1. Matthew Stafford — $51,000,000
Team: Detroit Lions
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $1.0 million salary, $50.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Stafford agreed to a new five-year, $135 million contract this offseason, with a whopping $50 million signing bonus. The $27 million average annual salary is tops in the NFL, surpassing the $25 million-per-year average for Derek Carr.
2. Andrew Luck — $27,000,000
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $7.0 million salary, $14.0 million signing bonus, and a $6.0 million roster bonus.
One thing to know: The Colts are being extremely careful with Luck this season. Luck is coming back from offseason shoulder surgery and despite returning to practice a week before the regular season, he won't play in Week 1.
3. Kawann Short — $26,000,000
Team: Carolina Panthers
Position: Defensive Tackle
2017 earnings breakdown: $6.0 million salary, $20.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: The Panthers rewarded Short this offseason with a five-year, $80.5 million extension. While much of his ranking this year is based on his $20 million signing bonus, he is still the third-highest-paid defensive tackle based on average annual salary, trailing only Ndamukong Suh and Fletcher Cox.
4. Derek Carr — $25,175,000
Team: Oakland Raiders
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $5.0 million salary, $12.5 million signing bonus, and $7.7 million in other bonuses.
One thing to know: At one point this summer, Carr was briefly the highest-paid player in the NFL based on average annual salary, signing a new 5-year, $125 million contract worth $25 million per year. Carr celebrated by going to Chick-fil-A.
t5. DeAndre Hopkins — $24,000,000
Team: Houston Texans
Position: Wide Receiver
2017 earnings breakdown: $8.0 million salary, $7.5 million signing bonus, and $8.5 million roster bonus.
One thing to know: Hopkins recently signed an $81 million extension making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL in terms of total value and total guaranteed ($49 million).
t5. Josh Norman — $24,000,000
Team: Washington Redskins
Position: Cornerback
2017 earnings breakdown: $16.5 million salary, $7.0 million signing bonus, and a $500,000 roster bonus.
One thing to know: Norman's $20 million roster hit this season is the second-highest for any non-quarterback in the NFL, trailing only Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston.
7. Stephon Gilmore — $22,968,750
Team: New England Patriots
Position: Cornerback
2017 earnings breakdown: $4.5 million salary, $18.0 million signing bonus, and $470,000 roster bonus.
One thing to know: Gilmore signed a 5-year, $65 million free-agent contract with the Pats after spending his first five seasons with the Bills. The Pats can opt out of the deal after the second year and $32 million.
8. Melvin Ingram — $22,750,000
Team: Los Angeles Chargers
Position: Defensive end
2017 earnings breakdown: $5.0 million salary, $10.5 million signing bonus, and a $7.25 million roster bonus.
One thing to know: Ingram's new 4-year, $64 million contract is excellent for a linebacker, but it could end up being a steal for the Chargers if he transitions well to his new position as a defensive end where salaries tend to be higher.
9. Jason Pierre-Paul — $22,250,000
Team: New York Giants
Position: Defensive End
2017 earnings breakdown: $1.3 million salary, $20.0 million signing bonus, $1.0 million in other bonuses.
One thing to know: Pierre-Paul's new 4-year, $62 million contract is one of the NFL's more incredible redemption stories considering it was not long ago that he had lost multiple fingers on one hand because of a fireworks accident that left his career in jeopardy.
10. Chandler Jones — $22,000,000
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Position: Outside Linebacker
2017 earnings breakdown: $7.0 million salary, $15.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Jones plans to be more of a vocal leader on the Cardinals' defense after signing his new 5-year, $83 million contract.
t11. Eric Berry — $21,000,000
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Position: Free Safety
2017 earnings breakdown: $900,000 salary, $20.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Berry is considered one of the top coverage safeties in the NFL, especially against tight ends, a talent that is highly coveted.
t11. Joe Flacco — $21,000,000
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $6.0 million salary, $15.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Flacco's contract is still elite. He is under contract until 2021 and if he reaches the end of the deal without restructuring, his career earnings will top $210 million. Only one player in NFL history has made more — Peyton Manning ($249 million)
13. Nick Perry — $20,725,000
Team: Green Bay Packers
Position: Outside Linebacker
2017 earnings breakdown: $1.3 million salary, $18.5 million signing bonus, $925,000 in other bonuses.
One thing to know: Aaron Rodgers will make $13.7 million this season.
14. Myles Garrett — $20,723,004
Team: Cleveland Browns
Position: Defensive End
2017 earnings breakdown: $465,000 salary, $20.3 million signing bonus
One thing to know: As the top pick in the draft, Garrett signed a standard 4-year deal worth $30.4 million. That's good, but it is still a far cry from the $78 million contract signed by Sam Bradford as the top pick of the 2010 NFL Draft under the old CBA rules.
15. Xavier Rhodes — $20,026,000
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Position: Cornerback
2017 earnings breakdown: $8.0 million salary, $12.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Rhodes made his first Pro Bowl this past season and the Vikings rewarded him with a six-year, $78 million extension, second only to Josh Norman among cornerbacks.
16. Ndamukong Suh — $20,000,000
Team: Miami Dolphins
Position: Defensive Tackle
2017 earnings breakdown: $10.0 million salary, $10.0 million restructure bonus
One thing to know: Suh is now in the third year of his monster 6-year, $114.4 million contract with the Dolphins. Suh has a cap hit of $19.1 million this year, but that jumps to $26.1 million next season. If he continues to be productive, the Dolphins will need to rework the deal. However, if he starts to falter, he could be looking for a new team next season.
