Every NFL Team's Most Overpaid Player Following Peak 2024 Free Agency
Few significant deals are left to be signed this NFL offseason, which means we can settle in and judge the moves made so far.
One fun annual judgement is assessing who are the league's most overpaid players.
Here's a team-by-team rundown.
Salary information courtesy of Spotrac.
AFC East
1 of 8
Buffalo Bills: Edge Von Miller
With a six-year, $120 million contract, the 35-year-old Miller was paid $6.7 million per tackle during a sack-less 2023 season.
Miami Dolphins: CB Xavien Howard
Sure, Howard is no longer on the roster, but the cap casualty will still cost the Dolphins more than $23 million over the course of the next two seasons. Miami has some extremely high-paid players, but all have delivered and Howard can no longer offer that.
New England Patriots: OT Michael Onwenu
The 26-year-old is a solid, versatile contributor, but he's also a sixth-round pick with no major pro accomplishments who is now one of the 10 highest-paid offensive tackles in football with a $19 million average annual salary.
New York Jets: QB Aaron Rodgers
We can't really hold last year's injury against him, but we're still talking about a 40-year-old who hasn't put up strong numbers since 2021 and will count $68.7 million against the cap in 2024 and 2025.
AFC North
2 of 8
Baltimore Ravens: S Marcus Williams
This was a toss-up between Williams and cornerback Marlon Humphrey, both of whom had a limited impact last season. Both are 27, but Humphrey is more reliable and more decorated. Williams is not remotely living up to his $14 million average annual salary as the eighth-highest paid safety in the sport.
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Tee Higgins
That $21.8 million franchise-tag rate is silly for a player who has never gone over 75 catches, 1,100 yards or seven touchdowns in four non-Pro Bowl campaigns.
Cleveland Browns: QB Deshaun Watson
The sixth-highest-paid player in football (and highest in terms of guaranteed money) has thrown 14 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions since the end of the 2020 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: DL Cameron Heyward
You can sense a pretty clear drop-off in the six-time Pro Bowler's impact dating back to 2021, which makes sense considering he's now 34. In 2024, though, he'll still command $22.4 million in the final season of a four-year, $65.6 million deal.
AFC South
3 of 8
Houston Texans: OT Tytus Howard
The 2019 first-round pick was one of the lowest-graded offensive linemen in the league at Pro Football Focus during an injury-derailed 2023 season and has never fully lived up to expectations. Still, he's one of the 15 highest-paid offensive linemen in the league with an $18.7 million average annual salary.
Indianapolis Colts: RB Jonathan Taylor
The 25-year-old has put up one great season out of four, but he's now locked in at a cost of more than $28 million over the course of the next two years. Running backs are almost never worth that kind of scratch.
Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Cam Robinson
Never a first- or second-team All-Pro, or even a Pro Bowler, the seven-year veteran isn't particularly reliable or durable. He'll count $21.9 million against the cap during the final year of his current deal in 2024.
Tennessee Titans: Edge Harold Landry III
Good not great, and with sack numbers that make him look like a more impactful player than he is. The 27-year-old has had one standout season out of five, and he'll cost an average of just under $24 million against the cap in the next three seasons.
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AFC West
4 of 8
Denver Broncos: WR Courtland Sutton
The 28-year-old hasn't gone over 1,000 yards since he was a sophomore in 2019, but he is slated to earn more than $35 million over the course of the next two seasons.
Kansas City Chiefs: S Justin Reid
Reid, 27, is an asset on and off the field, but the Chiefs are smart with their money and their stars generally deliver so the options were limited. He simply isn't special, yet he's one of the 12 highest-paid players at his position.
Las Vegas Raiders: WR Davante Adams
This was a tie between Adams and new addition Christian Wilkins. The former is the second-highest paid receiver in the sport and appears to be declining at 31, while the latter is now the fifth-highest paid defender in the league despite having never been a first- or second-team All-Pro at 28. At least there's more upside with Wilkins.
Los Angeles Chargers: Edge Joey Bosa
We all know Bosa is a great player who has had a strong career, but the 28-year-old has played just 14 games the last two seasons and appears to have peaked in 2019. That's not ideal considering he's scheduled to cost more than $62 million over the course of the next two seasons.
