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Thanks to contracts that are not guaranteed, sometimes players are cut or deals are restructured when their production declines or their salary cap number gets too big.
But a select few have gone on to make big money in their careers with 16 players making at least $100 million.
Not surprisingly, many of those players are quarterbacks as 14 of the 19 highest-paid of all-time throw the ball for a living.
Using contract data obtained by Spotrac.com, here are the 25 highest-paid players in NFL history.