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Big Patrick Mahomes News Announced After Chiefs’ Loss to Chargers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 12:02 PM ET

Just hours before the NFL’s Week 1 slate kicked off, Forbes released its annual ranking of the league’s highest-paid players, revealing a notable shift in how top earners are compensated.

The combined earnings of the top 10 players in 2025 total $571 million, an 18% drop from last year’s record $693 million, but still the second-highest figure in the 16-year history of the Forbes list.

The headline number belongs to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who tops the list with $78 million in total earnings.

However, somewhat surprisingly, Mahomes does not rank among the top 10 in salary alone. His earnings are driven primarily by off-field income, including endorsements, licensing and business ventures.

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Forbes’ 2025 ranking includes eight quarterbacks and two non-quarterbacks, continuing a four-year trend of quarterback dominance in the top 10.

Defensive end Micah Parsons, recently traded to the Green Bay Packers, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are the only non-quarterbacks to crack the list. Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million deal that set records for total value, average annual value ($47 million) and guaranteed money ($136 million) for a non-quarterback.

Here’s a snapshot of the top earners:


Rank	Player	Team	Total Earning	On-Field Earnings	Off-Field Earnings
1	Patrick Mahomes	Kansas City Chiefs	$78 million	$50 million	$28 million
2	Josh Allen	Buffalo Bills	$73 million	$58 million	$15 million
3	Justin Herbert	Los Angeles Chargers	$71 million	$60 million	$11 million
4	Dak Prescott	Dallas Cowboys	$57.8 million	$47.8 million	$10 million
5	Tua Tagovailoa	Miami Dolphins	$54.3 million	$50.3 million	$4 million
6	Micah Parsons	Green Bay Packers	$48.2 million	$45.2 million	$3 million
7	Jalen Hurts	Philadelphia Eagles	$47.5 million	$42.5 million	$5 million
8	Travis Kelce	Kansas City Chiefs	$47.3 million	$17.3 million	$30 million
9 (tie)	Matthew Stafford	Los Angeles Rams	$47 million	$44 million	$3 million
9 (tie)	Deshaun Watson	Cleveland Browns	$47 million	$46 million	$1 million

Notably, Mahomes’ teammate Kelce, widely known for his off-field presence, including his engagement to Taylor Swift and the success of his "New Heights" podcast, ranks eighth overall, with $30 million of his $47.3 million coming from off-field ventures.

Mahomes’ Contract and Off-Field Empire

Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs in 2020, which remains the largest contract in NFL history by total value. While quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love have surpassed Mahomes in average annual value (AAV), his deal provides long-term security and flexibility for the team.

Mahomes’ base salary for 2025 is approximately $45 million, placing him outside the top 10 in salary rankings, below QBs like Jared Goff, Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins.

What sets Mahomes apart is his off-field portfolio. Forbes estimates he will earn $28 million in endorsements and business ventures this year. His sponsorships include Adidas, Oakley, State Farm, Head & Shoulders and BioSteel. He also holds equity stakes in several companies, including:

Whoop (fitness wearables)
Airshare (private aviation)
Sporting KC (MLS team ownership)
1587 Prime (upcoming Kansas City steakhouse with Kelce)

In 2024, four quarterbacks earned over $80 million; this year, none reached that mark. Mahomes’ $78 million leads the list, but the gap between him and the next tier is narrower than in previous years.

The 18% drop in total earnings among the top 10 players is largely attributed to fewer blockbuster quarterback contracts signed in the past year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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