Jahmyr Gibbs leads the NFL’s running backs in average annual contract value (AAV), at $22.5 million, according to Over The Cap’s live contract table as of October 8, 2026. The ranking below uses that table’s AAV figures; contract data can change as players sign new deals.
The 10 highest-paid NFL running backs by AAV
Over The Cap’s running-back contract table lists these players in order by average annual value. AAV is not the same as a player’s cash earnings in a particular season, salary-cap charge, or guaranteed money.
| Rank | Player | Team | Contract AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions | $22,500,000 |
| 2 | Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons | $22,250,000 |
| 3 | Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts | $22,000,000 |
| 4 | Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles | $20,600,000 |
| 5 | Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers | $19,000,000 |
| 6 | De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins | $16,000,000 |
| 7 | Derrick Henry | Baltimore Ravens | $15,000,000 |
| 8 | Breece Hall | New York Jets | $14,500,000 |
| 9 | Kenneth Walker III | Kansas City Chiefs | $14,350,000 |
| 10 | Jeremiyah Love | Arizona Cardinals | $13,255,704 |
Source: Over The Cap’s running-back contracts table, accessed October 8, 2026. Its live ordering may change when contracts are updated.
What AAV means—and what it does not
Average annual value is the contract’s average yearly value as shown in a contract database. It gives readers a quick way to compare headline contract scale, but it does not show how much a player is paid in cash in one season, what counts against the salary cap that season, or how much of the deal is guaranteed. Over The Cap lists those as distinct measures.
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Jonathan Taylor illustrates the distinction: Over The Cap’s 2026 salary page lists a $16,187,000 cap number and $23,000,000 in cash spent for the season, while its contract table gives him a $22,000,000 AAV. Each figure answers a different question: annualized contract value, this season’s cap accounting, or this season’s cash paid.
For broader contract comparisons, keep AAV, total nominal contract value, total guarantees, fully guaranteed money, and contract or free-agency horizon separate. An incentive-based maximum is not the same as guaranteed compensation.
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Sources: Over The Cap’s running-back contracts table and Over The Cap’s 2026 running-back salary page.
What Gibbs’s top-ranked deal represents
Over The Cap lists Gibbs’s AAV at $22.5 million. Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports report the deal as three years for $67.5 million, with a reported maximum value of $75.75 million; the reported guarantee is $51.5 million. The $67.5 million headline value, $22.5 million AAV, $51.5 million guarantee, and possible incentive maximum describe different parts of the agreement.
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Sources: Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read this ranking in context
The ranking is a live-market snapshot, not a permanent record or a measure of which player is best. CBS Sports’ September 9, 2026 positional comparison, also based on AAV, put the top quarterback at $63 million and the top running back at $22.5 million. That contrast describes the relative headline size of the two position markets; it does not measure individual player quality or value to a team.
Some earlier 2026 coverage placed Breece Hall above Derrick Henry using figures reported at that time. Over The Cap’s current table instead ranks Henry seventh at $15 million and Hall eighth at $14.5 million. This list follows the current table rather than combining older ordering with newer figures.
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Sources: CBS Sports, Over The Cap, and Sports Illustrated.
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