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Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs came up short in their historic bid for a third straight Super Bowl win when the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFL crown in a rout in February.
But the Kansas City QB did score one title in 2025: the NFL’s highest-paid player for the second time in three years. His $80 million—$50 million in salary from the Chiefs and an estimated $30 million in endorsements—tops a pair of his AFC rival quarterbacks in Josh Allen ($73 million) and Justin Herbert ($71 million).
The top 20 will earn an estimated $1 billion this year on and off the field, down 10% versus last year when Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow and Kirk Cousins all signed new contracts that paid more than $60 million in Year 1, led by Prescott at $86.4 million. Herbert is the only player who will earn $60 million in salary this year.
Mahomes is the NFL’s most marketable player, thanks to his three Super Bowl titles and two regular-season MVP awards while quarterbacking the NFL’s latest dynasty. Last year, he was ubiquitous on TV, appearing in an NFL-high 423 ad spots during league games, per iSpot—the retired Peyton Manning was second at 318.
Mahomes has more than a dozen endorsement partners, including Adidas, Coors Light, Invisalign, Oakley, State Farm and T-Mobile; he recently added new deals with Panini and Hublot. The Panini deal means his signatures will appear on trading cards for the first time since 2020 sets. A 2017 Mahomes card sold in 2021 for $4.3 million, marking the most expensive NFL card sale ever.
The QB’s investment portfolio includes ownership stakes in MLB’s Royals, MLS’ Sporting KC, NWSL’s KC Current and F1 team Alpine. Last year, he launched a ready-to-drink iced coffee brand, Throne Sport Coffee, with beverage industry veteran Michael Fedele.
The only player that can match Mahomes’ off-field earnings is his teammate, Travis Kelce, who has the most Instagram followers of any active NFL player with 8 million and a very famous fiancée. He ranks No. 7 at $49 million, including $32 million off the field. His $17.25 million 2025 salary is $13 million less than anyone else in the top 20.
The tight end has cut back on traditional endorsements and focused more on brands where he has an ownership stake, including a pair of deals since his engagement to Taylor Swift in August. Kelce invested in the sports hydration drink Recover 180 and serves as a brand ambassador, and he teamed with American Eagle for a product collaboration for his sportswear and lifestyle brand Tru Kolors, which he launched in 2019. Kelce and his brother Jason, the former Eagles center, are also investors and the faces of Garage Beer, which recently raised money at a $200 million valuation.
Kelce’s biggest off-field income stream is his New Heights podcast with Jason, which is distributed on Wondery, Amazon’s podcast production company. The three-year deal is worth more than $100 million for the podcast, which launched at the start of the 2022 season.
The $1 billion haul for the NFL’s top 20 earners this year is derived predominantly from salary and bonuses, with off-field income representing only 17% of the total. The NFL is the world’s richest sports league, with an average franchise value of $7.13 billion, but its top players lag behind the NBA’s 20 biggest stars, who made an estimated $1.4 billion last season. MLB’s top 20 is a tick lower than the NFL at $890 million. The NHL’s top earners are well behind at roughly $250 million.
Quarterbacks dominate the NFL list with 15 entries.
Sportico’s earnings figures include base salaries and bonuses for the 2025 NFL season. Excluded are any incentives or playoff bonuses. The off-field earnings estimates were compiled through conversations with those familiar with NFL endorsement deals. Also included is income from memorabilia, licensing, appearances, media and businesses tied to their celebrity. The figures are all before taxes and any agent fees.
The NFL’s 20 Highest-Paid Players in 2025
1. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs): $80 million
Salary: $50 million | Endorsements: $30 million | Age: 30
Mahomes has the NFL’s biggest contract worth $450 million over 10 years—Allen is second at $330 million—but his $45 million average salary is tied for No. 15 in the NFL. Twenty-three NBA players also have higher AAVs on their deal, per Spotrac.
2. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills): $73 million
Salary: $68 million | Endorsements: $15 million | Age: 29
In March, Allen signed his $330 million, six-year deal that set a new NFL record with $250 million guaranteed. The reigning MVP has a deep roster of sponsors, including SoFi, New Balance, New Era, Snickers, Corona and Beats.
3. Justin Herbert (San Diego Chargers): $71 million
Salary: $60 million | Endorsements: $11 million | Age: 27
Herbert’s licensing income of $2.55 million from the NFLPA ranked third last season behind only J.J. McCarthy and Travis Kelce. His marketing partners include Nike, Callaway, SoFi, TCL and Verizon.
4. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): $58 million
Salary: $48 million | Endorsements: $10 million | Age: 32
Prescott’s AAV of $60 million is $5 million higher than the quartet of quarterbacks who rank second in the NFL. Prescott has deals with Jordan Brand, Frito-Lay, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, AT&T and Albertsons.
5. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins): $54 million
Salary: $51 million | Endorsements: $4 million | Age: 27
Last year, the Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212 million deal, but the QB suffered his third NFL concussion early in the season and then was hampered by a hip injury to end the season.
6. Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers): $50.1 million
Salary: $41.1 million | Endorsements: $9 million | Age: 25
John Deere tapped the 2022 NFL Draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” in its search for its “chief tractor officer.” The 49ers signed him in March to a five-year, $265 million contract. His 2024 licensing income was $2 million and ranked fifth among active players.
7. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs): $49.3 million
Salary: $17.3 million | Endorsements: $32 million | Age: 35
The 10-time Pro Bowler has 178 receptions in the playoffs, the most in NFL history. Kelce earned $3.25 million from group licensing deals during the 2024 season, according to the NFL Players Association’s annual report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor.
8. Micah Parsons (Green Bay Packers): $48.7 million
Salary: $45.2 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million | Age: 26
After a prolonged standoff with the Cowboys, Parsons was traded to the Packers and signed the richest deal ever for a non-QB with an AAV of $46.5 million. He was a licensing champ with the Cowboys, earning $1.1 million, $2.1 million and $1.6 million during the past three years.
9. Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles): $48.5 million
Salary: $42.5 million | Endorsements: $6 million | Age: 27
Hurts added a Super Bowl title and Super Bowl MVP award to his resume in February. During the game, he set a new Super Bowl record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (72), breaking his own record.
10 (tie). Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): $48 million
Salary: $44 million | Endorsements: $4 million | Age: 37
Stafford is the oldest member of the NFL’s top 20 earners. Last year, he passed Eli Manning to rank 10th all-time on the NFL’s career passing yards leader. Stafford’s partners are Fanatics, Sleep Number, Trust & Will, Panini and Sirius XM.
10 (tie). Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars): $48 million
Salary: $37.5 million | Endorsements: $10.5 million | Age: 25
The $55 million AAV on Lawrence’s deal is tied for second in the NFL behind Prescott. He’s banked $6.9 million in licensing income from the NFLPA during the past three years. He has endorsement deals with Adidas, American Eagle, Breitling, EverBank, Gatorade and Ritz.
12. Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns): $46.8 million
Salary: $46 million | Endorsements: $750,000 | Age: 30
Watson will likely miss the entire 2025 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, but he will still collect his full $46 million salary in his $230 million guaranteed contract.
13. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens): $46.3 million
Salary: $42.8 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million | Age: 28
Jackson represented himself when he signed his five-year, $260 million contract with the Ravens in 2023. He just passed Aaron Rodgers to have the NFL’s top career passer rating. He also holds the record for most career rushing yards by a QB.
14. T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers): $46 million
Salary: $44 million | Endorsements: $2 million | Age: 30
In July, the Steelers rewarded the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year with a three-year, $123 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid non-QB before Parsons’ deal. He has sponsorship deals with Abercrombie & Fitch, Peloton and Old El Paso.
15. Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals): $44.7 million
Salary: $41.2 | Endorsements: $3.5 million | Age: 25
In March, the Bengals signed star wide receivers Chase and Tee Higgins to four-year contract extensions worth $161 million and $115 million. Chase’s deal makes him the highest-paid receiver in the sport.
16. Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders): $41.5 million
Salary: $40 million | Endorsements: $1.5 million | Age: 34
The Raiders traded for Smith in March after the QB could not reach a contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks. Las Vegas gave him a two-year extension worth $75 million with $66.5 million guaranteed.
17. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals): $40.3 million
Salary: $35.3 million | Endorsements: $5 million | Age: 28
Burrow led the league in passing yards and touchdowns in 2024 and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year for a second time. However, he suffered a toe injury in Week 2 of the 2025 season and will be out for at least three months. Off the field, he works with Alo, BodyArmor, Fanatics and Kroger Health.
18. Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings): $39.4 million
Salary: $31.9 million | Endorsements: $7.5 million | Age: 26
The Vikings’ All-Pro wide receiver has 10 endorsement partners, including EA Sports, Gatorade, Lowe’s, Oakley and Under Armour. Since he was drafted in 2020, Jefferson has averaged 96 receiving yards per game, which is the NFL’s best all-time.
19. Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks): $38.5 million
Salary: $37.5 million | Endorsements: $1 million | Age: 28
The Seahawks signed Darnold to replace Smith as their QB with a three-year, $100.5 million agreement. He was coming off a career year with the Vikings, where he ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35).
20. Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): $38.3 million
Salary: $30 million | Endorsements: $8.25 million | Age: 30
Mayfield has become a star on and off the field since he joined Tampa ahead of the 2023 season. He made his first two Pro Bowls, while leading the Bucs to back-to-back playoff appearances. The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner has 10 endorsement partners, including Adidas, Nissan, AdventHealth, Popeyes, Planet Fitness and Bud Light.
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