The NFL has a new highest-paid player as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott landed a new four-year, $240 million extension just before kickoff against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.
Prescott's signing makes him the first player in league history with a $60 million average per year salary, and his $80 million signing bonus is the largest ever, per NFL Media.
Does having a well compensated quarterback equate to championships? None of the NFL's current highest-paid top 10 quarterbacks have won a Super Bow. Following Prescott's deal, three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes' 10-year, $450 million contract and its $45 average per year salary are now tied for the 12th-highest APY in the league. Here's a rundown of the highest-paid signal-callers in the league and a comparative chart of how they stack up against one another on the field.
Note: APY denotes average per-year earnings (via Spotrac).
| QB | Team | APY | Starts | Record | Playoffs | Rating | TD:INT | Super Bowls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dak Prescott | Cowboys | $60M | 114 | 73-41 | 2-5 | 99.0 | 202-74 | 0 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Jaguars | $55M | 50 | 20-30 | 1-1 | 85.0 | 58-39 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | Bengals | $55M | 52 | 29-22-1 | 5-2 | 98.6 | 97:37 | 0-1 |
| Jordan Love | Packers | $55M | 18 | 9-9 | 1-1 | 94 | 35-14 | 0 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | Dolphins | $53.1M | 51 | 32-19 | 0-1 | 97.1 | 81:37 | 0 |
| Jared Goff | Lions | $53M | 117 | 66-50-1 | 4-4 | 93.6 | 185:82 | 0-1 |
| Justin Herbert | Chargers | $52.5M | 62 | 30-32 | 0-1 | 95.7 | 114:42 | 0 |
| Lamar Jackson | Ravens | $52M | 77 | 58-19 | 2-4 | 98.0 | 125:45 | 0 |
| Eagles | $51M | 51 | 34-17 | 2-3 | 91.1 | 67:34 | 0-1 | |
| Cardinals | $46.1M | 65 | 28-36-1 | 0-1 | 92.2 | 94:46 | 0 |
Just three of the quarterbacks on this list have been to the big game but none of them have taken home the Vince Lombardi trophy: Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow.
This list does signal that quarterbacks are arguably overcompensated if the name of the game is to win at a high level in the playoffs. Only Burrow has a playoff record above .500, and six of the 10 have records are below .500. In any event, if Prescott can lead the Cowboys back to their first Super Bowl title since the 1990's dynasty years, no one will blink twice when hearing that he is the highest-paid quarterback in the league.
