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Who is the highest-paid NFL player? Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts sit at the top

It pays to break out.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed to a five-year contract extension, worth up to $260 million, with a staggering $185 million in fully guaranteed money, on April 27, which makes the 26-year-old the highest-paid player based on average annual value.

The final pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson was a unanimous league MVP in his second season in the league, when he threw a career-high 36 TD passes, while running for a quarterback-record 1,206 yards. He’s also the only quarterback who’s ever topped the 1,000-yard plateau twice.

Jackson’s contract knocked Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts from the top spot as the league’s highest-paid player based on average annual value. Hurts held the distinction for a little over a week after agreeing to a massive contract extension on April 17.

Jackson’s deal continues to reinforce the trend that has dictated the salary cap in the modern-day NFL: as league revenues soar, the game’s best passers are negotiating record-setting deals seemingly every offseason. According to Over The Cap, the 14-richest contracts currently in the NFL go to quarterbacks.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs with the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs with the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field.

Who is the highest-paid NFL player in 2023?

Here is Over The Cap’s full list of the top 11 earners in the league by annual average salary:

  • 1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: $52 million

  • 2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: $51 million

  • 3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: $50.2 million

  • 4. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos: $49 million

  • 5. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals: $46.1 million

  • 6. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: $46 million

  • 7. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; $45 million

  • 8. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: $43 million

  • 9T. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams: $40 million

  • 9T. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: $40 million

  • 9T. Daniel Jones; New York Giants: $40 million

Although Jackson is now the highest-paid player in the NFL, it may not last long, as Joe Burrow, 26, of the Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Herbert, 25, of the Los Angeles Chargers are in the midst of contract extension talks as their rookie contracts come to an end. The difference in their rookie contracts is that, because Burrow and Herbert were first rounders, their teams can exercise fifth-year options that retain their rights for an additional season.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) dives for a first down during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) dives for a first down during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium.

NFL’s highest-paid players by position in 2022

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Highest-paid NFL player 2023: The top NFL salaries for the 2023 season