There's seems to be no shortage of money to go around in the NFL. Every offseason, new record-breaking contracts are given out, and 2024 was no different. Here are the highest paid NFL players by position in 2024:
Running Back: Alvin Kamara
Contract: 2 years, $24.5 million
In recent years, NFL ownership across the league has been notoriously stingy when it comes to paying running backs. When the Saints' Veteran back was handed a 2-year, $24 million contract during the 2023 offseason, there was plenty of skepticism regarding whether any running back should be paid that much, let alone a declining running back like Kamara.
However, the "Unimportant Position", has experienced quite the renaissance in 2024, and Alvin Kamara has taken part in that renaissance. Despite only four games left in the 2024 season, Kamara's scrimmage yards this season have already surpassed the amount of his previous three campaigns. And while this performance hasn't gotten the Saints out of their 5-8 rut, it has made Kamara's contract worthwhile.
Full Back: Kyle Juszczyk
Contract: 2 years, $9.1 million
Fullback is a dead position in the NFL. The only players who play the position are college tight ends who were too short to get drafted as a tight end. The value that a fullback adds to a team is challenging to quantify, resulting in fullbacks getting paid the least out of any position, and even half of NFL teams don't even bother to have one.
While the average fullback may do little to support a team, Kyle Juszczyk's high-quality run-blocking and receiving contributes to the 49ers' offense finishing top-ten in 5 of the last 6 seasons. Juszczyk has also made the Pro Bowl in 8 straight seasons, as his stats and usage greatly exceed other fullbacks, and he only competes with 13 other players for a Pro Bowl selection. Another fact about fullbacks is that 9 out of the 13 teams with fullbacks currently have a winning record.
Quarterback: Dak Prescott
Contract: 4 years, $240 million
The Cowboys General Manager Jerry Jones was given plenty of bad press during the 2024 offseason for penny-pinching in free agency. One of the reasons why Jones made no major signings is that he extended CeeDee Lamb to make him the NFL's highest-paid receiver and made Dak Prescott the highest-paid quarterback. The $86.2 million deal is Prescott's second substantial extension, and this contract will likely have a similar result as the first in 2020: It's probably on the overpaid side of things, but Prescott will remain a plus starter when healthy, and it will definitely be more worthwhile if the Cowboys sign some free agents next year.
Wide Receiver: CeeDee Lamb
Contract: 4 years, $136 million
If there's one contract on this list that has aged like milk, it's Ceedee Lamb's. CeeDee Lamb recorded a historic 1,749 receiving yards in 2023, being one of two players that season to nearly break Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones bet that his team's star wideout would continue to record those absurd numbers, and Jones bet wrong. CeeDee Lamb is on pace to miss his 2023 yardage total by about 500 yards, but this lack of production hasn't been entirely his fault. In week 9, the Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.
Playing with a backup quarterback, as well as the Cowboys' awful running game, will almost always limit a receiver's production. Since Lamb will likely show at least some sort of improvement next season, Dallas is better off holding on to their expensive wideout.
Cornerback: A.J. Terrell
Contract: 4 years, $81 million
If you look at Terrell's stats in his first four NFL seasons, it's clear to see why he's paid this well. Opposing completion percentages of 50-55 percent, and over 15 passes defended, are numbers that deserve $20 million per year. However, the Falcons mistakenly didn't test him with elite receivers until after they paid him loads of cash.
In prior seasons, Terrell had occasionally faced the league's top receiving talent but hadn't done so on a consistent basis until 2024. And when Atlanta's top CB was tasked with covering George Pickens, Devonta Smith, Mike Evans, DK Metcalf, and CeeDee Lamb, the results were less than stellar. Terrell's career-low 73.8 opposing completion percentage this year, shows that he might not be the lockdown corner that his contract suggests.
