Mahomes tops NFL earnings list as top 10 near $598 million

The brief

Context

Forbes published its annual ranking of the highest-paid NFL players on September 13, projecting that the league's top 10 earners will collect about $598 million in 2026 before taxes and agent fees. For only the second time ever — the first was in 2022 — all ten players on the list are quarterbacks, the position that commands the largest contracts and endorsement portfolios in American football. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tops the list for a second straight year on the back of a Chiefs contract the source values at $508 million (later described as $504 million with two added seasons) including $397 million guaranteed. The surge is linked to an 8% rise in the NFL salary cap to $301 million, which triggered contract records across positions.

Key facts

• The NFL's 10 highest-paid players are projected to earn an estimated $598 million in 2026 before taxes and agent fees, per Forbes' ranking published September 13.
• Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) tops the list for a second straight year with $86 million — $56 million on-field and an estimated $30 million off-field.
• Mahomes' Chiefs contract is described as worth $508 million with $397 million guaranteed; the Chiefs added two seasons in June 2026, keeping him locked through 2033 with $239 million in new money.
• Mahomes' 2026 cash comprises a $1 million base salary, $54 million restructured bonus and $1 million workout bonus, with a $34 million cap hit and $217 million dead cap, per Spotrac.
• Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) is second with $73 million ($55 million on-field, $18 million off-field); his 6-year, $330 million deal signed in March 2025 includes $147 million fully guaranteed and a $56 million signing bonus.
• Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) is third with $60 million ($55 million on-field, $5 million off-field), on a 4-year, $212 million extension signed in 2024 with $113 million fully guaranteed.
• The 2026 total of $598 million is up 5% from 2025's $571 million but below the 2024 record of $693 million.
• An 8% increase in the salary cap to $301 million drove record deals; average annual value records were set at 13 other positions, including running back, wide receiver, edge rusher, kicker, punter and long snapper.

Timeline

1. August 2021Spotrac's transactions section records Josh Allen signing a 6-year, $258 million contract with the Bills.
2. 2021 (three years before his extension)Detroit Lions acquire Jared Goff from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade that sends Matthew Stafford to the Rams.
3. 2022First time Forbes' NFL top-10 earners list consisted entirely of quarterbacks.
4. 2024Goff signs a 4-year, $212 million extension with Detroit; NFL top-10 earnings hit a record $693 million.
5. March 2025Allen signs a 6-year, $330 million Bills contract replacing his 4-year, $129 million deal.
6. 2025Top-10 NFL earnings total an estimated $571 million; Mahomes tops the list for the first of two straight years.
7. June 2026Chiefs add two seasons to Mahomes' deal, constructing a contract worth $504 million through 2033.
8. September 1, 2026Josh Allen launches Out of Pocket Studios, serving as CEO and executive producer.
9. September 13Forbes publishes the 2026 highest-paid NFL players ranking; all top 10 are quarterbacks.

Who has a stake

• Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) — Retains the No. 1 earnings spot with $86 million, driven by $30 million in endorsements from Adidas, Hublot and State Farm, despite a restructured on-field cash figure.
• Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) — Second at $73 million, $14 million behind Mahomes; expanding off-field income via Delta Air Lines, New Era, Pizza Hut, New Balance and his new studio venture.
• NFL franchises (Chiefs, Bills, Lions, Eagles, Falcons, Packers, Ravens, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Colts) — Must absorb record quarterback guarantees and dead-cap exposure within the $301 million salary cap while paying record deals at other positions.
• Non-quarterback players — Absent from the top 10, but average annual value records were set at 13 other positions in 2026, indicating cap growth is lifting pay league-wide.
• Sponsors and brands — Endorsement portfolios ranging from Ford and Little Caesars (Goff) to Bud Light and Nike (Mayfield) determine how far off-field income lifts a player's ranking.
• Forbes and Spotrac — Provide the projections and contract data that frame public understanding of NFL pay; the source notes conflicting Spotrac entries on Allen's contract history.

Why it matters

The list shows how a modern sports labour market concentrates money around one decisive position — quarterbacks took every slot in the NFL's top 10 for only the second time. It also demonstrates how a rising revenue cap (up 8% to $301 million) cascades into record pay across 13 other positions, a dynamic increasingly relevant to franchise-league pay debates in India and elsewhere.