Lamar Jackson Replaced by Kevin Durant in Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes List Amid Contract Extension Rumors

The ever-increasing contract values — when new and lucrative deals are handed out — often result in many athletes getting left behind in terms of pay, even if it could be temporary. In the wake of Brock Purdy’s five-year, $265-million contract extension, it appears as if Lamar Jackson is now the one who is due for a pay increase. 

The dual-threat sensation of the Baltimore Ravens is quickly ceding ground on the Forbes list. Thanks to his $72.5-million signing bonus, Jackson managed to claim the 10th overall spot on 2024’s list. Now that we know Jackson went on to produce an almost-MVP-winning season, the money was well spent for Baltimore.

However, the deal doesn’t seem to have aged well. Thanks to his trade speculations with the Phoenix Suns, NBA icon Kevin Durant has now seemingly usurped Jackson in Forbes’ Top-10 Highest-Paid Athletes rankings. 

Where Jackson’s $100.5-million income for the year was enough to claim top-10 honors in 2024, it’s now good for just the 12th overall spot now. 

Durant’s yearly figure of $101.4 million takes the 10th overall spot for 2025, with Oleksandr Usyk’s $101 million trailing right behind him. More surprisingly, however, is the fact that there’s another NFL quarterback who ranks inside the top five for this year’s list. 

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have ensured that Dak Prescott will be one of the most handsomely paid men in all of sports this year. After signing a four-year, $240-million extension with America’s team in 2024, the 9-year veteran is set to earn $137 million this year. 

Prescott’s contract and bonuses grant him enough to out-earn the likes of LeBron James and Lionel Messi. The pair of names highlights just how massive Prescott’s deal truly is. Of course, Jackson figures to make a return towards the top of the rankings in 2026. 

The Ravens’ star threw for 4,172 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024, leading the league in both touchdown percentage and yards gained per pass attempt. In fact, many still believe that he was the rightful MVP winner over Josh Allen, who only managed to throw for 3,731 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns. 

Many are expecting a deal to be finalized by late summer of 2025. But should Jackson, for some reason, find himself walking into Week 1 without an extension, then the Ravens will likely be getting one of the best discounts in recent memory. 

The franchise doesn’t have a reputation for being greedy like their Cincinnati counterparts. So that’s likely not to happen. In the meantime, Jackson will officially go down as a low-end earner for the calendar year of 2025.