Lamar Jackson is rightfully the highest-paid player on the Baltimore Ravens’ roster, and will remain so for at least a few more years after signing a five-year, $260 million extension in 2023, the largest contract in NFL history at the time.
Some may wonder, though, where does Jackson rank among not just NFL players, but athletes as a whole? It may come as a surprise, but he’s not even close to being one of the highest-paid athletes.
For the fourth year in a row, Sportico put together a list of the world’s top 100 highest-paid athletes, adding up their salary/earnings plus their endorsement deals. Jackson didn’t even crack that top 100, despite 22 NFL players being present on the list.
Of course, it’s important to note why Jackson didn’t make the cut. The two-time MVP’s contract is very backloaded, with his base salary set to jump from $20.25 million in 2025 to $51.25 million in 2026 and 2027.
That salary alone would place Jackson in the mid-40s of this list, specifically at No. 46 between Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden ($51.8 million total pay) and Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker ($51.1 million). Add in the numerous endorsement deals he has, and he could be very high on this same list next year.
That would be especially true if he can bring a Super Bowl back to Baltimore, which he has repeatedly stated is his goal above all others.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was the top NFL earner on the list, ranking No. 12 on the list with a total pay of $100.4 million, $86.4 million in salary and $14 million in endorsements. Soccer superstar Christiano Ronaldo topped the overall list with $260 million in total pay, $215 million in salary and $45 million in endorsements.
