5 highest-paid quarterbacks of 2021 NFL season
"Money Talks" in the NFL (as rock band AC/DC told us back in 1990).
It's unlikely that the band was singing about NFL quarterbacks when they penned the single that launched a million "Angus Bucks", but the value and importance of having a well-off quarterback is more apparent than ever.
NFL quarterbacks account for the first seven of the top best-paid offensive players during the 2021 NFL season...and that's before Patrick Mahomes' gigantic $450 million contract extension kicks in.
SK takes a look at who's getting the most passing money in 2021 below...
(All NFL salary cap figures via Over The Cap)
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Which NFL quarterback is making the most this season?
#5 - Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco ($26.4 million)
San Francisco's quarterback conundrum, co-starring Garoppolo and rookie quarterback Trey Lance, is made all the more curious by the huge number attached to the former. Injuries have cost Garoppolo 11 games over the past two seasons (ten alone last year) but Garoppolo has managed to hold off the first-round rookie for the time being.
He had a season-best performance Sunday against Chicago, totaling 322 aerial yards and two rushing scores in a 33-22 victory on the road.
#4 - Matt Ryan, Atlanta (26.9 million)
Even at 36, Ryan continues to serve as a strong contributor for the Falcons. His most recent efforts have helped his young team (missing several key contributors, particularly receiver Calvin Ridley) inch their way back into the NFL postseason discussion.
Ryan is under contract for two more seasons. He is also due to take over the throne of the NFL's highest paid thrower next season, as he's listed as a jaw-dropping $48 million cap hit for 2022.
#3 - Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay ($27.5 million)
Alas for Packers fans, Rodgers has made unwanted NFL headlines due to his vaccination status...or apparent lack thereof.
The shame...or at least one of many shames...of the matter is that Rodgers, back in Green Bay on a one-year deal in a potential "Last Dance"-style scenario, might've been well on his way to defending his MVP Award, as he had guided the Packers to seven straight wins after a tough opening day loss.
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#2 - Kirk Cousins, Minnesota ($31 million)
Cousins has 31 million reasons to "like that", and maybe even more: thanks to a two-year extension granted in March 2020, he's due to earn over $56 million in guaranteed salary.
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#1 - Russell Wilson, Seattle ($32 million)
Wilson is the NFL's highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $32 million and that number will only skyrocket further: he's a $37 million cap representative in 2022 and that summits at $40 million the year after.
His massive payday stems from a four-year contract extension inked in April 2019. Seattle has lost major ground in the NFC West race with Wilson out, but he may be on pace to return sooner rather than later.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags