Wide receiver is becoming a more valuable position in today's NFL, and the contracts that teams are giving to them prove just that. Teams don't necessarily need to have elite wide receivers to win Super Bowls, but man, it's hard to argue how valuable they are at this point. It's a different story now than it was 20 years ago.
The NFL is now an offense-first league, so the QB and WR spots have seen their contracts jump up substantially. Among all of the talented wide receivers in the NFL, which five are the highest-paid?
Who are the five highest-paid wide receivers currently in the NFL?
5. Cooper Kupp - $26.7 million
Cooper Kupp's electric 2021 season was arguably the best by any wide receiver in NFL history. He seems to have lost a step, but has still churned out decent WR2 production. Kupp now seems to play the sidekick to the new sheriff in town, Puka Nacua.
4. Davante Adams - $28 million
Davante Adams has been good forever and may have a strong Hall of Fame case when his career ends. He's produced in both Green Bay and Las Vegas, but I would not be shocked if Adams ended his career with another team. He is just shy of $30 million per season
3. Tyreek Hill - $30 million
Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins makes $30 million per year and is a sure-fire Hall of Famer when he decides to hang the cleats up. Perhaps one of the fastest players in NFL history, Hill has caught passes from both Patrick Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa, so he's had the pleasure of playing with some great QBs.
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown - $30.0025 million
Amon-Ra St. Brown might not be the second-best WR in the NFL as his contract may indicate, but he's the catalyst for the Detroit Lions offense. Lions GM Brad Holmes got to work this offseason in extending some of their best players, and St. Brown's deal makes him the second highest-paid WR in NFL history.
1. AJ Brown - $32 million
Signing an extension this offseason, that's already two contracts from the Philadelphia Eagles for AJ Brown, who is getting $32 million per year on his new deal. The extension was a three-year deal worth $96 million, so Brown can rest at the top as the highest paid WR in NFL history. However, guys like Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson say soon find their names at the top of this list.
Jefferson and Chase are likely the next two wide receivers who could find themselves signing massive deals. For Justin Jefferson, I would not be surprised if he signed a contract worth $35 million per season. And soon enough, with how much the NFL salary cap typically grows, we'll be seeing wide receivers making $40 million per year.