A new NFL season got underway on September 7th and to say there are plenty of talking points would be an understatement. The Kansas City Chiefs head into the new campaign as the reigning champions after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII in February at State Farm Stadium. Inspired by the brilliance of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Missouri-based outfit rallied from a ten-point half-time deficit to usurp Jalen Hurts’ all-time great Big Game performance and secure the Lombardi for the second time in four years.
The Chiefs raised the curtain on the new campaign by welcoming the Detroit Lions to Arrowhead Stadium, and many had expected the hosts to get the victory. The visitors however are no strangers to springing the upset, as they proved on the final day of last season. Despite having nothing to play for, the Lions headed to Lambeau Field and defeated their rival Green Bay Packers, who needed a win to secure a spot in the playoffs.
And now, they started this season as they finished the last one. Quarterback Jarred Goff threw for 253 yards including one touchdown while running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 116 yards in a stunning 21-20 victory. And that wasn’t the only shocker from game week one.
Much has been made of Aaron Rodgers’ blockbuster trade from the Packers to the New York Jets throughout the close season. Many of the MetLife Stadium faithful had been salivating at the prospect of their team finally having a franchise quarterback that they could build around. However, those hopes and dreams were crushed within six minutes of A-Rod’s debut against the Buffalo Bills, as he went down with a season-ending ankle injury.
Another quarterback that has been in the news is Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals. The 26-year-old former LSU standout became the highest-paid player in NFL history on the eve of the new season, penning a five-year $275m extension. And that got us thinking, who are the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL today? Let’s take a look.
Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $55m-per-year
When 2019 Heisman winner Joe Burrow was drafted first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincy faithful were hopeful that he could transform the flailing franchise’s fortunes. However, even the most optimistic fan in Ohio couldn’t have anticipated the revolution that was to come. The Bengals hadn’t reached the playoffs in six years prior to his arrival at Paycor Stadium, and you would have to go back a whopping 30 years for their last postseason victory.
However, in just his second season with his new franchise, Jackpot Joey didn’t only hand the Bengals their first playoff victory in over three decades, he took them all the way to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1988 season. He would follow that up with another trip to the AFC Championship game last season, knocking off the Mobardi favorite Buffalo Bills on the road in the divisional round. This season however could not have gotten off to a worse start.
Super Bowl bets of the close season had made the Bengals one of the favorites for glory. On the opening game of the new season though, they were thumped 24-3 by the Cleveland Browns. As such, their odds of lifting the Lombardi this term have drifted all the way out to +1400, and the Bengals need Burrow to earn his corn this season if they are to live up to the preseason hype.
Justin Herbert – Los Angeles Chargers – $52.5m-per-year
Perhaps surprisingly, the next highest-paid quarterback in the league is former Oregon Ducks star Justin Herbert. He was drafted the same year as Burrow, going sixth overall, to the Los Angeles Chargers. In his debut season, he set a plethora of records for a rookie, including most passing touchdowns, most passing yards per game, and most completions. That prompted the City of Angels outfit to break the bank in tying him down to a blockbuster new deal however since then, he hasn’t been able to build on the early potential he had shown.
Herbert has posted consistent – if not mind-boggling – numbers. He has averaged over 4,000 passing yards in all three of his seasons in the NFL and managed to lead the Chargers to the playoffs last season for just the third time since 2009 last season. The new campaign got underway with a narrow defeat to the Miami Dolphins in which there were plenty of positives, and they will be hoping to build on that as the season progresses.
Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens – $52m-per-year
In 2016, Louisville Cardinals star Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman. He would have to wait another two years before he could be drafted, and his stock had fallen somewhat by the time he entered the drafting pool, eventually being selected as the 32nd overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, though, he has shown that that sophomore year was no fluke.
In just his second campaign in Maryland, Jackson won the MVP award after throwing for over 3,000 yards. His form helped the Ravens finish the regular season with a record of 14-2 however, they would still make an early exit from the playoffs. In recent years, Burrow and his Bengals have had the Ravens’ number, consistently pipping them to the AFC North crown, and it remains to be seen whether Jackson and Co. can usurp their rivals over the course of the new campaign.