The NFL has 24 standard positions divided across offense, defense, and special teams. Among them, the quarterback (QB) and cornerback (CB) are widely considered the most difficult positions to play, and rightly so. For starters, both are extremely demanding roles.
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Playing QB is mentally exhausting, as it requires memorising entire playbooks, reading complex defensive coverages pre-snap, and making split-second decisions before 300-pound pass rushers split you in half. The CB, meanwhile, is an athletically demanding job. It requires players to run backward while mirroring the world’s most agile athletes, like wide receivers.
Secondly, both positions are decisive in nature. A stellar pass resulting in a touchdown gives the QB’s team a six-point lead, while one mistake in coverage by a CB can result in a six-point deficit. That is why, when this season’s Pro Bowlers were asked to name the most difficult NFL position, many picked either quarterback or cornerback.
Players like Brian Burns, Jahmyr Gibbs, Cooper DeJean, Quinnen Williams, Nico Collins, and Kyle Juszczyk all gave love to both positions, but mostly leaned toward CB as the toughest.
Meanwhile, San Fran’s RB Christian McCaffrey picked “CB and RB.” He added, “Cornerback is a tough position. Those guys have a tough job.” Colts star Jonathan Taylor had a similar take as CMC as well: “I am not gonna lie, of course I would say RB but I’ma show some love to the DB’s. They doing everything in reverse. that’s crazy.”
Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II, who is widely considered the best in his position, played it humble and argued that playing QB is a tougher job. “I would be biased and say corner, but I’ma give my respect where it’s due and say quarterback. But corner is an easy second though,” he explained.
Then, there were the likes of Puka Nacua and Calen Bullock, who argued that the left tackle and safety position, respectively is the toughest. While the Rams WR didn’t explain his choice, Bullock did. “We got all the responsibilities. We gotta communicate to them (CB’s). We gotta give them the calls. They just listen,” argued the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Courtland Sutton also had a bold take by picking the long snapper position, but he quickly clarified that his “real answer” is cornerback.
The Pro Bowlers weigh in pic.twitter.com/MXLGsFjktu
— New York Giants (@Giants) February 2, 2026
Based on what the Pro Bowlers had to say, it is clear that most of them have immense respect for players playing as cornerbacks. But it is also ironic at the same time because CB’s barely get paid as much as the quarterbacks.
The average salary for a QB in the NFL today is approximately $4.86 million, while the average for a Cornerback CB is roughly $2.00 million. This pay difference is further accentuated when one recognises how Sauce Gardner, with an AAV of $30.1 million, is the highest-paid CB in the league, which is exactly half of what Dak Prescott’s AAV of $60 million.
It is unclear how there is such a big disparity despite the acknowledgement among league stakeholders about the value of the CB position. However, with the salary cap for the 2026 season expected to cross the $300 million mark, let’s hope that more favorable numbers for cornerbacks emerge.
