Top 10 highest paid NFL players entering 2022 season ft. Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, and more × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout NFL Listicle Top 10 highest paid NFL players entering 2022 season ft Deshaun Watson Aaron Rodgers and more By Adam Hulse Modified 12 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Who are the highest-earning players in NFL? NFL players are among the highest paid athletes in the world. Each of the 45 highest-paid players in the league make an AAV of at least $20 million entering the 2022 NFL season, while the top 15 all make at least $30 million. Their massive contracts continue to get bigger every year as the demand for superstar players is always at a premium. The quarterbacks are the highest paid NFL players by a significant margin because of their massive impact on their teams' success. Each of the top 12 highest paid players and 15 of the top 20 are all quarterbacks. Here are the top 10 highest paid players by AAV entering the 2022 NFL season. #9 tied - Kirk Cousins - $35 million Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 on a three-year contract worth $28 million in AAV. He followed that up with a two-year extension following the 2020 season, earning a raise of $33 million in AAV. Cousins avoided entering the final year of his contract in 2022 by signing a one-year extension with the Vikings. This increased his AAV to $35 million and kept him under contract until the conclusion of the 2023 NFL season. #9 tied - Russell Wilson - $35 million Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson Russell Wilson was involved in one of the biggest blockbuster moves of the 2022 NFL offseason when the Seattle Seahawks traded him to the Denver Broncos. He will play for a new team this year for the first time in his career. NFL Stats@NFL_StatsICYMI:Russell Wilson and the #Seahawks have agreed to a 4-year contract extension, worth $140M, and $107M guaranteed.He is now under contract for 5 years and $157M 19146ICYMI:Russell Wilson and the #Seahawks have agreed to a 4-year contract extension, worth $140M, and $107M guaranteed.He is now under contract for 5 years and $157M https://t.co/b5YC10uRej Wilson signed a four-year deal worth $140 million with the Seahawks in 2019. So, he remains under contract with the Broncos until the 2024 offseason unless he were to sign a new contract before then, which is entirely possible. #7 tied - Dak Prescott - $40 million Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Dak Prescott made history when he signed a four-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 worth $160 million, the highest in NFL history at the time it was signed. It was also signed following a year where he injured his ankle and missed the majority of the season. Prescott will remain under contract with the Cowboys until the conclusion of the 2021 season. He helped them reach the playoffs last year and he will be looking to make a deeper run this year. #7 tied - Matthew Stafford - $40 million Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford Matthew Stafford was one of the biggest headlines of the 2021 offseason when the Detroit Lions traded him to the Los Angeles Rams. He continued to be one of the biggest stories when he won his first Super Bowl ring in his first season with his new team. Full Press NFL@FullPressNFLThe Rams have rewarded QB Matthew Stafford with a massive contract extension. #RamsHouse #FPC #NFL #NFLTwitter1812The Rams have rewarded QB Matthew Stafford with a massive contract extension. #RamsHouse #FPC #NFL #NFLTwitter https://t.co/HMpktG3ePe While Stafford still had one more year remaining on his previous contract, he was rewarded by the Rams with a four-year extension. This increased his AAV to $40 million and kept him with the team until the 2027 offseason. #6 - Derek Carr - $40 5 million Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr Derek Carr entered the 2022 NFL offseason with just one year remaining on his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. He was rewarded with a three-year extension worth $121.5 million after leading the Raiders to the playoffs last season, joining the long list of quarterbacks to recently sign huge contracts. Carr's AAV climbed to $40.5 million and it ranks him among the top six highest paid players, surpassing Stafford and Prescott by half a million per season. #5 - Josh Allen - $43 million Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen Josh Allen is one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the NFL. His unique skillset has helped the Buffalo Bills reach the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Buffalo Bills PR@BuffaloBillsPRAgreed to terms with QB Josh Allen on a six-year contract extension through the 2028 season.2673425Agreed to terms with QB Josh Allen on a six-year contract extension through the 2028 season. https://t.co/7iQ88bKlqM The Bills rewarded their talented young quarterback with a massive six-year contract extension worth more than $258 million. They are fully committed to Allen as their franchise player, keeping him under contract until the 2029 offseason. #4 - Patrick Mahomes - $45 million Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes made history when he signed a 10-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $450 million dollars, bringing his total contract value up to $503 million. Mahomes set the record for the largest total contract in American sports history and the second largest in world sports history, trailing only Lionel Messi. Mahomes earned his massive payday by getting off to the best start to a career by any quarterback ever. He produced an NFL MVP award, Super Bowl ring, Super Bowl MVP award, and two conference titles in just his first three seasons in the league. #3 - Deshaun Watson - $46 million Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson Deshaun Watson has been the biggest story of the 2022 NFL offseason. Among the many headlines he created, there was one of him being traded by the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns and receiving one of the biggest contracts in NFL history. theScore@theScoreNFL owners are reportedly upset about the way the Browns structured DeShaun Watson's contract.72555NFL owners are reportedly upset about the way the Browns structured DeShaun Watson's contract. https://t.co/aMTWQNw6IX Watson signed a five-year extension with the Browns worth $230 million in fully guaranteed money. His contract includes the most guaranteed amount of money on any contract in NFL history. #2 - Kyler Murray - $46 1 million Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Kyler Murray joined the list of quarterbacks who received huge contract extensions when he signed a new deal with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022 NFL offseason. He is set to remain under contract until the conclusion of the 2028 season. Ian Rapoport@RapSheetContracts are about give-and-take. One example from #AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray’s $230.5M contract: There is an addendum that requires 4 hours of “independent study” per game week. It was important to the team making a commitment at that level, thus it was important to Murray.6420688Contracts are about give-and-take. One example from #AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray’s $230.5M contract: There is an addendum that requires 4 hours of “independent study” per game week. It was important to the team making a commitment at that level, thus it was important to Murray. https://t.co/VqrkvoBQLJ Murray's new contract is worth $230.5 million across five years, surpassing Watson by just $100,000 per season. Unlike Watson's fully guaranteed deal, Murray received $160 million in guaranteed money. #1 - Aaron Rodgers - $50 3 million Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers made history during the 2022 NFL offseason when he signed a three-year contract extension with the Green Bay Packers. His record-setting deal is worth more than $150 million and keeps him under contract until the 2025 offseason. Rodgers is the first athlete in American sports history to sign a single contract worth at least $50 million in AAV. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Akshay Saraswat × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeCricket NewsScheduleIND vs SAAUS vs WIENG vs PAKLegends LeagueECC T10County ChampionshipBukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022Japan Cricket LeagueWI-W vs NZ-WECT10T20 World Cup FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Extreme Rules 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarChina OpenTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी