Jared Goff contract details: Where Lions star ranks among NFL's highest-paid QBs

Jared Goff contract details: Where Lions star ranks among NFL’s highest-paid QBs

Admin November 10, 2024

When the Detroit Lions acquired Jared Goff as part of the Matthew Stafford trade during the 2021 NFL offseason, many wondered how long the former No. 1 pick would be the team’s top quarterback.

Goff led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl 53 appearance against the New England Patriots in 2019 but saw Sean McVay’s confidence in him erode over the next couple of seasons. The trade gave Goff a fresh start and while his first season in Detroit wasn’t entirely smooth, he eventually regained his form as a quality starter under Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson’s tutelage.

Goff helped lead the Lions to the NFC Championship Game during the 2024 NFL playoffs, and that was enough to earn him a lucrative contract extension. The deal ties Goff to Detroit through his age-34 season and should keep the team’s Super Bowl window open.

How much is Goff making as a part of his new contract? Here’s what to know about Goff’s salary, cap hits and where he ranks among the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks in 2024.

Jared Goff contract details

Goff signed a four-year extension with the Lions during the 2024 NFL offseason that will pay him up to $212 million. Below is a breakdown of the deal’s basics, per Spotrac.com.

Term: 4 years
Total value: $212 million
Average annual value (AAV): $53 million
Guaranteed money: $170.6 million

Goff’s deal makes him the sixth-highest-paid quarterback league-wide in terms of AAV. He is rated just behind Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1 million AAV) and ahead of Justin Herbert ($52.5 million AAV).

This is the second lucrative extension that Goff has signed during his NFL career. He originally signed a four-year, $134 million deal with the Rams during the 2019 offseason, after his lone Super Bowl appearance to date.

Goff is set to have $401.6 million in career earnings when his contract expires following the 2028 season.

What is Jared Goff’s 2024 salary?

Goff has a base salary of just over $2.6 million in 2024, but his cap hit is much larger than that at just over $27.2 million. Below is a look at Goff’s base salary by year, per Spotrac.com:

2024: $2.6 million
2025: $18 million
2026: $55 million
2027: $40 million
2028: $39 million

And here is how much Goff will count against the Lions’ salary cap through the 2028 NFL season:

2024: $27.2 million
2025: $32.6 million
2026: $69.6 million
2027: $54.6 million
2028: $61.6 million

Goff’s base salaries and cap charges in the latter years of his contract could eventually change, as the Lions may extend him, restructure his deal or add void years to it to defray his cost.

Highest-paid NFL QBs

Several metrics can be used to measure the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks. AAV (average annual value), total guarantees, and total contract value are the most popular among them, with AAV showing the best estimate of a quarterback’s yearly value.

Below is a look at where Goff’s deal rankings among the rest of the NFL’s best compensated signal-caller.

AAV

Goff is one of nine NFL quarterback’s making at least $50 million in AAV on his contract. Dak Prescott ($60 million) is currently the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback in terms of AAV.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: $60 million
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: $55 million
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: $55 million
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: $55 million
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins: $53.1 million
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: $53 million
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: $52.5 million
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: $52 million
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: $51 million
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals: $46.1 million

Guaranteed money

Prescott also leads the NFL in guaranteed money on his contract. The Cowboys put him $1 million ahead of Deshaun Watson as part of the mega-deal they signed before the 2024 NFL season.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: $231 million
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: $230 million
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: $219.01 million
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: $218.74 million
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: $200 million
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: $185 million
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: $179.4 million
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: $170.61 million
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins: $167.17 million
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: $160.3 million

Total contract value

Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL in total contract value, as the full value of his 10-year pact with the Chiefs is $450 million. Goff’s contract does not crack the 10 largest deals overall, as his four-year pact will pay him $212 million.