Highest Paid NFL Player vs. NBA Superstar: Which League Delivers Bigger Paychecks and Profits?

Too often, the NBA and the NFL become focal points in debates about which sports league delivers bigger paychecks. Both leagues have seen an incredible surge in growth with each passing season. Looking at the NFL, between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the salary cap rose a whopping $30 million to a yearly budget of $255.4 million for each team! And as for the basketball league, just 10 years ago, Kobe Bryant’s $23.5 million was the highest salary. And now? That would land you in the 69th rank, next to Kyle Kuzma! Ridiculous, right?

So that brings us to the next question. Who is the highest-paid player in the NBA and NFL? Of course, you would have a pretty good idea given that the offseason for the former was just done and dusted. There is still that shocking blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns trade to be finalized. But that is a topic for later.

Do Stephen Curry and Patrick Mahomes still rule the leaderboard?

You might probably know the answer to the latter part, given that Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott inked a historic contract at the 11th hour of the offseason. His agent, Todd France of Athletes First, made sure his client received the best deal, and boy, is it big! A four-year, $240 million contract that includes $231 million guaranteed.

Given that $29M is still left from his previous contract, the total amount now comes to a whopping $269 million. And although it sits at 8th among NFL contracts, Prescott still holds the record for the largest in Dallas’ history. And as for his annual paycheck for 2024 – $81,250,000. 

Yet, Patrick Mahomes is still the ‘Godfather’ when it comes to largest contracts in the NFL – be it in terms of value or length. The man signed a 10-year, $450 million contract extension with Kansas City in 2020. And in 2024, he earns $45,750,000, which actually puts him in the Top 10, with the likes of Deshaun Watson and Joe Burrow ranking ahead.

Now what about basketball’s ‘Chef’? Steph seems to have no interest in letting anyone else take his place. The 4x champion has been leading the NBA as the highest-paid player in terms of total cash since 2021-22. Starting at $45,780,966, Curry has roughly seen an increase of $16.9 million over the years hence.

The offseason saw the Warriors lock in their franchise cornerstone until the 2027 season, having signed a 1 year, $62.59 million veteran contract extension with Golden State. However, the 10x All-Star had signed a four-year, $215.35 million maximum contract extension in 2021. As such, he still has two seasons (including 2024-25) left on the deal. And per that, he carries a cap hit of $55,761,216 this year.

In fact, until 2026-27, Stephen Curry ranks at the top with the money he makes from his on-court job. Taking into account the annual salary for the three seasons, his total earnings will come to $177.95 million. But more importantly, his career earnings make the 2x MVP the fourth player to enter the $500M club.

Despite it all, between the NBA and NFL, the former still pays their players more.

The NBA or NFL – which league has the higher hand?

If we were to give a simple answer, well, it depends on various factors. As mentioned above, the NBA tends to play its players higher than its NFL counterpart. Take, for instance, the difference in cap hit between the two leagues.

For the most part, the cap hit in the NBA is guaranteed, particularly for top players. So that means regardless of injuries or performance, these players get guaranteed money, making it more player-friendly as opposed to the NFL. And if we were to look at the average NBA salary, it comes to around $11 million while the NFL is closer to $3.2 million.

However, in terms of league revenue, football far outweighs basketball, purely because of the domestic popularity, which leads to a consistent source of revenue. Per Sportico, the NFL’s annual revenue was nearly $13 billion in 2023. And Statista noted that the NBA in 2023 came close to $11 billion. As mentioned above, the vast viewership base and the Super Bowl alone generate more than enough revenue.

As for the NBA, more than a local fanbase, the professional basketball league commands a far more extensive fanbase globally, particularly in China and Europe. And if we were to further break it down to off-court earnings, an average NFL player does not have the same marketability as top stars in the field, like Mahomes, Travis Kelce, or Tom Brady. In stark contrast, the NBA players have a greater outreach when it comes to off-court endeavors. A major reason is the above-mentioned global fanbase.

From LeBron James and Stephen Curry to even draft candidates, the NBA players’ social media influence and individual marketability, among others bring quite a bit of off-court earnings. In short, if we were to focus on individual paychecks, the NBA leads. But from a league stability and profitability viewpoint, the NFL has a stronger case to make.

Do you think that’s the case? Let us know more in the comments.