Mahomes tops NFL's highest-paid at every position
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- Patrick Mahomes restructured his contract this offseason to add two years, becoming the first NFL player to sign a deal worth more than $500M at $63M AAV, surpassing Dak Prescott's previous $60M mark at quarterback.
- Saquon Barkley earned a 2-year, $41.2M extension ($20.6M AAV) after a historic 2024 campaign that included a single-season rushing record of 2,504 yards (including playoffs), Offensive Player of the Year honors, and a Super Bowl ring.
- Will Anderson Jr. became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a 3-year, $150M extension ($50M AAV), finishing second in 2025 Defensive Player of the Year voting after totaling 85 pressures and 13 run stuffs.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a 4-year, $168.8M extension ($42.15M AAV) after winning 2025 Offensive Player of the Year with 119 receptions and a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards.
- Brandon Aubrey inked the largest kicker contract in NFL history — 4 years, $28M ($7M AAV) — three years after going undrafted, capping three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons and holding the league record with six career 60+ yard field goals.
- Jalen Carter's 4-year, $152M extension ($38M AAV) includes $106M guaranteed and doesn't kick in until after the 2027 season, taking the highest-paid interior defensive lineman mantle from Jeffery Simmons.
- The NFL salary cap has more than doubled over the past decade-plus and now exceeds $300M per team heading into 2026, fueling marquee extensions across virtually every position on the roster.
Why it matters: The $300M+ salary cap is reshaping pay at every level: Mahomes ($63M AAV) and Will Anderson Jr. ($50M, highest-paid non-QB ever) anchor the top, while specialists like Brandon Aubrey now command $7M AAV — the most ever for a kicker — showing record contracts have spread well beyond premium positions.
