In certain instances, there are quarterbacks who are signed under big-time deals, but are actually still viewed as a financial 'steal' with their respective teams. Obviously, when teams have a quarterback on his rookie deal, a potential Super Bowl window opens up.
And for the sake of this exercise, we're not looking at rookie quarterback contracts, as those are mandated contracts that can't really be changed. For this exercise, we're going to power-rank the best-value quarterback contracts in the league, but we're not going to rank any of the quarterbacks on rookie deals.
That would be cheating, in my opinion. Which quarterbacks, as of now, have the best-value contracts in the NFL? We've taken the financial data from Over The Cap.
Power-ranking the best quarterback contracts in the NFL for the 2026 season
4. Baker Mayfield ($33.3 million per year)
As of now, there appears to be no long-term deal in sight for Baker Mayfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback. Through three years with the Bucs, Mayfield has racked up two Pro Bowls, two playoff appearances, a solid 27-24 starting record, along with 95 touchdown passes and a rock-solid 97.4 passer rating.
Many teams across the NFL would absolutely love to have that kind of production from their starting quarterback. Mayfield has outplayed his current deal and has started every game for Tampa Bay.
3. Josh Allen ($55 million per year)
Even at $55 million per season, Josh Allen's contract is a bit of a steal. He's helped lead the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs every year since 2019, and has also won double-digit games each year since then. He's one of the best dual-threat passers of all-time, and while it's evaded him, there is always a chance that the Bills do make a Super Bowl run.
The highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL are making $60 million per year and more, so Allen in the mid-50s is quite the deal.
2. Lamar Jackson ($52 million per year)
Lamar Jackson's deal is definitely a bit old, but still, it's the contract he is currently playing under for the Baltimore Ravens. His contract is No. 2 in our power rankings. The two-time NFL is already the best dual-threat quarterback to ever play this game, and he's even emerged as a top-tier passer, too.
Sure, the occasional injury bug is likely always going to be a part of Jackson's game, simply due to the style of his play, but Jackson is a true generational player.
1. Sam Darnold ($33.5 million per year)
I am not sure there is a better quarterback contract in the NFL right now than Sam Darnold's. He's first in our power rankings. Over the past two seasons, Darnold has gone 28-6 in the regular season and 3-1 in the playoffs. He's a Super Bowl champion and actually now has a career winning record.
After bouncing around on three different teams, Darnold signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, and that was clearly the start of something special. He's thrown 60 touchdowns and completed nearly 67 percent of his passes since 2024, earning a 100.9 passer rating during that stretch.
While Darnold isn't a truly elite player in the tier of guys like Jackson and Allen, his two-year stretch would surely be worth $50+ million per year on the open market.
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