Patrick Mahomes was Forbes’ highest-paid NFL player in its 2025 ranking, with estimated earnings of $78 million. Josh Allen ranked second at $73 million, followed by Justin Herbert at $71 million. The list, published September 8, 2025, measures estimated annual earnings—not just player contracts—and is a historical ranking rather than a live 2026 list.
Forbes’ highest-paid NFL players in 2025
Forbes ranked these players by estimated total earnings in millions of U.S. dollars. “On-field” figures include salary and bonuses; “off-field” figures are estimated income from commercial and business activities.
| Rank | Player | Team and position | Estimated total | On-field | Off-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs, quarterback | $78 million | $50 million | $28 million |
| 2 | Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills, quarterback | $73 million | $58 million | $15 million |
| 3 | Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers, quarterback | $71 million | $60 million | $11 million |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys, quarterback | $57.8 million | $47.8 million | $10 million |
| 5 | Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins, quarterback | $54.3 million | $50.3 million | $4 million |
| 6 | Micah Parsons | Green Bay Packers, defensive end | $48.2 million | $45.2 million | $3 million |
| 7 | Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback | $47.5 million | $42.5 million | $5 million |
| 8 | Travis Kelce | Kansas City Chiefs, tight end | $47.3 million | $17.3 million | $30 million |
| 9 (tie) | Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams, quarterback | $47 million | $44 million | $3 million |
| 9 (tie) | Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns, quarterback | $47 million | $46 million | $1 million |
Forbes’ 2025 ranking and methodology are the source for the figures. Its top-ten cutoff was $47 million.
What Forbes counts as earnings
Forbes’ on-field estimate covers base salary and bonuses paid in 2025 or in connection with the 2025 season, based on contracts signed as of September 6, 2025. It excludes individual and team performance incentives for 2025, and rounds on-field figures to the nearest $100,000.
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Off-field estimates represent annual cash from sponsorships, licensing, appearances, memorabilia and cash returns from businesses in which a player has a significant stake. Forbes bases these estimates on conversations with industry experts and rounds them to the nearest $1 million. The calculation excludes investment income such as interest and dividends, but includes proceeds from equity stakes a player sells. It does not subtract taxes or agent fees.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why this is not a contract-value ranking
The totals combine on-field earnings with estimated off-field cash. They are not contract average annual value (APY), guaranteed money, a 2025 salary-cap hit or take-home pay. For example, Mahomes’ estimate includes $28 million off the field, while Kelce’s includes $30 million; a contract-only comparison would not include those amounts.
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NFL.com’s separate 2025 All-Paid Team compares contracts by average per year and excludes franchise-tag players. That answers a different question from Forbes’ estimate of annual total earnings. When comparing rankings, check the period, currency and measure: contract value, cash paid in a league year, guaranteed money, cap hit and earnings after taxes are not interchangeable.
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What stands out in the 2025 ranking
- The ten players’ estimated earnings total $571 million, 18% below the $693 million record Forbes cited for the previous year.
- Quarterbacks hold eight of the ten places; Parsons and Kelce are the two non-quarterbacks.
- Mahomes leads the list, with Allen $5 million behind and Herbert $7 million behind.
- The $47 million cutoff was similar to 2024 and 53% higher than four years earlier, according to Forbes.
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