The NFL season is an open-ended question right now due to the ongoing pandemic that is the coronavirus. But! We're hopeful that if we all stay home and keep washing our hands thoroughly, the NFL (and NBA, and MLB, and NHL) season will proceed as planned. With Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs gearing up to defend their Super Bowl title, teams have been dotting their I's and crossing their T's on all the new contract deals for their players and especially their quarterbacks. After all, you can't have a football team without a quarterback! The 34 quarterbacks in the NFL make at least $5 million in average salary. Twenty of those quarterbacks make at least $10 million each season. Nineteen quarterbacks make at least $20 million. Ten of them make at least $25 million a season. Six make at least $30 million on average every season.
One, the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson, is not just the highest-paid quarterback, he's also the highest-paid NFL player at $35 million per season. Wilson and the Seahawks recently signed a four-year, $140 million contract with a $65 million signing bonus. Coming in just behind Wilson is Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger with an average annual salary of $34 million. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and the Rams' Jared Goff are tied for third with $33.5 million in average annual salary.
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#10. Matthew Stafford – $27 million
Team: Detroit Lions
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Stafford's 11th season with Detroit.
#9. Jimmy Garoppolo – $27.5 million
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Garoppolo's 3rd season with the 49ers. Prior to that, he spent three seasons and a bit with the New England Patriots. He started the 2017-2018 season a Patriot and was traded to San Francisco on October 31, 2017.
#8. Jacoby Brissett – $27.98 million
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Brissett's 3rd season with the Colts. Prior to that, he spent part of one season with the Pats after being drafted by them in 2016 when Tom Brady was serving his suspension for deflate-gate.
#7. Â Kirk Cousins – $28 million
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Years with Team: 2019-2020 season was his 3rd with the Vikings. Prior to landing in Minnesota, Cousins spent six seasons with the Washington Redskins.
#6. Matt Ryan – $30 million
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Years with Team: 2019-2020 season was his 12th season in Atlanta and the NFL
#5. Carson Wentz – $32 million
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Years with Team: 2019-2020 season was his 4th with Philadelphia.
#3. (tie) Jared Goff – $33.5 million
Team: Los Angeles Rams
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Goff's 4th season with the Rams.
#3. (tie) Aaron Rodgers – $33.5 million
Team: Green Bay Packers
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Rodgers' 15th season with Green Bay. Over the past 28 seasons, Green Bay has had just two starting quarterbacks, Rodgers and Brett Favre.
#2. Ben Roethlisberger – $34 million
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Roethlisberger's 16th season with the Steelers.
#1. Russell Wilson – $35 million
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Years with Team: 2019-2020 was Wilson's 8th season with the Seahawks.
