Juan Soto signed a massive $765 million contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night. Soto’s lucrative contract now holds the title of largest contract in professional sports history, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While the MLB continues to shell out obscene amounts of money, the league has yet to take the title away from the NFL in terms of popularity and viewership. Therefore, how do the NFL’s highest-paid players compare to Soto’s latest contract? Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 highest-paid players in the NFL.
Who Are the NFL’s Highest-Paid Players?
While the NFL’s highest-paid players don’t quite reach Soto’s total contract value, there are a few players that surpass Soto’s average annual value. Here’s a look at the NFL’s top 10 highest-paid players in both average annual value and total contract value.
NFL’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Players in Average Annual Value
- Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys – $60,000,000
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars – $55,000,000
- Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals – $55,000,000
- Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers – $55,000,000
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins – $53,100,000
- Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions – $53,000,000
- Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers – $52,500,000
- Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens – $52,000,000
- Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles – $51,000,000
- Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals – $46,100,000
NFL’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Players in Total Contract Value
- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs – $450,000,000
- Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals – $275,000,000
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars – $275,000,000
- Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers – $262,500,000
- Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens – $260,000,000
- Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills – $258,034,000
- Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles – $255,000,000
- Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys – $240,000,000
- Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals – $230,500,000
- Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns – $230,000,000
How Does Juan Soto’s Contract Compare to the NFL’s Highest-Paid Players?
Soto’s contract is worth up to $800 million including escalators, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. While Soto’s total contract value of at least $765 million easily surpasses the NFL’s biggest contracts, it’s rare to see a contract of 10 or more years in football.
The MLB routinely hands out contracts for 10 years or longer to the top free agents on the open market. Meanwhile, that is a rarity in the NFL, as Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is the only active player with a contract longer than six years. Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million contract with the Chiefs in 2020.
MORE: Which NFL Players Have the Highest Career Earnings?
Soto is set to make an average of $51 million per year through the 15-year contract that he signed with the Mets. While Soto blew the NFL’s highest-paid players out of the water with his total contract value, there are eight NFL players who make more than Soto will in regard to their average annual value.
Considering the constantly growing QB market in the NFL, that number is only expected to rise in the future. While Soto’s payday technically broke records in professional sports, the average annual value of his massive contract is still surpassed by several NFL players.