4 hours Ago By David Kenyon
As revenues soar into multiple billions of dollars, star athletes in the United States are continuing to set salary records. Most specifically, we're talking about the NBA and NFL. These two professional leagues have numerous players who earn at least $50 million—with four players signing extensions above the $60 million threshold.
Plus, MLB is also reaching uncharted territory. Juan Soto recently signed a free-agency pact for $51 million per season. That agreement begins in 2025, so he could be included in a future addition alongside Shohei Ohtani, the highest-paid player in American professional sports—with an asterisk, of course.
Although both MLS and the NHL are included in consideration, neither league has a player above soccer star Lionel Messi's reported $20.4 million in guaranteed compensation. Contract data is otherwise from Spotrac .
One key note: Any agreement, such as those signed by Soto, Jayson Tatum or Dak Prescott and a half-dozen more NFL quarterbacks, that hasn't officially begun is not included. That's a slight adjustment from 2023 in order to share a more accurate calendar-year number. Annual value: $51 million Starting in 2025, the NFL is loaded with potential inclusions.
Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott all have signed extensions on the horizon. For this season, however, the salary leaders are Jalen Hurts and—no spoilers—the next guy on the list. Hurts is officially playing under the five-year, $255 million agreement he inked in April 2023.
That extension followed a season in which Hurts finished as the MVP runner-up and the Philadelphia Eagles won an NFC title, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. As the 2024 NFL campaign nears its end, he's guided the Eagles to a third straight 11-win season. Philly is 12-2, as of this writing.
Annual value: $52 million Lamar Jackson is just a superstar. Until the Baltimore Ravens achieve postseason success—read: win a Super Bowl—there will be naysayers. But at this point, it's pretty ridiculous to even entertain those conversations.
Jackson is special. In the second year of a five-season, $260 million deal, Jackson is within legitimate range of incredible NFL history. Nobody has ever totaled 4,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards in a single campaign, but Jackson—with 3,580 and 743, respectively, and three games to play—could do it.
The two-time MVP is worth every single penny. Annual value: $52.9 million On the other hand, Paul George has plenty to prove as his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers begins.
Philly extended a four-year, $211.6 million offer to snag George in 2024 free agency. Early on—and the 2024-25 NBA season is just two months old—a knee injury has limited his involvement with the Sixers.
The organization's hope is a three-headed monster of PG, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey can carry Philly to its first NBA championship since 1983. All of them are signed to long-term contracts, so this is (theoretically) a long-term partnership. Will it work out? Who knows.
But there's no question George will be well-compensated for his efforts. Annual value: $53.3 millon Speaking of Joel Embiid, his financial future is very secure.
Not only is the 2022-23 MVP enjoying $53.3 million annually on his current deal, Embiid has already signed a staggering extension. That agreement starts in 2026 and pays out $192.
9 million over three seasons. If you're not a math wizard, the future contract works out to $64.3 million per year.
Right now, it's the largest number in NBA history. Yeah, the Sixers are awfully invested in their superstars. Annual value: $53.
8 million Similar to Embiid, Stephen Curry has a major payday waiting for him during the 2026-27 NBA season. Granted, this is only a one-year extension. But, uh, I don't think you would be complaining about $62.
6 million. Curry's representation worked out that agreement with the Golden State Warriors in August. In the meantime, the greatest shooter in basketball history has a four-year, $215.
4 million pact. Curry is seeking All-NBA recognition for the fifth consecutive season, and it would be the 11th such honor of his career. Annual value: $55.
1 million Compared to 2023, there are a trio of newcomers from the NBA. The first is Devin Booker, star guard for the Phoenix Suns. Although he's a 10-year veteran, Booker is just 28 and should be firmly in his prime during this contract.
Phoenix has committed to keep building around him throughout a four-year, $220.4 million max deal. Booker, who helped the Suns reach the 2021 NBA Finals, has averaged 24-plus points in seven straight years.
Annual value: $55.1 million Karl-Anthony Towns has an identical contract to Booker's, although he might hit free agency one summer earlier. Towns signed his four-year, $220.
4 million extension while on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The final season of the agreement includes a player option, so Towns may elect to enter the open market in 2027. But that discussion isn't hugely impactful today.
Right now, Towns is thriving in his first year alongside Jalen Brunson on the New York Knicks. That superstar duo is aiming to lift the franchise to its first NBA championship since 1973. Annual value: $55.
2 million Horse enthusiast Nikola Jokić saunters away from the stables for enough time to embarrass NBA defenses and make a nice living. Seriously, though, what a spectacular player. He's a triple-double machine who breaks—no, annihilates—the NBA's modern fast-paced mold.
Jokić is lumbering toward a fifth straight season with at least 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.
9 assists per game, which is equal parts jaw-dropping and nauseating. Jokić is playing the second of his five-year, $276.1 million contract with the Denver Nuggets but holds an option for 2027-28.
Annual value: $57.1 million Next season, a teammate will officially command the label of the largest contract in NBA history. Jayson Tatum landed a five-year, $314 million extension from the Boston Celtics.
But in 2024, the title belongs to Jaylen Brown. The supermax deal—which kicked in this season to surpass Jokic—is worth $285.4 million.
Brown, a 28-year-old guard, is locked up with the Celtics into the summer of 2029. Best of all for Boston, he signed the contract in July 2023 and proceeded to back it up immediately. As the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown won Finals MVP.
Annual value: $70 million Because he elected to defer $68 million per season for 10 years, Shohei Ohtani isn't actually seeing this salary from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's otherwise living (perfectly fine) off his many endorsements. Nevertheless, the contract is the contract.
Similar to Brown with the Celtics, Ohtani reinforced his value in his debut season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He clubbed 54 homers with 130 RBI, falling narrowly short of what could've been only the second batting Triple Crown in the last 50-plus MLB seasons. Ohtani unanimously won MVP honors in the National League.
Oh, and the Dodgers toppled the New York Yankees in the World Series. Not a terrible start to Ohtani's contract..
