The highest-paid players in the NFL are usually the best players in the NFL...right?
Thanks to clever agents, clueless GMs and a few highly questionable decisions, the highest-paid players at every position aren't necessarily the guys you'd expect to see - let's take a look at the five top earners at every NFL position:
OFFENSE
Quarterback:
5. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Yearly Salary: $13,800,000
4. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
Yearly Salary: $14,015,000
3. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Yearly Salary: $15,000,000
2. Eli Manning, New York Giants
Yearly Salary: $15,150,000
1. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
Yearly Salary: $17,500,000
Running Back:
5. Arian Foster, Houston Texans
Yearly Salary: $5,750,000
4. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
Yearly Salary: $5,950,000
3. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
Yearly Salary: $6,000,000
2. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
Yearly Salary: $7,650,000
1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Yearly Salary: $11,750,000
Fullback:
5. John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers
Yearly Salary: $855,000
4. Darrel Young, Washington Redskins
Yearly Salary: $875,000
3. Jerome Felton, Minnesota Vikings
Yearly Salary: $1,450,000
2. Mike Tolbert, Carolina Panthers
Yearly Salary: $2,325,000
1. Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders
Yearly Salary: $2,950,000
Wide Receiver:
5. Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears
Yearly Salary: $7,300,000
4. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
Yearly Salary: $8,235,294
2. (tie) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yearly Salary: $10,000,000
2. (tie) Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Yearly Salary: $10,000,000
1. Mike Wallace, Miami Dolphins
Yearly Salary: $15,000,000
Tight End:
5. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers
Yearly Salary: $4,700,000
4. Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears
Yearly Salary: $4,800,000
3. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
Yearly Salary: $5,000,000
2. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
Yearly Salary: $5,250,000
1. Marcedes Lewis
Yearly Salary: $6,700,000
Left Tackle:
5. Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
Yearly Salary: $7,250,000
3. (tie) Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos
Yearly Salary: $8,000,000
3. (tie) Jake Long, St. Louis Rams
Yearly Salary: $8,000,000
2. Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks
Yearly Salary: $8,760,000
1. Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
Yearly Salary: $10,900,000
Right Tackle:
5. Bryan Bulaga, Green Bay Packers
Yearly Salary: $2,565,500
3. (tie) Andre Smith, Cincinnati Bengals
Yearly Salary: $3,000,000
3. (tie) Todd Herremans, Philadelphia Eagles
Yearly Salary: $3,000,000
2. Phil Loadholt, Minnesota Vikings
Yearly Salary: $3,400,000
1. Doug Free, Dallas Cowboys
Yearly Salary: $3,500,000
Guard:
5. Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
Yearly Salary: $5,500,000
4. Ben Grubbs, New Orleans Saints
Yearly Salary: $6,000,000
3. Logan Mankins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yearly Salary: $6,250,000
2. Andy Levitre, Tennessee Titans
Yearly Salary: $6,500,000
1. Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints
Yearly Salary: $6,800,000
Center:
5. John Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings
Yearly Salary: $3,650,000
4. Eric Wood, Buffalo Bills
Yearly Salary: $4,000,000
2. (tie) Max Unger, Seattle Seahawks
Yearly Salary: $5,000,000
2. (tie) Chris Myers, Houston Texans
Yearly Salary: $5,000,000
1. Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns
Yearly Salary: $10,000,000
DEFENSE
Defensive End:
5. Cameron Wake, Miami Dolphins
Yearly Salary: $5,820,000
4. Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings
Yearly Salary: $6,900,000
3. Cliff Avril, Seattle Seahawks
Yearly Salary: $7,000,000
2. Chris Long, St. Louis Rams
Yearly Salary: $10,200,000
1. Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers
Yearly Salary: $13,116,000
Defensive Tackle:
5. Brandon Mebane, Seattle Seahawks
Yearly Salary: $5,500,000
4. Ahtyba Rubin, Cleveland Browns
Yearly Salary: $6,600,000
3. Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens
Yearly Salary: $8,500,000
2. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Yearly Salary: $12,550,000
1. Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yearly Salary: $17,500,000
Outside Linebacker:
5. Dannell Ellerbe, Miami Dolphins
Yearly Salary: $6,000,000
4. Tamba Hali, Kansas City Chiefs
Yearly Salary: $6,250,000
3. Paul Kruger, Cleveland Browns
Yearly Salary: $7,000,000
2. Jason Worilds, Pittsburgh Steelers
Yearly Salary: $9,754,000
1. Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
Yearly Salary: $11,455,000
Inside Linebacker:
5. Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
Yearly Salary: $5,285,000
4. Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh Steelers
Yearly Salary: $6,750,000
3. DeMeco Ryans, Philadelphia Eagles
Yearly Salary: $6,800,000
2. Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville Jaguars
Yearly Salary: $7,450,000
1. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams
Yearly Salary: $10,000,000
Cornerback:
5. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns
Yearly Salary: $6,678,193
4. Leon Hall, Cincinnati Bengals
Yearly Salary: $6,800,000
3. Tramon Williams, Green Bay Packers
Yearly Salary: $6,900,000
1. (tie) Brandon Carr, Dallas Cowboys
Yearly Salary: $7,500,000
1. (tie) Johnathan Joseph, Houston Texans
Yearly Salary: $7,500,000
Safety:
5. Dashon Goldson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yearly Salary: $6,000,000
4. Michael Griffin, Tennessee Titans
Yearly Salary: $6,200,000
3. Antrel Rolle, New York Giants
Yearly Salary: $7,000,000
2. Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers
Yearly Salary: $7,500,000
1. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
Yearly Salary: $8,417,000
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker:
5. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
Yearly Salary: $2,650,000
4. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders
Yearly Salary: $2,700,000
3. Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons
Yearly Salary: $2,750,000
2. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
Yearly Salary: $2,900,000
1. Josh Scobee, Jacksonville Jaguars
Yearly Salary: $3,225,000
Punter:
5. Pat McAfee, Indianapolis Colts
Yearly Salary: $2,750,000
4. Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City Chiefs
Yearly Salary: $2,950,000
3. Brandon Fields, Miami Dolphins
Yearly Salary: $3,041,116
1. (tie) Michael Koenen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yearly Salary: $3,250,000
1. (tie) Mike Scifres, San Diego Chargers
Yearly Salary: $3,250,000
Long Snapper:
5. Zak DeOssie, New York Giants
Yearly Salary: $925,000
3. (tie) Don Muhlbach, Detroit Lions
Yearly Salary: $955,000
3. Jon Dorenbos, Philadelphia Eagles
Yearly Salary: $955,000
2. Mike Leach, Arizona Cardinals
Yearly Salary: $1,000,000
1. Cullen Loeffler, Minnesota Vikings
Yearly Salary: $1,135,000
All data accurate as of 11/9/2014. Information from rotoworld.com and spotrac.com was used in this article
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