Patrick Mahomes leads NFL’s highest earners as player values near $600 million

The NFL’s financial landscape has reached a new, unprecedented level in 2026. The league’s 10 highest-paid players are projected to take home an estimated $598 million before taxes and agent fees.Forbes’ latest ranking, published on September 13, features a unique pattern: all ten highest-paid players are quarterbacks. And without further ado, Patrick Mahomes sits atop that list for the second consecutive year.Mahomes may rank behind Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert performance-wise in Bleacher Report’s Top 1000 players for the 2026 season, but he sure as heaven takes the first spot financially. All thanks to his most recent, massive $508 million Kansas City Chiefs contract, which includes $397 million in guaranteed money.Patrick Mahomes leads NFL highest-paid playersForbes projects Mahomes to earn $86 million in 2026, including $56 million in gridiron earnings and an estimated $30 million from endorsements and other business ventures.