NFL Active Leaders In Career Earnings
Kirk Cousins‘ four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons this season vaulted him up the list of active career earners. This was by virtue of his $50MM signing bonus, adding to the more than $231MM he earned from the Commanders and (mostly) the Vikings throughout his career. Even under the worst-case scenario, Cousins will still see at least another $50MM come his way via his contract with Atlanta, which would push his career earnings north of $331MM.
While the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins will surely see a significant portion of the $80MM worth of unguaranteed money on his contract, he’ll still be hard pressed to catch Aaron Rodgers on the career-earnings list. Rodgers earned more than $306MM during his long tenure in Green Bay, and he’s already made close to $37MM during his one season in New York (mostly via the $35MM signing bonus on his reworked pact).
With at least $40MM of additional guarantees coming his way from the Jets, Rodgers will continue to grow his lead as the highest-earning NFL player of all time. Both Rodgers and Matthew Stafford were able to leap Tom Brady among the NFL’s highest all-time earners over the past year.
With all that said, we’ve listed the 25 active players who have earned the most money in their NFL careers (h/t to OverTheCap.com). While this list is up to date, it doesn’t account for soon-to-realized salaries for the 2024 campaign. This list is also solely focused on NFL cash and does not include off-the-field earnings:
- QB Aaron Rodgers: $343MM
- QB Matthew Stafford: $328MM
- QB Russell Wilson: $305MM
- QB Kirk Cousins: $281MM
- QB Jared Goff: $234MM
- LB Von Miller: $179MM
- QB Joe Flacco: $177MM
- OT Trent Williams: $171MM
- QB Derek Carr: $165MM
- LB Khalil Mack: $162MM
- QB Dak Prescott: $161MM
- DL Aaron Donald: $157MM
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $150MM
- DE Calais Campbell: $143MM
- QB Deshaun Watson: $142MM
- QB Patrick Mahomes: $136MM
- DE Joey Bosa: $134MM
- DL Leonard Williams: $134MM
- WR Mike Evans: $132MM
- QB Carson Wentz: $130MM
- WR DeAndre Hopkins: $128MM
- WR Stefon Diggs: $126MM
- DE Cameron Jordan: $126MM
- OT Lane Johnson: $121MM
- DT Chris Jones: $120MM
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Suffered Serious Oblique Injury In 2023
Amon-Ra St. Brown took his production to another level in 2023. After finishing the 2022 campaign with 1,256 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns, the Lions wideout completed the 2023 season with 1,539 yards and 10 scores. This performance helped earn him both a first-team All-Pro nod and a lucrative four-year, $120MM extension from Detroit.
While everything seemingly went St. Brown’s way in 2023, the former fourth-round pick revealed on the recent Netflix Receiver series that he dealt with serious injury issues throughout last season. This included tearing his oblique “completely off the bone,” as passed along by Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com.
The injuries started popping up in Week 2, when St. Brown suffered a toe issue against the Seahawks. He was still in the lineup for Week 3, finishing with nine catches for 102 yards, but the wideout revealed that he suffered an oblique injury in that contest that he initially believed was a simple hip pointer.
“I’ve had a hip pointer before, so I thought it was a hip pointer,” St. Brown said (via Alper). “Maybe it’s just a little bruise. And I’m like, ‘Damn, my toe’s still hurting at this point. Now I have this oblique injury.’”
Despite describing his pain as eight or a nine out of 10 heading into Week 4, the wideout still showed up against the Packers, collecting 56 yards and a touchdown. A subsequent MRI revealed the true extent of his oblique injury, forcing St. Brown to miss his team’s Week 5 win over the Panthers. The receiver returned in Week 6 and proceeded to top 100 receiving yards in four-straight games, and he appeared in at least 85 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in all but two games down the stretch.
The Lions have a lot more money invested in St. Brown heading into the 2024 campaign, and with the organization having established themselves as one of the NFC’s true contenders, the team may not be as eager to have their star play through injuries. Of course, that will be easier said than done in 2024, especially with Josh Reynolds no longer around. The offense will be relying more on Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond next season, so the Lions may find it difficult to keep the offense rolling if their top receiver is sidelined.
WR Allen Robinson On Giants Roster Bubble?
