NFL's Highest Paid Players

SI Staff | Feb 16, 2011

NFL's Highest Paid Players

Peyton Manning

Al Tielemans/SI

Last year, Colts owner Jim Irsay promised to make Peyton Manning the highest paid player in the NFL. Little did he know that he would do it twice. On Tuesday the Colts gave Manning the exclusive franchise tag, a move expected to cost the Colts $23 million. That figure alone makes Manning the highest paid player (on an average annual basis), but Irsay hasn't backed down on his promise, maintaining that the franchise tag merely gives the Colts time to negotiate a long term deal. While the Colts negotiate, SI.com presents the rest of the richest men in the NFL in terms of average annual salary.

Tom Brady

Damian Strohmeyer/SI

Eli Manning

Al Tielemans/SI

Phillip Rivers

Robert Beck/SI

Julius Peppers

Damian Strohmeyer/SI

Richard Seymour

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Albert Haynesworth

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Ndamukong Suh

Kellen Michah/Icon SMI

Carson Palmer

Bob Rosato/SI

DeMarcus Ware

Robert Beck/SI

Sam Bradford

David E. Klutho/SI

Ben Roethlisberger

Bill Frakes/SI

Gerald McCoy

Cliff Welch/Icon SMI

Jason Smith

John Iacono/SI

Jared Allen

Tom Dahlin/SI

Mark Sanchez

David Bergman/SI

Dwight Freeney

Peter Read Miller/SI

Matthew Stafford

Peter Read Miller/SI

Matt Ryan

Bob Rosato/SI

Darrelle Revis

Peter Read Miller/SI