Super Bowl LVIII is set: The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will face off in Las Vegas. It’s the first time the Super Bowl is ever being played in Sin City, and it’s also the first time Taylor Swift will be in attendance (as far as we know, at least). You’d need to fork over nearly $7,000 just to get into the festivities, so we don’t blame you for wanting to watch at home instead.
Of course, the players on the Chiefs and Niners already have an invite to the game. But even if they wanted to watch, they’d have no trouble forking up the cash.
Here’s a look at the ten highest-paid players in the Super Bowl, from the league’s most popular quarterback to offensive and defensive linemen doing work in the trenches.
One note before we dive in: NFL players can make money from their teams in several ways. They have their base salary but can also receive signing bonuses, roster bonuses, restructured deals from previous seasons, and additional incentives. We’re basing the numbers below off the total cash each player made during the 2023 season.
Patrick Mahomes (L) and Nick Bosa (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
#1: Patrick Mahomes, $59.35 million
Patrick Mahomes is the owner of the largest contract in NFL history. So perhaps it’s no surprise that he’s the highest earner in the Super Bowl. He’s proven to be quite valuable to the Chiefs, winning two MVP awards and leading the Chiefs to two Super Bowl victories. Kansas City is now in its fourth Super Bowl appearance, looking to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since the Patriots won in 2003 and 2004.
While Mahomes will be the highest-paid player in this game, his quarterback counterpart is making considerably less. Brock Purdy is still on his rookie deal, and as the last player drafted in 2022 — aka Mr. Irrelevant — he’ll end this season with $870,000.
#2: Nick Bosa, $50.01 million
Shortly after the first game of the season, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa signed a deal that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the entire NFL. Technically, his salary is only $1,010,000, but he’s making a whopping $50 million as a signing bonus. Bosa had a career-high 53 tackles this season, though his 10.5 sacks are the fewest he’s had in three seasons.
#3: Javon Hargrave, $24,926,755
Javon Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million contract last offseason to join the 49ers. He put up solid numbers as a defensive tackle, getting his second Pro Bowl nod. Hargrave is on a bit of a Super Bowl hot streak, too – he reached last year’s game as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. He (and Niners fans) are hoping this year has a better result.
#4: Chris Jones, $22,666,667
The Chiefs’ top-paid defender skipped out on training camp and missed the team’s first game against the Detroit Lions, a game Kansas City lost 21-20. Jones and the Chiefs came to an agreement on a one-year deal a few days later, and he’s appeared in every game for the rest of the season.
#5: Trent Williams, $20,117,638
Trent Williams spent the first ten seasons of his career in Washington before the team traded him to the 49ers in 2020. Since joining the Niners, Williams has seen his career trend upward. He was a regular Pro Bowl nominee, but over the past three seasons, he’s also been named to the All-Pro First Team.
#6: Jawaan Taylor, $20 million
Jawaan Taylor has been a solid offensive lineman this year, but there’s a bigger issue at play here. Taylor started this season as the most penalized player in the entire NFL. And, well…he finished it the same way, too. Taylor was penalized 20 times this season — eight more than any other player — accounting for 21.7% of the team’s penalties for the season. That’s an absurd amount of penalties for anyone, let alone someone who just signed a new contract for $80 million. Some of Taylor’s penalties have led to points coming off the board for the Chiefs; if it happens in the Super Bowl, that $20 million would be an extreme price to pay.
#7: Joe Thuney, $15.5 million
Despite his name being pronounced the same as the Canadian “Toonie” coin, Thuney is earning a lot more than two dollars. The guard previously played under Bill Belichick in New England and signed with the Chiefs in 2023. He’s in the third of a five-year deal worth $80 million and is looking for his fourth Super Bowl title since entering the league in 2016.
#8: Charvarius Ward, $14 million
Our first member of the secondary on the list, Charvarius Ward had the best season of his career this year. He recorded a career-high five interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. The league took note, too: Ward made his debut Pro Bowl appearance and was named second-team All-Pro for the first time.
#9: Fred Warner, $13,495,576
The 49ers drafted Fred Warner in 2018, and the linebacker has been with the team his whole career. That means this is his second trip to the Super Bowl — and second game against the Chiefs. Warner played well the first time these two teams met, notching seven tackles and an interception. This season, Warner totaled 132 tackles and posted career highs in pass deflections (11), interceptions (4), and forced fumbles (4). He also received his third Pro Bowl nomination and made first-team All-Pro for the third time.
#10: Arik Armstead, $12,625,700
San Francisco defensive end Arik Armstead rounds out our top ten list. Earlier this season, Armstead posted a series of videos to social media to offer a transparent look at NFL paychecks. While salaries are public knowledge, we don’t often see just how much of that money gets lost to taxes. Armstead’s videos helped shine a light on what players owe Uncle Sam. It’s quite a bit!
One other notable name is missing from this list: Travis Kelce, or, as newer fans may know him, Taylor Swift’s love interest. Kelce is the 12th highest-paid player in the Super Bowl, earning $12,161,755 this year. He’s just behind George Kittle, who’s 11th with $12,220,576.
We should be in store for a terrific Super Bowl. Who ya got: Chiefs or 49ers?