NFC East
5 of 8
Dallas Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott
Prescott is coming off a good season overall, but the 30-year-old again threw multiple interceptions in a playoff loss and that $55.5 million 2024 cap hit is pretty hard to get beyond.
New York Giants: QB Daniel Jones
This also feels too easy, but the 26-year-old has been a complete bust with an 85.2 passer rating through five pro campaigns. His four-year, $160 million contract carries a $47.9 million cap hit in 2024. Will he even be the starter?
Philadelphia Eagles: TE Dallas Goedert
The league's fifth-highest-paid tight end has scored 13 total touchdowns in the last four seasons. He's never had a 60-catch campaign, and his numbers have broadly declined in back-to-back campaigns.
Washington Commanders: DL Jonathan Allen
The 29-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler, but he's never had a double-digit-sack season and his production fell off significantly in 2023. That's not great considering he's due to count $44.4 million against the cap over the course of the next two seasons.
NFC North
6 of 8
Chicago Bears: WR Keenan Allen
I wouldn't call anyone on the Bears overpaid. Their five big-money guys (Montez Sweat, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Jaylon Johnson and Tremaine Edmunds) have all earned their green. That said, Allen has lacked consistency and durability at times and may be beyond his prime ahead of a $23.1 million age-32 season.
Detroit Lions: CB Carlton Davis
The good news for the Lions is most of the overpriced six-year veteran's money is coming from the Buccaneers, who are on the hook for a $14.1 million dead-cap charge for Davis. He'll make a walk-year salary within that range in 2024, despite being injury prone and unreliable in coverage these days.
Green Bay Packers: CB Jaire Alexander
Fellow defenders Rashan Gary and Preston Smith are candidates as well, but both are a little more reliable. Alexander is one of the most talented corners in the league, but he's missed the majority of two of the last three seasons while earning $21 million per year on a four-year deal.
Minnesota Vikings: Edge Jonathan Greenard
I'm just saying there's a chance the 26-year-old linebacker is a big-money bust as a free-agent addition in Minnesota. He's been held to two or fewer sacks in two of his first four NFL campaigns, but he is now making $19 million per year.
NFC South
7 of 8
Atlanta Falcons: DL Grady Jarrett
The two-time Pro Bowler isn't the player he was five years ago, but he sure is paid like it. Jarrett is due $40.8 million the next two seasons despite having just 8.5 sacks since the start of 2021.
Carolina Panthers: G Damien Lewis
A PFF disappointment in two of the last three seasons in Seattle, Lewis hit the market at the right time and landed a four-year, $53 million deal to help shore up Bryce Young's line. It's a lot of cash for a so-so guard who's never been a Pro Bowler or a first- or second-team All-Pro.
New Orleans Saints: CB Marshon Lattimore
Alvin Kamara and Ryan Ramczyk would "win" this thing with a lot of other teams, but Lattimore is hard to beat here. The 27-year-old has been extremely ineffective while suiting up for just 17 games the last two seasons, all while pulling in an average of $19.5 million per year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Jamel Dean
The five-year veteran was frequently burned in coverage in 2023, and he isn't much of a playmaker (two interceptions total in the last two seasons). He's not living up to a four-year, $52 million contract.
NFC West
8 of 8
Arizona Cardinals: QB Kyler Murray
There's still hope for the talented Murray. He's not egregiously overpaid as a young and highly skilled quarterback, but there aren't many options in Arizona and we're still talking about a guy who has been a part of just 28 wins in five seasons yet is the fifth-highest-paid player in the league.
Los Angeles Rams: OT Joe Noteboom
The 28-year-old has been a disappointment even when healthy since signing a three-year, $40 million deal two years ago. There's a chance he doesn't even end up on the 2024 roster.
San Francisco 49ers: Edge Nick Bosa
The 49ers don't hand out a lot of dumb contracts, so we're nitpicking here. The highest-paid defensive player in NFL history is, without a doubt, awesome. But he's on wild money for a guy whose numbers plummeted in 2023.
Seattle Seahawks: TE Noah Fant
Maybe Fant's new deal will make sense if he finally does become a "centerpiece" in Seattle, but we have to see it to believe it. For now, he's a guy with a total of 900 yards and four touchdowns the last two seasons (zero in 2023) who is making $10.5 million per year.
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