Allen Robinson caught on with the Giants earlier this offseason, with the organization clearly hoping the wideout can bring some experience to a questionable depth chart. However, the 30-year-old isn’t a shoo-in for the team’s initial 53-man roster. In his preview of the Giants’ depth chart, Dan Duggan of The Athletic writes that it’s “hard to see Robinson earning a roster spot.”
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Despite injuries ruining the end of his Jaguars tenure, the receiver still garnered a three-year, $42MM deal with the Bears in 2018. He underwhelmed during his first season in Chicago but managed to put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, with the wideout averaging 100 catches per year between those two campaigns.
Since then, Robinson’s struggles have been well-chronicled. He hauled in only 410 yards during his final season with the Bears before getting another lucrative three-year contract in 2022, this time from the Rams. He only lasted a season in Los Angeles, finishing with 339 receiving yards. He was promptly dealt to the Steelers last offseason, and to his credit, he started all 17 of his appearances in Pittsburgh. However, his numbers hit a new low, with the 30-year-old finishing with only 34 catches for 280 yards and no touchdowns.
Robinson was cut by the Steelers back in March, but he ended up catching on with the Giants in May. While the veteran brings more experience than many of his new teammates, he still faces an uphill battle to make the squad. First-round rookie Malik Nabers is expected to lead the depth chart, and the team settled their contract stare down with Darius Slayton. With Wan’Dale Robinson, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, and new addition Isaiah McKenzie also around, Robinson would likely require an injury to earn a bottom-of-the-depth-chart spot.
Duggan suggested that Robinson could end up landing on New York’s practice squad, a move that would require the player’s sign-off. Robinson recently said he’s still got multiple years left in the tank, so it’s uncertain if he’d be willing to settle for a taxi squad role during his age-31 season.
Jets Looking To Sweeten Haason Reddick’s Deal
We heard recently that the Jets are unlikely to cave to Haason Reddick‘s request for an extension. However, that doesn’t mean the front office isn’t willing to work with their new pass rusher on a contract resolution. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets will try to placate Reddick “by sweetening his current deal.”
Reddick is entering the final season of a three-year, $45MM deal he signed with the Eagles back in 2022. As Cimini notes, the Jets assumed their offseason acquisition would be willing to play out his current contract before hitting free agency next offseason. That didn’t end up being the case, as the impending free agent stayed away from OTAs and mandatory minicamp while seeking a new deal.
Reddick is set to earn $15MM in 2024, a total that just sneaks him into the top-20 among pass-rusher AAVs. The Jets are currently operating with around $6MM in cap space (per OverTheCap.com), so the front office could easily find the cash to boost Reddick up the list of edge rusher earnings. While the Jets haven’t entirely closed the door on an extension for their new sack artist, it’s worth noting that the team decided to not pay Bryce Huff the ~$17MM average annual value he earned on his three-year pact with the Eagles. Of course, the Jets decision to opt for Reddick instead of Huff was more about term, but it’s clear the team still has an intended edge-rusher budget for the 2024 campaign.
Fortunately, it sounds like there’s some optimism that the two sides will come to a resolution sooner than later. Coach Robert Saleh recently hinted at a positive conversation with the veteran, and Brian Costello of the New York Post wrote that this situation differs from the bitter Jamal Adams contract stalemate that eventually led to a trade. While the Jets didn’t intend to make a trade for a contract dispute, there does appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel.
When Reddick does finally hit the field for the Jets, he’ll quickly lead the team’s pass-rush corps. The former first-round pick has compiled 50 sacks over the past four seasons, and he’ll guide a unit that also features recent first-rounders like Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald.
Latest On Dolphins’ Roster Battles
When the Dolphins kick off training camp later this month, there will be a handful of intriguing offensive roster battles to keep an eye on. In his recent Dolphins roster projection, Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com noted that there could be some intriguing cuts at both running back and wide receiver.
At RB, Beasley backs what we heard back in May; veteran RB Salvon Ahmed is on the roster bubble. In fact, Beasley writes that Ahmed probably wouldn’t have re-signed with the team had he known the Dolphins would add fourth-round RB Jaylen Wright. The rookie will surely stick to the roster, as will Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane.
