40 NFL Stars With The Largest Guaranteed Salaries

Darren - July 9, 2020

40 NFL Stars With The Largest Guaranteed Salaries

Darren - July 9, 2020

9. Byron Jones

The Miami Dolphins cornerback will have a very lucrative year. They signed the star defensive back to a five-year, $82.5 million pact with $54.4 million guaranteed. Furthermore, he will earn a cool $26 million this year alone. That puts him as one of 2020’s highest earners.

Jones is a highly effective cornerback who is also a capable safety. It’s even possible that he could play in the latter position this year. In 2019 quarterbacks only threw at Jones 62 times, or 3.8 times per game. Meanwhile, they just completed 29, resulting in a feeble three touchdowns.

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8. Frank Clark

Clark is a true outlier on this list because he doesn’t play one of the most fashionable positions. However, the defensive end played a massive role in Kansas City’s Super Bowl success. First of all, he had the second-most tackles by any player in the playoffs.

Then he became one of only six players ever to have five sacks in the postseason. In short, that’s why the Chiefs rewarded him. Clark will take home a staggering $27 million in 2020. But Chiefs fans will definitely think those numbers are good value after their first Lombardi Trophy in 50 years.

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7. Dak Prescott

One man who will benefit from Mahomes’s new mega-deal is Prescott. The Dallas Cowboys guarantee him almost $29 million on the franchise tag this year, but contract negotiations rumble on. Now that Mahomes has changed the game, Prescott may push for even more money than before. Prescott will certainly be seeking one of the biggest salaries in the NFL.

Only time will tell what effect the Kansas City star’s new contract will have on the sport, but you can guarantee every elite QB in the NFL will point to it. Prescott is definitely a very good player, however, he isn’t at Mahomes’s level just yet. This will be interesting.

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6. Jared Goff

The Los Angeles Rams quarterback scored a massive extension last offseason. It’s worth a total of $134 million. Furthermore, it includes a $21 million roster bonus in 2020. If you add that to the guaranteed $31 million that he will bring home, you can see this is a lucrative deal.

At the age of just 25, there is still room for Goff to improve. Furthermore, he says that his close work with head coach Sean McVey has helped him to improve as a player. In sum, the hope is that they will emerge as the next Belichick-Brady duo, but they have a lot to prove before that.

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5. Ryan Tannehill

Some people think that the Tennessee Titans are taking a big risk with Tannehill. He is undoubtedly a very good quarterback, but the question begs, is he an elite player? They did reward him for a brilliant season, where the NFL awarded him Comeback Player of the Year. Still many aren’t sure he deserves one of the top salaries in the NFL in terms of quarterbacks.

In short, they offered him a very lucrative deal which will see him make a tidy $37.5 million in 2020. This comes after he signed a four-year, $118 million extension in March. However, some critics think they should have waited a year to see if he can do it again and prioritized Derrick Henry instead.

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4. Carson Wentz

After Mahomes’s new deal, Wentz’s contract suddenly looks like a bargain. He has entered the second season of a four-year, $128 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. It will guarantee him just shy of $40 million this year, a ton of money.

His lucrative deal is one of the biggest in the league but maybe he’ll wish he waited before signing. After Mahomes’s record contract, the NFL will never be the same again. In sum, this was a watershed moment for football’s elite players and the amount of money they can command.

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3. Kirk Cousins

The Minnesota Vikings guarantee Cousins one of the highest salaries of 2020. This will probably come as a surprise to NFL fans, but he is incredibly well-paid in the short-term. He signed a two-year, $66 million extension with Minnesota in the offseason.

Some feel the salaries Cousins has demanded are a bit overstated. He’ll take home about $40 million this year. This just goes to show how highly the Vikings think of him, with many fans ranking above Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at the moment. If he can have the same influence as his Packers’ compatriot on the Vikings, it will be money well spent.

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2. Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs QB is a generational talent. In short, that’s why the Chiefs rewarded him with the biggest contract in the history of the NFL. In sum, Mahomes signed a 10-year deal worth up to $503 million, with $477 million in guarantees. Meanwhile, Mahomes also has an exit option.

However, if you look at the figures, Mahomes will not be the highest-earner in 2020, at least not where guaranteed take-home pay is concerned. While he will definitely make about $48 million without bonuses, it’s not enough for him to top this list.

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1. Russell Wilson

Wilson remains the highest-paid player in the NFL on an annual basis. Mahomes obviously has a much bigger overall contract, but Wilson will take home more money in the short-term. His contract guarantees him a massive $53 million this year.

The Seattle Seahawks QB signed a four-year extension in 2019 worth $140 million with $107 million guaranteed. This will make him one of the most motivated players in the league as he hopes to lead Seattle to another Super Bowl. What a staggering amount of money that is.

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