Patrick Mahomes Tops Sportico's 2025 List of Highest-Paid NFL Players, Top 20 Earn $1B

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes claimed the top spot on Sportico's list of the highest earners in the NFL this year.

Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen estimated that Mahomes collected $30 million in endorsement money on top of the $50 million he makes from the Chiefs in 2025.

Thanks to the extension he signed this spring, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is second at $73 million in overall earnings. Here's the top five:

Highest-Paid NFL Players in 2025

1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: $80 million

2. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills: $73 million

3. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers: $71 million

4. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys: $57.8 million

5. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins: $54.5 million

Info via Sportico

As expected, quarterbacks dominate the upper portion of the list. They account for eight of the top 10 players. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Green Bay Packers edge-rusher Micah Parsons are the two exceptions.

Kelce is generating $32 million in off-field earnings thanks to the success of his New Heights podcast and the mainstream popularity he has received from his relationship with singer Taylor Swift. Parsons, meanwhile, signed an extension with Green Bay that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Football fans will feel validated when reading a statistic about Mahomes' on-screen presence. The two-time MVP was featured in 423 ads during the 2024 season, by far the most of any player, per Badenhausen. Peyton Manning, who retired in 2016, was second with 318 spots.

Even when you're not watching the Chiefs, Mahomes is inescapable.