That means the final RB spot will likely be between Ahmed, Jeff Wilson Jr., and Chris Brooks, and Beasley opines that Ahmed is currently trailing that entire grouping. Of course, a fresh start elsewhere could be in the player’s best interest. After collecting 646 yards from scrimmage through his first two years in the league, Ahmed has been limited to only 221 yards over the past two seasons.
Elsewhere on offense, the Dolphins are unlikely to keep both of their WR draft picks on the active roster. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr., and Braxton Berrios are probably safe atop the depth chart, meaning sixth-round rookie Malik Washington or seventh-round rookie Tahj Washington could be squeezed off the roster. The team also has former UDFA River Cracraft and former fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma pushing for roster spots, so the two rookies won’t be a shoo-in for Miami’s initial 53-man roster.
Beasley ultimately projects that Malik Washington will earn one of the final spots on the roster. The receiver broke out during his lone season at Virginia, finishing with 110 catches for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns. Tahj Washington spent the past three seasons at USC, culminating in a 2023 campaign where he finished with career-highs in receptions (59), receiving yards (1,062), and touchdowns (eight).
Davante Adams Committed To Raiders, Discusses Aaron Rodgers Pairing
Things haven’t necessarily gone as planned for Davante Adams in Las Vegas. The wideout pushed his way out of Green Bay and landed with the Raiders and his college QB, Derek Carr. That QB/WR tandem only lasted one season, with the Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime shaking up the quarterback position ahead of the 2023 campaign.
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Adams hinted at some frustration before the Raiders ditched that head coach/GM duo, but the receiver admitted that interim-turned-full-time head coach Antonio Pierce is a big reason why he’s content ahead of the 2024 season.
“I wouldn’t be feeling as good as I do now,” Adams said of Pierce’s promotion during an appearance on “Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams” (via NFL.com’s Nick Shook). “That’s for sure. He’s the type of guy that I really enjoy speaking to, working with, so I basically tried to do everything that I could to make it to where the front office didn’t have any other choice.”
Pierce guided the Raiders to a 5-4 record after McDaniels was canned, a performance that helped earn him a promotion to the full-time gig. While there’s still uncertainty at the quarterback position, Adams is committed to the Raiders…and he’s denying inquiries from some of his former teammates. Specifically, Adams admitted that Aaron Rodgers has been “in that ear” since the quarterback moved to the Jets.
“It’s not as easy as — obviously we can get together and talk about the old times and potential of doing this and that, but like I said I’m a Raider, and he knows that,” Adams said. “Maybe in the next lifetime.”
Adams also said he’s heard from former teammate Josh Jacobs, who joined the wideout’s former squad in Green Bay this offseason.
“I told him you go ahead and hold it down,” Adams said. “I’m gonna hold it down over here. I don’t think I’ll be coming back over there. Never know what’s gonna happen. If they ship me off, there’s not much I can do about it, but I’m a Raider. So nobody got to worry about that.”
Despite the management changes, the Raiders quickly quieted trade chatter this offseason, with both Pierce and new GM Tom Telesco (along with owner Mark Davis) expressing interest in keeping Adams around long-term. The wideout is attached to massive $44MM cap hits in both 2025 and 2026, but the Raiders could get out of the deal next offseason with only a temporary dead cap hit of $15.7MM. While both sides are currently saying all the right things, Adams’ future in Las Vegas will still be worth watching over the next year.
RB Leonard Fournette Eyeing Next NFL Gig
It took Leonard Fournette until October to find a job for the 2023 campaign. The veteran running back is hoping his current free agency stint doesn’t last nearly as long. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fournette intends to continue his NFL career and is hoping to catch on with a team before the start of the regular season.
To help in his pursuit of a 2024 gig, Fournette has hired Ari Nissim and Pat Capra as representation. Nissam told Schefter that his newest client is in the “best shape of his career,” and the agent expects Fournette to find “a new home soon.”
Fournette didn’t see a major drop in counting stats during his final season in Tampa Bay. The former fourth-overall pick finished the 2022 season with 1,191 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns, a slight dip from his 1,266-yard, 10-touchdown campaign in 2021. After getting cut by the Buccaneers last February, Fournette garnered interest from the Patriots and Colts, but a deal didn’t end up materializing until midway through the season.
