In the NFL, the bar is always rising. Each offseason, superstars reset the market, altering the salaries that the best players at each respective position expect to receive.
Well, we’re only a few weeks into the 2026 offseason, and we’ve already seen a few players become the new highest-paid star at their respective position. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the most recent player to earn that honor, agreeing to a four-year, $168.6 million pact with the Seattle Seahawks.
Smith-Njigba joins an illustrious list of players to be the highest-paid player at their respective position. So, who does he join on the All-Highest-Paid-Player-Per-Position Team? Here are the NFL’s highest-paid players at each position, per average annual value (AAV), via Spotrac:
Prescott became the NFL’s highest-paid player when he signed his extension on the eve of the Cowboys‘ Week 1 game against the Browns in 2024. The four-year, $240 million deal was the culmination of an awkward offseason in which Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was wishy-washy about paying Prescott.
Prescott earned his long-term deal after the best season of his career in 2023, when he completed a career-high 69.5% of his passes and threw a league-leading 36 touchdowns.
The value of running backs is constantly being disputed and Barkley did a lot to help his peers, and himself, out. Barkley was rewarded with a two-year, $41 million extension after winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in his first year with the Eagles. The New York Giants didn’t want to pay Barkley after six seasons with the team, so the Eagles took advantage of that, scooping him up in free agency in 2024.
WR: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks ($42.15 million AAV)
Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase held the honor of being the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history for roughly a year, thanks to a contract that paid him just north of $40 million per season. But Smith-Njigba’s memorable 2025 campaign helped him usurp Chase for that honor. Smith-Njigba has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $168.6 million extension with the Seahawks.
Smith-Njigba won Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, leading the league in receiving yards (1,793). His dominant regular season preceded Seattle’s run to a Super Bowl title, which saw Smith-Njigba put up a 153-yard performance in the NFC title game.
A few days after the 2025 NFL Draft ended, Kittle agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension with the 49ers. His new deal is worth an average of $19.1 million, surpassing the contract Trey McBride ($19M AAV) signed with the Arizona Cardinals earlier in April of that year.
The 31-year-old Kittle is the only remaining player from San Francisco’s 2017 draft class, the first with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. Since the 49ers drafted him in the fifth round that year, Kittle has been one of the top tight ends in the league.
In his eight seasons, he’s been a dependable receiver and blocker for the Niners offense. He’s made an All-Pro team five times and earned six Pro Bowl nods, totaling 595 receptions for 8,008 yards and 52 touchdowns.
However, Kittle might be facing his toughest test yet following another injury-plagued season in 2025. He missed time due to a hamstring tear before tearing his Achilles in the playoffs.
Tunsil agreed to a two-year, $60.2 million extension at the start of the 2026 offseason that made him the highest-paid offensive tackle. The 31-year-old took that honor from Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, who signed a five-year, $140.6 million extension in 2024.
Tunsil has been one of the game’s top offensive tackles since he entered the league in 2016. He’s been named a Pro Bowler five times, and was graded as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best offensive tackle in 2025.
OG: Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys ($24 million AAV)
Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler in his first four years in the league, became the highest-paid guard in the NFL in September when he agreed to a four-year, $96 million extension. He did play at left tackle for a bit, though, in 2025.
Humphrey has been the NFL’s highest-paid center for nearly two years. He signed a four-year, $72 million extension in August 2024. Since then, Humphrey has been named first-team All-Pro twice and became a four-time Pro Bowler through the first five years of his career.
Garrett was briefly the highest-paid non-quarterback of all-time, signing a contract worth $160 million, including $123.5 million in guarantees, in March 2025.
The extension came more than a month after the Browns’ star pass-rusher had requested a trade. Cleveland’s front office, though, was adamant that Garrett would not be dealt. In the end, both sides came to an agreement to keep him in Ohio.
Garret repaid the Browns by setting the single-season sack record in 2025, winning his second Defensive Player of the Year award.
Jones became the highest-paid defensive tackle when he agreed to a five-year, $158.75 million deal to remain in Kansas City during the 2024 offseason.
The Chiefs star certainly made a strong claim to earn the title of highest-paid player at his position. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro has recorded at least nine sacks in five of the last eight seasons, helping Kansas City win three Super Bowls during that time.
Jones had 29 total tackles and seven sacks this past season. While his box score stats might not pop out, Jones led all defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate (20%) and was third in pressures (63) at the position, per PFF.
As part of the surprising trade that saw Parsons go from the Cowboys to the Packers in August 2025, the star edge rusher signed a four-year, $186 million extension to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Parsons was the definition of consistency during his time with the Cowboys, racking up over 12 sacks and 40 tackles each season. He continued that in his first year in Green Bay, logging 12.5 sacks and 41 total tackles despite playing just 14 games as an ACL tear sidelined him for the end of the 2025 season.
Of the defensive positions, inside linebacker has the cheapest average annual value contract leader. Still, Warner is making a pretty penny. He reached a three-year, $63 million extension ($56 million guaranteed) when he re-signed with the 49ers in May 2025. Warner is one of the longest-tenured 49ers, having played seven seasons with the team since he was drafted in 2018.
He is arguably the NFL’s best inside linebacker, and if not, he’s at least the most consistent. He had been named to three consecutive All-Pro teams before an injury cut his 2025 campaign short. Warner was also the engine of San Francisco’s defense during its run to Super Bowl LVIII. He had recorded at least 118 total tackles in each season of his career prior to his injury-shortened 2025 season.
While Smith has never led the league in tackles, he’s finished in the top 10 five times and has finished in the top five in run stops three times, per PFF.
McDuffie became the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL just days after the Rams agreed to give up a first-round pick for the star corner. McDuffie signed a four-year, $124 million extension with $100 million guaranteed, taking over the highest-paid cornerback honor from Indianapolis Colts star Sauce Gardner.
McDuffie, 25, has been one of the NFL‘s top cornerbacks since the Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls in his first two seasons and is a two-time All-Pro.
Even though McDuffie missed five games in 2025, he was still productive. He allowed 37 receptions on 55 targets for just 342 yards and three touchdowns this past season, per PFF. McDuffie has allowed just 6.6 yards per attempt when targeted in coverage over his career as well, per PFF.
S: Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens ($25.1 million AAV)
Kyle Hamilton’s monster 2024 campaign (107 combined tackles, 77 solo tackles) earned him a four-year, $100.4 million extension, with $82 million of that guaranteed.
The 25-year-old safety is heading into his fifth year in the NFL, all with the Ravens, and has already been named an All-Pro and Pro Bowler three times in his career.
K: Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans ($6.5 million AAV)
Fairbairn became the highest-paid kicker in the NFL when he agreed to a two-year, $13 million extension with the Texans earlier this offseason. His 44 made field goals in 2025 were the most ever made by a kicker in a single NFL season.
P: Jordan Stout, New York Giants
Stout was one of a few members of the Ravens’ organization to follow head coach John Harbaugh to the Giants, and he was paid handsomely for doing so. Stout received a three-year, $12.3 million deal at the onset of free agency this offseason. Stout was named first-team All-Pro in 2025, with his 44.9 average net yards per punt leading the league.
