Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts Left Behind As Unlikely NFL Candidate Makes an Elite List With Max Verstappen and Luka Dončić

The 2022-23 NFL offseason has been chaotic and nothing short of a rat race when it came to new contracts for the quarterbacks of the league. Philadelphia Eagles QB1 Jalen Hurts wasn’t the highest-paid NFL athlete for more than a week before Lamar Jackson took that spot. And we still haven’t seen an extension for Joe Burrow. Among all this ongoing humdrum, an unlikely candidate from the NFL has quietly entered a prestigious Forbes list.

The magazine recently released its list of the highest-paid athletes under the age of 25. This featured some of the biggest names across all global sports. Being the richest league in the world, NFL fans expected to see some of their favorite stars feature on that list. However, they were left surprised by the one who eventually made the cut.

Who is the NFL representative in Forbes’ Young Athlete Earnings list?

Lamar Jackson turned 26 this January and should not ideally be in the conversation. And even though Jalen Hurts (24) is way ahead of the rest when it comes to the average annual value of the QBs, his contract is too fresh to put him on the Richest-under-25 list. For now, there is only one starting NFL quarterback on the Top 5 list alongside soccer sensation Kylian Mbappe, FI prodigy Max Verstappen, striker extraordinaire Erling Haaland, and Dallas’ smiling assassin Luka Dončić.

It’s Arizona Cardinals signal-caller, Kyler Murray.

The 25-year-old has amassed more than $67 million from his NFL career earnings. Add to this another $3.5 million from his various brand endorsements. This puts him in the second spot on the list behind Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, who leads with $120 million in earnings.

ALSO READ: Kyler Murray Talks About the Game That Prepared Him for NFL and It’s Not Baseball

Verstappen’s career earnings came to $64 million, while Haaland clocked $52 million and Dončić capped off at $47.2 million.

So How did Kyler Murray achieve this incredible feat?

While Action Jackson and Hurts only had their demands met in 2023, Murray secured a cushiony 5-year $230.5 million extension in 2022. This included a $36 million option bonus and a $29 million signing bonus. Off the gridiron, Murray has various endorsement deals, including collaborations with the e-sports organization, FaZe Clan.

Surely, the list will significantly change in the NFL’s favor if the age barrier is raised to 30. This will rope in Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, who signed a 10-year $503 million contract with his team.

For now, the Forbes list has an incredibly proportionate representation of all major sporting spectacles. However, Murray’s inclusion had to be the most surprising to fans and experts.

WATCH THIS STORY: Fans left raging after Patrick Mahomes gets stripped off the Kentucky Derby spotlight