The veteran caught on with the Bills practice squad in late October, with Buffalo seeking a replacement for Damien Harris. Fournette was unable to knock James Cook nor Latavius Murray from their spots on the depth chart before he eventually earned a promotion late in the year. Fournette ended up getting into a pair of games with the Bills down the stretch, collecting 40 total yards on 12 touches. The running back was cut from Buffalo’s practice squad in January.
It’s been quiet for the 29-year-old this offseason, and teams will surely want to get a long look at their current RB options before pivoting to the free agency pool. Still, Fournette could be a solid option for a team seeking an experienced pass-catcher, with the veteran averaging more than 60 receptions per season between 2019 and 2022. Dalvin Cook is still awaiting a job, and Fournette is likely sitting in the second tier of free agent RBs alongside the likes of Murray, Cam Akers, and Kareem Hunt.
Extension Candidate: Matt Judon
Matt Judon is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $56MM contract he signed with the Patriots back in 2021. The four-time Pro Bowler has undoubtedly lived up to his contract in New England (at least through the first two seasons), but there have been conflicting reports surrounding the progress of extension talks. That’s led some pundits to wonder if 2024 could end up being Judon’s final season with the organization.
Judon himself provided a discouraging update last week. The veteran posted on X that he doesn’t think an extension is “about to happen” (per Dakota Randall of ProFootballNetwork.com). Further, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard said that “there are a couple of big contract issues” that may stem from the front office’s decision to hand Christian Barmore a new $92MM deal, with Bedard seemingly pointing the finger at Judon (via Randall).
On the flip side, Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily recently hinted that Judon could sign the league’s “next big contract.” The four-time Pro Bowler has also continued to express interest in continuing his career in New England, and the 31-year-old has been an active free agent recruiter on social media.
In other words, it doesn’t seem like anyone has any idea how this will play out. At the very least, Judon doesn’t intend to make his contract status a distraction. Last year, the player staged a hold-in before coming to a temporary resolution with the Patriots, but the player has since admitted that his negotiation tactic was “trash.” With the impending free agent hinting that he won’t follow a similar path this year, the Patriots could simply let Judon play out his contract before revisiting a long-term deal next offseason.
Of course, this could be the perfect time for the organization to pounce. After compiling 28 sacks through his first two seasons with the Patriots, Judon was limited to four sacks in four games before suffering a season-ending bicep injury in 2023. With the 2024 campaign representing Judon’s age-32 season, the Patriots could cite the player’s age and recent injury as a reason for a discounted extension. Plus, while Judon is only set to earn $7.5MM in 2024, he’s connected to a $14.6MM cap charge, so any extension could help the organization reduce that number for the upcoming season.
Beyond the simple decision to extend Judon, the two sides would obviously have to settle on a value. Judon would probably be hard pressed to garner a $22MM average annual value, a mark that would push him into the top-10 among pass rushers. Von Miller got a $20MM AAV from the Bills ahead of his age-33 season, but Judon is still unlikely to generate that type of money and term (six years). DeMarcus Lawrence‘s three-year, $40MM deal with the Cowboys or Cameron Jordan‘s two-year, $27.5MM deal with the Saints may be better benchmarks. Considering the Patriots are armed with plenty of future cap space, this shouldn’t be a prohibitive move for the front office.
There would probably be plenty of teams willing to give Judon at least $13MM per year, and those hypothetical suitors would probably give the player a better chance at winning. The projected franchise tag for Judon is likely untenable (between $24MM and $25MM, per OverTheCap.com), so the Patriots could risk the player walking for nothing if they can’t agree to an extension now.
As the team’s defensive and emotional leader, the Patriots can’t afford to move on from Judon in 2024. It remains to be seen if the organization is willing to pay up to keep him on the roster for 2025 and beyond.
WR Notes: Texans, Patriots, Eagles, Cardinals
It’s easy to be excited about the Texans wide receiver corps in 2024. After Tank Dell and Nico Collins established a connection with C.J. Stroud in 2023, the organization added another major name in Stefon Diggs. With the Texans hoping to take a major step forward in 2024, the team can now boast that they’re armed with one of the best WR trios in the NFL.
One of the other players on the depth chart, Steven Sims, has gotten a first-hand look at his talented teammates, and he believes Houston’s wideouts are ready for some big plays during the upcoming campaign.