Tight End: Travis Kelce
Contract: 2 years, $34.2 million
The Chiefs' GM, Brett Veach, made a correct decision by signing their longtime tight end to a measly two-year contract. Unlike the massive 5-year or 6-year contracts on this list, Kelce's two-year deal is much less risky. This contract's lack of risk is crucial since Travis Kelce, like most tight ends in their early 30s, has seen a notable decline in production during the last couple of seasons. Compared to other tight ends in the league this season, Kelce does not deserve to be the highest paid, but that's why his contract will only last two years, so his team avoids losing tons of money. And Travis Kelce's reign as the highest-paid tight end will be short-lived, as George Kittle will receive a new contract in just a few months.
Safety: Xavier McKinney
Contract: 4 years, $67 million
Xavier McKinney is yet another contract on this list that was a product of the 2024 offseason. And while there's been a general trend of underperformance among the substantial signings of 2024, the Packers' ball-hawking safety is not part of that trend. The Packers' defense ranked near the bottom of the league in takeaways in 2023, and Green Bay ranking 5th in 2024 takeaways can largely be accredited to their blockbuster signing.
McKinney has modestly led the league with seven interceptions and recorded career-highs in passes defended and receiving yards allowed. And while this production is not sustainable for safeties over multiple seasons, McKinney hasn't reached this level of ball-hawking in his career, making the contract worthwhile, at least in the short term.
Offensive Line: Trent Williams
Contract: 3 years, $82.6 million
Trent Williams has been one of the NFL's best offensive linemen year in and year out during his 14-year ongoing career, and his elite blocking has only improved with age. However, the 49ers' all-pro tackle has only played 7 of 13 games this season due to an ankle injury, being one of many factors contributing to San Francisco's offensive woes. 2024 is the first year of Williams's three-year contract, hence there's plenty of time to make his contract worthwhile. And considering Williams's level of production year after year, it likely will be.
Linebacker: Brian Burns
Contract: 5 years, $141 Million
During the 2024 offseason, the Giants GM Brandon Brown signed the free agent edge rusher Brian Burns to improve a pass rush that ranked 29th in sacks in 2023. This season, the Giants' defense has been rather mediocre. When the Giants signed Brian Burns, they anticipated Burns's production to return to that of the 2022 season, where the former Panthers defender recorded 12.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl selection. While that has not happened, Burns has been far from awful this year, with six sacks, 52 tackles, and a career-high eight passes defended. That being said, "far from awful" isn't enough to justify getting paid more than T.J. Watt, Fred Warner, and Roquan Smith.
Defensive Lineman: Chris Jones
Contract: 5 years, $157.8 million
Chris Jones has served as one of the NFL's premier pass rushers and run stoppers, so it's clear why he's paid higher than any other D-linemen. However, Jones's contract runs until 2028, and Jones's production in his age-34 season will not outweigh the $41 million the Chiefs will have to pay him then. This is increasingly evident, as Kansas City's star tackle has already seen a decline in production over the last couple of seasons, likely due to age. But despite Chris Jones recording just half of the sacks and QB hits he did last season, the Chiefs' young and upcoming defensive unit has undoubtedly benefitted and will continue to benefit from Jones's veteran presence on the field.
Kicker: Harrison Butker
Contract: 4 years, $25.6 million
Throughout his career, Harrison Butker has always been a solid plus starter, but not exactly a generational talent at the position. The Chiefs undeniably overpaid for their 8th-year kicker, as the far superior Jake Elliot and Ka'imi Fairbairn were both handed smaller amounts of money in the same offseason. Butker's contract has also aged poorly due to his leg injury midseason, causing him to miss substantial time down the stretch of 2024.
Punter: Michael Dickson
Contract: 4 years, $14.7 million
In the 2018 draft, the Seahawks made a perplexing move in the fifth round by trading up to select a punter, Michael Dickson. Teams rarely trade up to draft a punter, but Seattle's decision certainly paid off this time. Michael Dickson has ranked top-ten in average punt yards in all of his seasons and even recorded the 9th-highest average punt yards in a single season in NFL history in 2020. The Seahawks are clearly not planning on drafting a punter anytime soon, as Dickson's contract lasts another 4 years.
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