NFL contracts are some of the most convoluted in sports. Not all the money is guaranteed; it doesn't all count against the salary cap, and its incentives and bonuses can get weirdly specific. That all contributes to a much higher number of contract holdouts than in other sports. And unlike the other major American sports, teams have to split the money between 53 guys on the regular season roster, the practice squad, and any injury replacements that come up during the season.

Wide receivers have it better than running backs, their offensive partners in crime. Not to mention most defenders as well. There is good money to be earned for the wideouts in the game because of just how pass-happy the NFL has become. Here are the ten highest-paid NFL wide receivers by average annual value (AAV) in 2023.

10. Keenan Allen – $20.03 million

Keenan Allen has been a fixture on the outside for the Los Angeles Chargers for a decade. Allen has provided elite wideout play for Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. Although the team has struggled to make meaningful postseason progress, it is certainly not for a lack of big play potential on the outside. Allen signed a four-year $45 million deal in 2020 and still has a couple of years left, given that the extension was signed with another year left on his previous contract. The Chargers locked up their guy when they got Justin Herbert, securing an elite weapon for their then-rookie. Things have worked well so far, but we'll have to wait and see if the rest of the Chargers team can put it together while they still have Allen playing at a high level.

9. D.J. Moore – $20.63 million

D.J. Moore was the biggest name the Bears acquired in exchange for the number one overall pick they traded to the Carolina Panthers in March. Moore is a part of the Bears' plan to add weapons around second-year quarterback Justin Fields. Fields showed flashes of brilliance despite the organization having a rough year last year. Moore seeks to bring some playmaking pedigree to an offense severely lacking in playmakers other than Fields last year.

Moore signed a three-year, almost $62 million deal with the Panthers in 2022. He has quietly been establishing himself as an excellent receiver, even though his time in Carolina was primarily marked by irrelevancy in the NFL playoff picture. Moore has racked up 5201 yards and 21 TDs in five seasons with the Panthers. Will the Bears be able to unlock something greater in their young QB and WR pairing? Only time will tell.

8. Terry McLaurin – $22.79 million

Speaking of toiling away on largely irrelevant teams, Washington Commanders star Terry McLaurin is next on the list. Last summer, the Commanders inked him to a three-year $68 million extension, and he rewarded them with his first Pro Bowl year. Scary Terry has been solid throughout his first four years, finishing with three 1000-yard receiving seasons and all four years with more than 900.

McClaurin has done all this with a rotating cast of characters feeding him passes, with Kyle Heinicke, Alex Smith, and Case Keenum highlighting the list. In a draft featuring Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa, and Daniel Jones all going in the top ten picks, as well as Deebo Samuel and D.K Metcalf going in round two, all 32 teams had a shot at McLaurin, who went in the third round. He is the biggest hit in the draft the Commanders have had recently and a truly impressive piece of scouting done by an organization not generally known for good drafting.

7. Deebo Samuel – $23.85 million

The aforementioned Deebo Samuel is the next in a series of elite 2019 wide receivers to earn big-time extensions. Samuel has been a revelation for the San Francisco 49ers. Since entering the league, Samuel has helped lead an offense that has succeeded mainly despite lacking a franchise quarterback. In his four years in San Francisco, Samuel has seen a Super Bowl appearance and two other trips to the NFC Championship Game.

And while the 49ers haven't been able to break through in the 21st century yet, Samuel is a big reason why they'll be favorites to make it back to the Super Bowl again. His absence was deeply felt in the San Francisco loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last year. And while the wideout had a bit of a continuous negotiation on his deal last summer, the 49ers managed to lock him down to a three-year $73.5 million contract. Samuel's ability to stay healthy and contribute will likely hold the rest of San Francisco's fortunes with him.

5. Tie – D.K. Metcalf – $24 million

D.K. Metcalf, Samuel's fellow 2019 second-round draft pick, slots in at a tie for number five. Metcalf turned heads from day one at the NFL Combine with his impressive physique and athleticism. But Metcalf has backed it up on the field, unlike other combine warriors. While staying healthy consistently has been a challenge, in Metcalf's only full season, he led the league in yards per reception, finished with over 1400 receiving yards, and was a first-team All-Pro.