17. Antonio Brown — $19,910,000
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Position: Wide Receiver
2017 earnings breakdown: $910,000 salary, $19.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Brown has averaged 126 catches, 1,639 yards, and 12 touchdowns per 16 games over the last three seasons.
18. Mitchell Trubisky — $19,719,490
Team: Chicago Bears
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $465,000 salary, $19.3 million signing bonus
One thing to know: The Bears paid a hefty price to move up one spot and draft Trubisky. He has looked good at times in the preseason, but for now he is still behind Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez on the depth chart.
19. Solomon Thomas — $19,080,903
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Position: Defensive End
2017 earnings breakdown: $465,000 salary, $18.6 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Thomas missed most of the offseason workouts because of league rules that forbid participation until a rookie's school has finished their academic calendar (Stanford's school year goes until mid-June). He later missed training camp reporting date and the first day of practices because he had yet to sign his rookie deal. However, any fear of a lengthy holdout were quickly wiped away when he reported shortly after the start of the first practice.
20. Leonard Fournette — $18,351,067
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Position: Running Back
2017 earnings breakdown: $465,000 salary, $17.9 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Fournette was the fourth pick in this year's draft and has already made eyebrow-raising headlines when he called the NFL slower than he imagined and "really easy."
21. Corey Davis — $17,073,864
Team: Tennessee Titans
Position: Wide Receiver
2017 earnings breakdown: $465,000 salary, $16.6 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Davis is the first of five rookies on this year's list. The fifth pick in the draft received 65% of his four-year, $25.4 million contract before he ever played a down in the NFL.
22. Trumaine Johnson — $16,742,400
Team: Los Angeles Rams
Position: Cornerback
2017 earnings breakdown: $16.7 million salary
One thing to know: Johnson, a third-round pick in 2012, is in his sixth NFL season and his second straight season under the NFL's franchise tag. The Rams will need to work out a long-term deal with Johnson soon or they risk losing him for nothing. They could use the franchise tag again in 2018, but it would come with a salary of $24.1 million.
23. Desmond Trufant — $16,526,000
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Position: Cornerback
2017 earnings breakdown: $1.5 million salary, $15.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Trufant agreed to a new 5-year, $69 million contract in April, however, only $4.3 million is guaranteed after this season.
24. Von Miller — $16,500,000
Team: Denver Broncos
Position: Outside linebacker
2017 earnings breakdown: $16.5 million salary
One thing to know: Von Miller's $19.9 million salary cap figure is third among all defensive players. That number jumps to $22.4 million next season, which would only trail Ndamukong Suh's $26.1 million cap hit. However, Suh is unlikely to play for the Dolphins in 2018 without restructuring his contract.
25. Michael Bennett — $15,531,250
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Position: Defensive end
2017 earnings breakdown: $6.5 million salary, $9.0 million in bonuses
One thing to know: Bennett's earnings will drop to $6.5 million in 2018 and there is an opt out of his contract following the 2018 season.
26. Muhammad Wilkerson — $15,000,000
Team: New York Jets
Position: Defensive end
2017 earnings breakdown: $14.75 million salary, $250,000 workout bonus
One thing to know: Wilkerson has an $18.0 million cap hit this season and that number will grow to $20.0 million in 2018. There is an opt out of his contract following the 2018 season.
27. Dre Kirkpatrick — $14,984,380
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Position: Cornerback
2017 earnings breakdown: $2.55 million salary, $7.0 million signing bonus, and $5.4 million in other bonuses
One thing to know: Kirkpatrick started just five games in his first three seasons after he was drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft. However, he has been a starter since the starter of the 2015 season and was rewarded with a 5-year, $52.5 million contract.
28. Tyrod Taylor — $14,500,000
Team: Buffalo Bills
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $7.5 million salary, $7.0 million signing bonus
One thing to know: There was speculation early in the offseason that the Bills would part ways with Taylor. However, in the end, the two sides renegotiated his contract, saving the team more than $6 million in salary cap space this season. Only $1.0 million of his $30.5 million contract is guaranteed beyond the 2017 season.
29. Travis Frederick — $14,242,000
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Position: Center
2017 earnings breakdown: $1.3 million salary, $12.9 restructure bonus
One thing to know: Frederick's salary cap hit this season is just $4.5 million and only three Cowboys players have a cap hit of at least $10 million.
30. Gerald McCoy — $13,250,000
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Position: Defensive tackle
2017 earnings breakdown: $13.25 million salary
One thing to know: McCoy is one of only two Buccaneers players with a cap hit over $8.0 million.
31. Drew Brees — $13,000,000
Team: New Orleans Saints
Position: Quarterback
2017 earnings breakdown: $13.0 million salary
One thing to know: Brees' contract expires after the 2017 season and speculation has already begun that the team will look to move in a different direction from Brees who will be 39 in 2018.
32. Jason Peters — $11,250,000
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Position: Left tackle
2017 earnings breakdown: $3.0 million salary, $8.0 million signing bonus, and $250,000 workout bonus.
One thing to know: Peters has a salary cap hit of just $6.9 million and the Eagles do not have any players with a cap hit over $9.9 million. Of the Eagles' top ten cap hits, four are offensive linemen.