries haven't been too big a problem in Jackson's career thus far. Although he only played 12 games in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he did play at least 15 games in each of his four other NFL seasons to this point.
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills – $258,034,000
Josh Allen can do it all, so it should come as no surprise that he is one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. Allen has a cannon of an arm, and his accuracy has improved tremendously since his early NFL days. He is even an underrated runner, considering he has 26 more touchdowns on the ground than fellow 2018 draftee Lamar Jackson.
Allen has been criticized for not leading the Bills to the Super Bowl yet, but don't write him off just yet. Although the Bills do have to deal with Patrick Mahomes playing in the same conference, Allen is so talented that it seems like a matter of time until he is able to lead the Bills to championship glory. Allen's deal is actually a six-year contract, which proves just how much the Bills believe in him.
7. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles – $255 million
Jalen Hurts was rewarded with a five-year, $255 million dollar deal after he led the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. Although the Eagles lost that game, that run to the championship game showed that Hurts is here to stay. He was criticized as a draft prospect, and not everyone believed he'd work out as an NFL quarterback.
Instead, Hurts has 12,042 passing yards, 69 passing touchdowns, and 41 rushing touchdowns to his name already in his young career. The Eagles did fall off late last season, but you can expect a bounce-back season from the team this year, and it will be with Jalen Hurts at the helm.
8. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos – $242,588,236
Russell Wilson is the only player on this list who doesn't still play for the team that gave him a mega deal. That is because the five-year, $242 million plus deal the Broncos gave him turned out to be arguably the worst contract in NFL history, as was the team's trade for the former Super Bowl champion.
Wilson was so horrendously bad in Denver that the team was desperate to move off of him, and they were okay taking the biggest dead hit in league history just to not have him on their roster. Things haven't gotten better for Wilson since. Although the Broncos are still paying him, he signed a one-year, $1.21 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers to try and revive his career.
That contract, while less disastrous, is already looking like a failure too. Wilson is dealing with a calf injury, and that forced the Steelers to start Justin Fields in Week 1. Fields didn't look great, but he led his team to victory. Regaining the starting spot that he won in a quarterback competition during training camp will be easier said than done for Wilson, especially considering he has looked like a shell of his former self in recent seasons.
9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys – $240 million
Dak Prescott was the most recent star quarterback to sign a huge deal, as the ink on his four-year, $240 million contract was still drying during his first game of the 2024 season. He only ranks ninth for total contract value, though, because he signed a four-year deal and not one over the course of five years.
The shortened contract solidifies Prescott as Dallas' franchise quarterback, but it also gives the Cowboys a quicker out if Prescott isn't able to take the next step forward and do some more damage in the postseason. Prescott's lack of postseason success led many to wonder if Jerry Jones would give him a new contract or let him hit the open market.
Prescott won't be a free agent for a long time now, but he is the only signal caller in this top 10 who doesn't have a deal that lasts at least five seasons.
10. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals – $230.5 million
Deshaun Watson's contract is one of the most infamous in the NFL, as he hasn't been good since signing a massive deal with the Cleveland Browns, but Kyler Murray's contract surpasses his by only $500,000, giving the Cardinals quarterback the last spot on this list of biggest NFL contracts ever.
Like Watson, fans are hoping for more from Murray, but he still has loads of potential. Murray didn't look like himself after returning from an ACL tear last season, but he should return to form and potentially even improve this season. At his best, Murray has unmatched creativity, escapability, and play extension ability. It is still to be determined if Murray will ever live up to his billing as a first-overall pick.
Follow Us
Subscribe
