Jared Goff just became as rich as Croesus, thanks to his bumper contract extension with the Detroit Lions. The superstar QB’s new deal with the Lions will see him earn a mammoth $170 million guaranteed in a four-year, $212 million contract. Needless to say, Goff has thoroughly deserved this deal after his stellar performances almost led Detroit to the Super Bowl.
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As it turns out, Goff’s new deal makes him the second highest-paid NFL QB in the league. The deal sees him leapfrog above Mahomes’ contract which has surprised the NFL world. Here is a look at the top 5 paid NFL QBs in 2024 –
5. Lamar Jackson
Last year saw Lamar Jackson enter into the $200 million league with his five-year, $260 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. The deal guarantees him $185 million taking his annual salary to a massive $52 million. Despite having a not-so-impressive playoff record, the Ravens QB time and time again has proved that there is hardly anyone more consistent than him in the regular season. His 24 TDs and 3,678 yards against 7 Interceptions last year is a testament to this fact.
4. Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert is the fourth highest-paid QB in the league today seeking out Lamar’s annual salary by just half a million at $52.5 million. Having signed his extension last year with the Chargers, his entire contract sees him earn $262.5 million for 5 years. Herbert has age on his side which makes him a long-term blue-chip prospect for the LA-based side. While he wasn’t at his best last season, his breakthrough season of 2021, where he scored 38 TDs on top of his age, makes him a QB worth holding on to.
3. Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is the only QB on the list who has signed a long-term contract of 10 years. His massive deal gives the supremely talented QB monetary benefits up to $450 million, thus making it the largest contract in the league. But with his peers earning north of $50 million a year, Mahomes’ $45 million annual salary was restructured last year. The restructure now sees him earn a whopping $52.65 annually till 2026.
2. Jared Goff
Apart from his stellar pedigree in the playoffs, Goff notched up 34 TDs last season while covering a whopping 5412 yards. Perhaps, the most important reason why Jared got this bumper contract was because of him recording 0 Interceptions in the postseason matches. It won’t be wrong to say that he has well and truly earned his $53 million annual deal.
1. Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow is currently the highest-earning QB in the league on an annual basis. Burrow’s contract with the Bengals sees him earn a mindboggling $55 million a year. After Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, Burrow has the best career pass rating of 98.7. Moreover, his role with the Bengals has been key in their playoff success. Just like Goff, Burrow is a clutch player when it matters. As a QB, he has a positive record of 5-2 in the playoffs, only second to Patrick Mahomes.
As seen in the list, a key factor in deciding the contract money relies upon the player’s ability to perform on the big occasions. The top three highest-paid QB in the league today are some of the finest clutch players we have seen in recent history. The ability to deliver under pressure on top of stellar consistency is the recipe for a $50 million deal for a QB. Luckily for them, their positions’ scarcity will always help them rake in the moolah.
