The NFL quarterback market has been on an upward financial trajectory for a while, with the 2024 offseason standing out as one of the most lucrative in recent history. During this period, five starting quarterbacks secured massive contracts, either with their current teams or new ones. Notably, three quarterbacks—Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, and Joe Burrow, who finalized his deal last year—are now earning an average of $55 million per season.
While opinions may vary on whether the highest-paid quarterbacks are truly the best in the league, it’s hard to argue that they don’t merit these contracts. This situation can be explained by basic economics; the demand for high-quality quarterback play in the NFL is constant, and when a team identifies a strong player at the position, they must compensate them accordingly, based on the going rate among their peers.
For instance, Jared Goff is currently the fifth-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, yet few would argue he is better than Patrick Mahomes, who ranks as the 11th-highest-paid quarterback. Goff’s ranking is largely due to the timing of his contract, which was signed during a particularly lucrative period in the market. This example highlights how the timing of contract negotiations can heavily influence a quarterback’s salary, regardless of their standing among the league’s elite players.
