The NFL's salary landscape shifts constantly as new deals get signed, and this past week alone reset an entire position's market. Here's a complete, up-to-date breakdown of who's currently the highest-paid player at every position, based on both average annual value (APY) and total guaranteed money.

Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes sits atop the quarterback market with a $64 million average annual value on the extension he signed in June 2026, a deal that runs through the 2033 season. Dak Prescott ($61.6 million) and Joe Burrow ($61.3 million) round out the top three by APY, with Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff and Josh Allen all north of $55 million a year as well. By total guaranteed money, Allen actually leads the position at $250 million, followed by Deshaun Watson at $230 million and Prescott at $229 million, a reminder that average salary and total security don't always point to the same player.

Running Back

The running back market completely reset this week. Jahmyr Gibbs now leads the position after signing a three-year extension with the Detroit Lions worth $67.5 million, reaching up to $75.75 million with incentives and $51.5 million guaranteed, an average of $22.5 million per year. Gibbs' deal came just hours after Bijan Robinson signed a three-year, $66.75 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons (up to $75 million, $51 million guaranteed, $22.25 million APY), which itself came two days after Jonathan Taylor's two-year, $44 million extension with the Indianapolis Colts (up to $47 million, $39 million guaranteed, $22 million APY). All three deals topped Saquon Barkley's previous position-high $20.6 million APY and $36 million guaranteed, signed with the Eagles in March 2025, which now ranks fourth by APY among this year's crop of extensions.

Wide Receiver

Jaxon Smith-Njigba tops the wide receiver market after signing a record-setting extension with the Seahawks in March 2026, earning $42.15 million a year and $120 million fully guaranteed. Ja'Marr Chase ($40.25 million APY, $112 million guaranteed) and Drake London ($35.26 million APY) follow behind him. Zay Flowers signed a four-year, $140 million extension with the Ravens this week worth $108 million guaranteed, tying Justin Jefferson for fourth at $35 million APY, and moving ahead of CeeDee Lamb, DK Metcalf, Garrett Wilson and A.J. Brown.

Tight End

George Kittle leads all tight ends with a $19.1 million average salary after his extension with the 49ers in April 2025, narrowly ahead of Arizona's Trey McBride at $19 million per year with $43 million guaranteed. Atlanta's Kyle Pitts Sr. ranks third at $18 million a year with $36 million guaranteed on his extension this June, giving the tight end position a genuinely competitive top tier rather than one player running away with the market.

Offensive Line

Laremy Tunsil leads all offensive tackles by average salary at $30.1 million a year after re-signing with the Commanders in March 2026, though Rashawn Slater actually holds the top spot in total guaranteed money at $92 million. At guard, Trey Smith leads both categories, earning $23.5 million a year and $70 million guaranteed on his deal with the Chiefs. At center, Tyler Linderbaum tops the position at $27 million a year and $60 million guaranteed following his move to the Raiders in March 2026.

Cornerback and Safety

Trent McDuffie leads all cornerbacks in both categories, earning $31 million a year and $100 million guaranteed after his trade-and-extension with the Rams in March 2026. Sauce Gardner ($30.1 million APY, $85.4 million guaranteed) and Derek Stingley Jr. ($30 million APY) round out the top three; Gardner signed his deal with the Jets in July 2025 before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts that November. At safety, Kyle Hamilton leads the position outright, earning $25.1 million a year and $82 million guaranteed on the deal he signed with the Ravens in August 2025, ahead of Derwin James Jr. and Antoine Winfield Jr.

Edge Rusher and Defensive Tackle

Will Anderson Jr. tops the edge rusher market by average salary at $50 million a year following his extension with the Texans in April 2026, narrowly ahead of Micah Parsons at $48.3 million. By total guaranteed money, though, Aidan Hutchinson actually leads the position at $141 million. At defensive tackle, Jalen Carter reset the market just weeks ago, signing a four-year, $152 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles worth up to $160 million, with $106 million guaranteed and a $38 million average salary, the richest deal for a defensive tackle in NFL history in both categories. The deal vaulted Carter past Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons, who had briefly held the position record at $35.3 million per year after his own extension in June, and past Kansas City's Chris Jones, who previously led in guaranteed money at $101 million. After signing, Carter said the new money wouldn't change his approach: "It's a new contract and it's time to get more championships for the city of Philly."

Off-Ball Linebacker

Fred Warner leads all off-ball linebackers in both categories, earning $21 million a year and more than $56 million guaranteed on the extension he signed with the 49ers in May 2025, topping Baltimore's Roquan Smith, who had briefly held the position's previous high at $20 million per year.

Specialists

Even at the game's most specialized positions, the numbers keep climbing. Chris Boswell and Brandon Aubrey are tied as the highest-paid kickers in NFL history, both earning $7 million a year on matching four-year, $28 million extensions signed with the Steelers and Cowboys, respectively, within weeks of each other this offseason. Aubrey holds the guaranteed-money edge at $20 million to Boswell's $14.7 million. At long snapper, the Rams made Joe Cardona the highest-paid at his position this March on a two-year, fully guaranteed $3.45 million deal, tying Minnesota's Andrew DePaola for the top average salary at $1.725 million a year while leading the position outright in total guaranteed money. At punter, Michael Dickson leads by average salary at just over $4 million a year on his latest Seahawks extension, with AJ Cole holding the top spot in guaranteed money at $11 million.

What This Tells Us

Beyond just satisfying curiosity, these numbers show a lot about how NFL front offices are valuing different skill sets right now. Quarterback remains in a financial tier of its own, with the top of the market now permanently above $60 million a year. Running back pay, long considered a devalued position, just reset three separate times within a single week, a clear shift after years of teams treating the position as replaceable. Skill position players like receivers and tackles who protect the quarterback continue climbing steadily as well, and the defensive tackle market has now topped $38 million a year for the first time. Meanwhile, positions like linebacker and the specialist spots, while still seeing real growth, remain far more modest by comparison.

These figures shift constantly as new deals get signed throughout the year, particularly during free agency and the months leading into training camp, but they offer a clear snapshot of exactly where the NFL's financial landscape stands right now.

APY vs. Guaranteed Money: Why Both Numbers Matter

It's worth understanding why these rankings track two separate categories instead of just one. Average annual value, or APY, is the simplest way to compare contracts across different deal lengths, since it just divides total contract value by the number of years. But APY can be misleading on its own, since a team can structure a contract with a high average salary while still protecting itself with relatively little guaranteed money in the deal's later years.

Total guaranteed money tells a different story: it's the amount a player is contractually owed no matter what happens, whether he gets injured, cut, or simply doesn't perform to expectations. That's why some players, like Josh Allen at quarterback or Aidan Hutchinson among edge rushers, lead their position in guaranteed money without necessarily leading in APY. A player prioritizing long-term financial security might accept a slightly lower average salary in exchange for a much higher percentage of that money being fully guaranteed upfront.

How Quickly These Numbers Change

The NFL's salary landscape moves fast. Several of the deals topping these rankings were signed within just the past few months, and it's common for a position's top salary to change multiple times within a single offseason as teams compete to lock up their own stars before the market resets even higher. The running back position is the clearest proof of this in 2026: Barkley's record stood for over a year before Taylor, Robinson and Gibbs each broke it in the span of a single week. A player who leads his position in average salary today can easily be surpassed within a year, sometimes even within the same offseason, as the next star signs an even larger extension.