NFL's Cash Kings: The Highest-Paid Player at Every Position (Updated 2026)
The NFL isn't just a game — it's a money-printing empire. And while the salary cap might scare some GMs, these dudes are getting PAID. We've tracked the highest earners at every position, from the signal-callers running the show to the long-snappers who just want a little respect (and a lot of guaranteed cash). Here's who tops the charts in three-year average APY and total guaranteed money — because in the league, the only number that truly matters is the one with the dollar sign in front of it.
Stats courtesy of Roster Management System. Updated through August 2026.
Quarterback
Top APY: Patrick Mahomes (KC) — $64M per year. The man just keeps breaking the bank. Top Guaranteed: Josh Allen (BUF) — $250M locked in. Dak Prescott ($61.6M APY), Joe Burrow ($61.3M), and Jordan Love ($58.3M) are right behind, but Mahomes and Allen are the true titans of the QB cash game.
Running Back
Top APY: Jahmyr Gibbs (DET) — $22.5M per year. The Lions made him the highest-paid back ever. Top Guaranteed: Jeremiyah Love (ARI) — $53.9M. Yeah, a running back just got $50M+ guaranteed. Welcome to 2026, folks. Bijan Robinson ($22.3M APY) and Saquon Barkley ($20.6M) are also eating well.
Wide Receiver
Top APY: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA) — $42M per year. The Seahawks made him the highest-paid receiver in league history. Top Guaranteed: JSN again — a ridiculous $120M guaranteed. Ja'Marr Chase ($38M APY, $112M guaranteed) and Justin Jefferson ($35M APY, $110M guaranteed) are right there, but right now, JSN owns the market.
Tight End
Top APY: Trey McBride (ARI) — $19.3M per year. Top Guaranteed: McBride again — $37.5M guaranteed. Kyle Pitts Sr. ($18M APY) and George Kittle ($18M APY) are right there, proving tight ends are finally getting paid like pass-catchers, not just extra blockers.
Offensive Tackle
Top APY: Laremy Tunsil (WSH) — $30.1M per year. The Commanders wrote him a bag to keep the QB clean. Top Guaranteed: Rashawn Slater (LAC) — $92M guaranteed. Penei Sewell ($30M APY), Tristan Wirfs ($28.6M APY) — it's a great time to be a big man who can protect the blind side.
Guard
Top APY: Peter Skoronski (TEN) — $25M per year. Top Guaranteed: Skoronski again — $88M guaranteed. The Titans made him the highest-paid guard and it's not particularly close. Trey Smith (KC) is at $23.5M APY, but Skoronski is the new king of the interior line.
Center
Top APY: Tyler Linderbaum (LV) — $27M per year. Top Guaranteed: Linderbaum again — $81M fully guaranteed. The Raiders handed him a bag that says 'run the show from the middle.' Creed Humphrey (KC) sits at $18M APY, but Linderbaum's deal resets the entire center market.
Cornerback
Top APY: Denzel Ward (CLE) — $31.1M per year. The Browns keep paying their lockdown corners. Top Guaranteed: Trent McDuffie (LAR) — $100M guaranteed. Sauce Gardner (IND) is at $30.1M APY and $85.4M guaranteed. Shutdown corners are getting franchise-quarterback money now — and honestly? They deserve it.
Safety
Top APY: Kyle Hamilton (BAL) — $26.4M per year. Top Guaranteed: Hamilton again — $82M guaranteed. The Ravens locked up their ball-hawking safety long-term. Derwin James Jr. (LAC) is at $25.2M APY, but Hamilton is the new standard at the position.
EDGE
Top APY: Will Anderson Jr. (HOU) — $50M per year. That's $50 FREAKING MILLION a year for a pass rusher. Top Guaranteed: Aidan Hutchinson (DET) — $141M guaranteed. Micah Parsons (GB) is right there at $48.3M APY and $136M guaranteed. Quarterbacks aren't the only ones eating in this league — the dudes who hunt them are too.
Defensive Tackle
Top APY: Jalen Carter (PHI) — $38M per year. Top Guaranteed: Carter again — $106M guaranteed. The Eagles made him the highest-paid interior lineman ever. Quinnen Williams (DAL) and Jeffery Simmons (TEN) are tied at $35.3M APY, but Carter is the man wrecking both your rushing attack and your salary cap.
Off-Ball Linebacker
Top APY: Nik Bonitto (DEN) — $26.5M per year. The Broncos made him the highest-paid non-QB in franchise history. Top Guaranteed: Bonitto again — $70M guaranteed. Fred Warner (SF) is still getting paid ($21M APY), but Bonitto has taken over the top spot.
Kicker
Top APY: Chris Boswell (PIT) — $7.4M per year. Top Guaranteed: Brandon Aubrey (DAL) — $20M guaranteed. Yes, kickers are finally getting guaranteed money that isn't tied to a performance bonus. The position is no longer a joke — it's a business.
Long-Snapper
Top APY: Reid Ferguson (BUF) — $1.7M per year. Top Guaranteed: Joe Cardona (LAR) — $3.4M guaranteed. Yes, long-snappers get paid too. It takes a special kind of crazy to snap a perfect spiral while 300-pound dudes are trying to kill you. They deserve every cent.
Punter
Top APY: Michael Dickson (SEA) — $4.25M per year. Top Guaranteed: AJ Cole (LV) — $11M guaranteed. Punters might be the most underrated athletes in the game — flipping field position with a booming leg. And now they're getting paid like it.
The bottom line? The NFL is absolutely drowning in cash, and the players are grabbing their share. Whether you're a superstar QB or the guy apple-picking the snap, if you're the best at your job, the money will follow. That's the game within the game, and everyone's winning.