Metcalf and Russell Wilson formed an elite duo. Then Wilson went south to Denver. With the emergence of Geno Smith, the Seahawks offense has a chance to remain elite if Metcalf gels with his new quarterback. Metcalf's $72 million three-year deal with the Seahawks shows their belief in him, but the short-term nature of wide receiver deals means that if it doesn't work out, Metcalf will be hard-pressed to find a team to give him the same money with more injury concerns.

5. Tie – Stefon Diggs – $24 million

Stefon Diggs has been the subject of a lot of rumors this offseason. But despite all the noise, he's still the guy for Josh Allen in Buffalo. The Bills have been the team on the outside looking in on the AFC for the last four years, unable to get over the hump since drafting Josh Allen and trading for Stefon Diggs. The Bills have failed to get past fellow AFC powers Cincinnati and Kansas City.

But Diggs signed a four-year $96 million extension and made his intentions clear to get Buffalo to the Super Bowl back in 2022. And even though there's been talk of him being unhappy, he's reiterated that desire to win a championship for Buffalo. The Bills have been relegated to the back of discussions around the AFC East with Aaron Rodgers moving to the Jets, but as long as they have the Josh Allen-Stefon Diggs pairing, they should be the division favorites.

4. A.J. Brown – $25 million

A.J. Brown is another high-profile wide receiver who's taken a ride on the trade carousel in the past few years. The Tennessee Titans shockingly dealt Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Brown had not agreed on a new deal with the Titans, so they traded him. The Eagles gave him everything he wanted and more with a four-year $100 million contract. Brown has thrived alongside Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith, helping the Eagles to last year's Super Bowl.

The Titans, on the other hand, regressed without Brown. Brown was the primary option for the Titans outside of Derrick Henry, and it showed when they didn't have him. The Titans finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time in four years. Henry was asked to do a lot, and the one-dimensional nature of their offense meant that production suffered.

3. Cooper Kupp – $26.70 million

Cooper Cupp has been everything the Los Angeles Rams could have hoped for and more. Especially since signing his three-year $80 million deal. Two years ago, he became the first player to sniff Calvin Johnson's 2012 record for receiving yards in a season, finishing with 1947 yards. Last season, like many fellow Rams, Kupp struggled to stay healthy for the entire year, only appearing in nine games in 2022. Despite only playing nine games, he finished with over 800 yards. Kupp has been arguably the best receiver in the league for the last several years and will be looking to bring the Rams back to the top of the NFC while staying healthy. He'll have his work cut out for him, though, as the 49ers will be the big favorites in the division. Seattle has revamped expectations with Geno Smith as well.

2. Davante Adams – $28 million

Davante Adams has been the best wide receiver in the NFL over the past six years. In his five years in Green Bay and one in Las Vegas, Adams has been a Pro Bowler six times and a first-team All-Pro selection for the past three years. Adams left Green Bay after a long stretch of negotiation that included lowball offers forcing him to play out his previous contract and the uncertain future of Aaron Rodgers. While Rodgers would stay with the Green Bay Packers one year after Adams left, his departure was the writing on the wall.

Adams found a Raiders team with high expectations and deep pockets in Las Vegas. While they fell way short of expectations for 2022, Adams secured the contract he felt he deserved. He signed a five-year $140 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders after being traded by the Packers and picked up his production right where he left off. The rumors are already swirling that he may be traded again, though. Regardless, he's proven he can perform at a high level in different environments and with other QBs. So if he stays healthy and the Raiders are struggling to make noise again, keep an eye on Adams at the trade deadline.

1. Tyreek Hill – $30 million

Tyreek Hill made waves when he requested a trade from Kansas City last year. And Kansas City made even more waves when they traded him. Hill wanted more money than he was being offered and got his wish in Miami. Miami gave him a four-year $120 million deal, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Hill certainly played like the best receiver in the league in Kansas City, torching teams with long balls from Patrick Mahomes.

However, when Hill felt he wasn't getting enough money and respect, he left to secure his bag. And he played up to the contract, finishing with over 1700 yards for a resurgent Dolphins team that thrived under Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa's health will likely be the most critical factor in their success this year, without Hill, the offense would undoubtedly suffer as well. One of the most exciting storylines to follow in the early 2023 NFL season will be if Miami can pick up where they left off.