So, let’s talk about the average salary of an NFL quarterback. Pop quiz: what’s the first number that pops into your head? A million? Ten million? Try more, because we’re in the land of absurd cash.
The average starting quarterback in 2024 pulls in around $40 million per year. That’s not a typo. Forty. Million. Dollars. For throwing a leather ball, while wearing tight pants, on a Sunday.
Of course, that number is a little sneaky, isn’t it? It’s like saying the average height in a room full of giraffes and mice. The superstar QBs—the Mahomeses, Allens, and Burrows—skyrocket that average into outer space.
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But Wait, There’s a Catch
Here’s the thing: not every QB is Patrick Mahomes. The average gets dragged up by the elite contracts, but it also hides some brutal truths. Rookies? They make peanuts by comparison.
A first-round draft pick might sign for $5–7 million per year. That’s still life-changing money, sure. But compare it to the $50 million+ extensions of the top guys, and you see the gap.
And the poor backup quarterbacks? Bless their hearts. Many of them scrape by on a few million a year. “Scrape by” is doing a lot of work here, but in NFL terms, that’s the struggle bus.
Why So Much Dough?
Why do teams throw wads of cash at these guys? Simple: the quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play. He’s the face of the franchise. If he’s great, the team wins. If he stinks, you get a top-five draft pick.
Think about it. A good QB sells jerseys, fills stadiums, and makes highlight reels. A great one? He changes the entire culture of a city. No pressure, kid.
Plus, the salary cap keeps going up. The NFL is a money-printing machine. TV deals alone are worth billions, so the players—especially the QBs—get a bigger slice of the pie every year.
Graph: How Winning Relates to Salary for the Top NFL Quarterbacks
The “Average” Is a Myth
Let’s be honest: the average salary is a statistic that makes you go “whoa,” but it’s deceptive. About half the starting QBs make well below the average. About a third make well above it.
Take a guy like Tom Brady back in his prime. He often took team-friendly deals, which dropped the average. Then you have Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million contract, which made everyone’s jaw drop—and skyrocketed the average.
So when you hear “average salary of a QB is $40 million,” imagine a bell curve. The bell is more like a bumpy canyon. Some peaks, some valleys, and a whole lot of middle-class millionaires.
What About the Rookies and Vets?
Rookies on their first contract? They’re on a fixed scale. The #1 pick might get $10 million a year. The last pick? Maybe $1 million. That’s still great, but it’s not the big money.
Veterans who are just hanging on, like a third-string clipboard holder? They often earn the league minimum: about $1.1 million. That’s still more than you or I will see in a decade, but in the NFL, it’s pocket change.
And then you have the franchise tag players. They get a one-year deal at the average of the top five QBs. That’s huge money—but with no long-term security. Risky business.
Matthew Richardson Salary
The Future: Even More Cash?
Here’s a fun thought: the salary cap grows every year. In five years, the average starting QB might be $60 million. I’m not joking. That’s the trajectory.
Look at the recent deals. Joe Burrow just signed for $55 million a year. Trevor Lawrence got $55 million too. These are the new baselines. It’s like inflation, but for spiral throws.
So if you have a kid throwing footballs in the backyard, tell him to keep practicing. And maybe work on his agent negotiations. Because the numbers are only getting sillier.
So, Is It Worth It?
To you and me, $40 million is a bazooka of money. But these guys face insane pressure. One bad season, and fans want them fired. Literally. They get booed at grocery stores.
Plus, the physical toll is real. QBs get hit, sacked, and injured. A bad concussion can end a career. So is the money fair? Maybe. It’s a job with a short shelf life and giant expectations.
In the end, the average salary of an NFL quarterback is a number that sounds hilarious until you realize it includes the guy who throws three picks in a game. Then it just sounds wasteful. But hey, that’s showbiz—er, football. Pass the coffee, please.