Tracking the biggest NFL contracts year-over-year reveals not only how player salaries have soared, but also how revenue growth and inflation have driven these landmark deals.
Below is the largest total-value contract signed in each NFL season from 2015 through 2025-26:
2015 – Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Rodgers signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Packers, carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $22 million.
The deal included $54 million in guaranteed money, which was a major benchmark for quarterback contracts at the time.
Notable takeaway
This deal helped normalize large guarantees for elite quarterbacks and set the foundation for future cap growth at the position.
2016 – Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks)
Wilson landed a four-year, $140 million extension with Seattle, averaging $28 million per year.
It became the most expensive quarterback contract in NFL history at the time of signing.
Notable takeaway
Wilson’s deal marked the first major leap from the low-$20 million range into the high-$20s to ~$30 million AAV tier for franchise quarterbacks.
2017 – Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million deal worth $22 million annually.
Notably, it was fully guaranteed, with the first $22 million guaranteed outright, a rare structure for NFL quarterbacks.
Notable takeaway
Cousins shifted the conversation from total value to guarantee structure, forcing teams to rethink quarterback leverage.
2018 – Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
Mahomes reset the market with a historic 10-year, $503 million contract, averaging roughly $45 million per year.
The deal became the largest contract in North American sports history at the time.
Notable takeaway
This contract was the first NFL deal that introduced long-term, flexible mega-deals that allowed teams to manage cap hits across years, while still paying generational talent.
It also allowed for Mahomes to receive a portion of the teams revenue, similar to a yearly bonus.
2019 – Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million contract with an AAV of $33 million.
The deal was fully guaranteed, giving him maximum financial security.
Notable takeaway
Dak’s deal reinforced player leverage through patience and showed teams would pay fully guaranteed money to avoid losing a franchise QB.
2020 – Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans)
Watson agreed to a four-year, $160 million extension averaging $40 million per year, with $110 million guaranteed, one of the highest guarantee figures at the time.
Notable takeaway
The contract pushed guaranteed money higher across the league and raised expectations for elite quarterback extensions.
Watson was later traded to Cleveland and again signed a massive deal, becoming the first player in NFL history to sign a fully guaranteed deal.
This deal with the Browns is now widely considered one of the worst Free Agency Busts in history.
2021 – Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Rodgers returned to the top of the market with a three-year, $150 million deal, carrying a $50 million AAV, the highest average salary in NFL history when signed.
Notable takeaway
Short-term, high-AAV contracts became a new way for veterans to maximize earnings late in their careers.
2022 – Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
Allen signed a six-year, $258 million extension worth $51.5 million annually.
The deal included approximately $150 million in guaranteed money.
Notable takeaway
Teams began locking in young quarterbacks earlier, accepting massive guarantees to secure long-term stability.
2023 – Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
Herbert inked a five-year, $262 million contract with a $55 million AAV.
The contract was fully guaranteed, reflecting the league’s growing confidence in elite young quarterbacks.
Notable takeaway
Fully guaranteed quarterback deals moved closer to the norm rather than the exception for top-tier talent.
2024 – Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million extension averaging $57 million per year, setting a new NFL record for AAV for a quarterback on his second contract.
Notable takeaway
The quarterback market officially entered the mid-to-high $50M AAV era.
2025 – Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
Mahomes extended his deal again, pushing the total contract value to $510 million over 12 years, with an average of roughly $52 million annually.
Notable takeaway
Mahomes’ extensions prioritize long-term security and flexibility rather than chasing the highest annual figure.
2025–26 – Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
Burrow followed up with a new extension valued at $290 million, carrying a $58 million AAV and including escalators that could push the total value even higher.
Notable takeaway
Escalators and performance-based raises are becoming standard tools to push quarterback contracts even higher without immediate cap shock.
Burrow is on this list back-to-back because this second deals with the Bengals was different than the typical extension.
It was realistically an entirely new deal with Cincinnati, that rolled the money they still owed the star QB over into the new deal.
Meaning, he is being paid twice, even if the numbers are being reported as him only being paid for the extension.
📈Growth & Inflation Insights
- Since 2015, the largest NFL contracts have nearly tripled in total value, from Rodgers’ $110 million deal to Mahomes’ half-billion-dollar megadeal.
- The shift toward fully guaranteed contracts and longer terms (10+ years) reflects player leverage and NFL revenue growth.
- Rookie quarterback deals like Burrow’s and Herbert’s have surged, showing how the rookie wage scale has expanded with inflation and salary cap increases.
- Average Annual Values (AAV) have also steadily increased, pushing top-tier quarterbacks into the $50 million+ per year range.
Bottom Line
The last decade has seen explosive growth in NFL player contracts, driven by media rights booms, salary cap inflation, and evolving player contract structures.
This upward trend will be crucial context for our upcoming player valuations and report on contract inflation and long-term salary forecasting. Stay Tuned!
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Credits
Written by: Aidan Anderson
Research and Analysis: Apostle Sports Media LLC
Sources: Forbes, ESPN, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Sports Business Journal, NFL.com, Front Office Sports, APSM Proprietary Analysis.
Featured Image: Public Domain / Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article contains general financial information for educational purposes and does not constitute as professional advice.
