It’s hard to argue against anyone but the quarterback being the most important player on the field at any given time in a football game, and this is backed up when it comes time to get paid, as quarterbacks routinely have the highest-paying contracts, especially once their rookie deals expire and they have more leverage in negotiations.
Just this offseason, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts all signed new contracts worth a total of more than 250 million dollars over five seasons. Last offseason saw a similar trend, with Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson all getting paid in a big way, following the lead of Patrick Mahomes who signed a massive ten year, 450 million dollar contract in 2020.
Herbert just set the new high-dollar mark with his recently signed contract giving him an average of $52.5 million per year, a number that will likely be surpassed as soon as Bengals superstar Joe Burrow signs his next deal. In 2019, Wilson set the bar with a $35 million average per season, a number that has been dwarfed now less than five years later.
Looking at that list of names, it becomes clear that some players will prove to be worth the money while others struggle to provide enough bang for the buck. With so much money being paid to quarterbacks and so many high profile negotiations wrapping up this offseason (Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert) and Burrow expected to extend soon, MinnesotaBets thinking with a Minnesota sports betting state of mind, decided to look at which NFL QBs are the most cost-valuable.
Most Cost-Valuable NFL Quarterbacks
We calculated a value aggregate rank utilizing key QB stats (completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing touchdowns) from Pro-Football-Reference.com to establish an aggregate passing rank as well as 2023 cap hit rank from OverTheCap.com.
To qualify for this list, players must be the expected starter for 2023 and have started in at least 12 games in 2022.
Will Kirk Cousins continue his offensive production and keep the Vikings playoff chances alive in the 2023-24 season? Track them with us all year.
Cousins Puts Up Numbers
Jalen Hurts tops the list thanks to his low cap hit for the coming season. Despite the big extension he just signed, Hurts is still on his rookie deal for 2023, keeping his cap hit under seven million. Having a QB still on his rookie deal while performing at a level comparable to players with cap hits over 30 million dollars is a massive advantage for the Eagles and a big reason they’re expected to have another strong season.
Burrow also ranks highly for this reason, with his top passing mark combined with his $11.5 million cap hit putting him third.
While most players at the top of the list are on their rookie contracts, Aaron Rodgers manages to rank third due to a very unique contract situation that got even more complicated after his offseason trade from the Packers to the Jets.
Rodgers became the NFL’s first $50 million man in 2022, but the complex contract structure has resulted in him having a 2023 salary cap hit of $8.88 million dollars, although that number will go up drastically in the next couple of seasons.
Minnesota fans will be happy to see that they have gotten great production per dollar from their QB as well, as Kirk Cousins checks in tied for ninth. Cousins has a cap hit of just over $20 million per season and continues to put up numbers year over year.
Cousins has done a great job of getting more guaranteed money than most QBs in his contracts, although it hasn’t resulted in his cap hit getting out of control. With Cousins in the fold at a reasonable number yet again this year, the Vikings Super Bowl odds should be among the top in the NFL this season.
