Here are some of the highest average salaries in the NFL for 2025 (salary contracts only, no endorsements, no outside income):

• Dak Prescott (Cowboys): ~$60M per year

• Josh Allen (Bills): ~$55M per year

• Joe Burrow (Bengals): ~$55M per year

• Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars): ~$55M per year

• Jordan Love (Packers): ~$55M per year

• Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins): ~$53.1M per year

• Jared Goff (Lions): ~$53M per year

• Brock Purdy (49ers): ~$53M per year

• Justin Herbert (Chargers): ~$52.5M per year

• Lamar Jackson (Ravens): ~$52M per year 

Even when you see huge contracts like above, the figures don’t include:

• Endorsements — deals with brands can be huge. For example, Patrick Mahomes is reported to earn ~$30M off the field from sponsorships and business ventures on top of his ~$50M salary, bringing his total around ~$80M.

• Bonuses — signing bonuses, roster bonuses, and performance incentives can add millions on top of base salary.

• Other income — media appearances, ownership stakes, merchandising, etc.

So a player's true earnings in a given year can be significantly higher than the headline salary.

Average Player Income

When you step back from the superstars:

• The actual average NFL salary across all players is far lower — estimates range from about $2M to ~$5M per year, depending on how it’s calculated.

Note: This average includes veterans with big deals and many players on lower salaries, including backups and younger players.