“We’ve got a great group,” Sims told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. “I can’t wait to get back to camp. It’s going to be so much fun. I feel like there’s going to be a lot of big plays, a lot of fun, but it’s a business and it’s work. It’s time to get back to work and I’m excited to go back to work with the group we’ve got I feel like from top to bottom everybody can get it done.”
Sims re-signed with the Texans this offseason after getting into three games with the team in 2023. He’ll be competing with the likes of John Metchie III and Ben Skowronek for reps behind the team’s top-three WRs.
More wideout notes from around the NFL…
- Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston explores some of the Patriots wideout scenarios for the 2024 campaign, including the best-case scenario (which sees rookie Ja’Lynn Polk and second-year wideout DeMario Douglas break out) and the worst-case scenario (the team’s over-reliance on veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne). Curran believes the most-likely scenario is a bit of both, with the organization allowing the young players to show their stuff, especially as Bourne works his way back from a torn ACL. Curran says the team’s main wildcard at the position is free agent acquisition K.J. Osborn, who has already developed chemistry with presumed starting QB Jacoby Brissett.
- Joseph Ngata spent the majority of his rookie campaign on Philly’s practice squad, and Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia believes the former UDFA is set to make the Eagles 53-man roster in 2024. As Zangaro notes, Ngata got some first-team reps during the spring,and he’s clearly ahead of some of the team’s other young wideouts. Parris Campbell is the likeliest of Philly’s non-star WRs to emerge, but Ngata should have an upper hand on fifth-round rookie Ainias Smith and sixth-round rookie Johnny Wilson.
- Jess Root of Cards Wire notes that Cardinals undrafted rookie WR Xavier Weaver is likely to stick with the organization by virtue of his contract. The Colorado product got $225K in guaranteed money from Arizona, the equivalent to 18 weeks of practice squad salary. If the rookie is eventually waived, it’s unlikely a cash-strapped suitor would willingly add him to their 53-man roster. With four WR spots locked up in Arizona (Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Zay Jones), Weaver will be hard pressed to earn a regular roster gig, but the Cardinals’ financial commitment shows they plan to keep the WR around their practice squad for the 2024 campaign.
Guaranteed Money A “Sticking Point” In Tagovailoa Extension Talks?
As the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa continue their staring contest, we’ve getting some clarity on the main obstacle during extension talks. As Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com writes, guaranteed money is “what most believe is the sticking point” in the ongoing contract negotiations.
A report from last month indicated Miami has yet to submit a market-value offer, but as Beasley notes, it would be “foolish” for the Dolphins to offer Tagovailoa “anything substantially less” than the $53MM average annual value set by Jared Goff (and recently surpassed by Trevor Lawrence). Assuming the two sides are around the same range for AAV, the extension’s guaranteed money would be the next major hurdle.
Deshaun Watson, Joe Burrow, Lawrence, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert all earned at least $130MM fully guaranteed at signing on their respective extensions. While Tagovailoa’s camp may not necessarily be looking to top that list (Watson leads the way with $230MM, followed by Burrow at $146MM), Beasley believes the QB is pushing for at least a nine-figure guarantee…and the writer also believes the Dolphins will be reluctant to reach that mark.
While the win-now Dolphins aren’t necessarily in position to play hard ball with their franchise quarterback, Beasley doesn’t blame the organization for being wary of Tagovailoa’s impending guarantees. The former first-round pick has dealt with his fair share of injuries and concussions, and while 2023 represented a clear step forward for the 26-year-old, he still failed to guide his squad to any playoff success.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald previously noted that both parties “seem determined” to work out an extension agreement, and it doesn’t sound like negotiations have been contentious. Still, until the two sides agree to a new deal, Tagovailoa can still threaten a holdout. While the QB could face more than $5MM in fines by skipping training camp and the regular season, that still may be in the player’s interest if he’s able to recoup that lost value via additional guarantees, per Beasley.
Tagovailoa’s extension will continue to hang over the Dolphins with training camp rapidly approaching. At the start of the offseason, both sides wished for speedy negotiations as they looked to avoid the drama. With veterans set to report on July 23, we’ll see if the organization feels any pressure to finalize a deal.