'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
According to Spotrac, punters earn an average of $1,520,940 per year. This figure represents the average salaries for the special teams unit in the NFL for the 2023 season.
Punters are the second lowest-paid players on an average basis in the NFL. They rank just above long snappers on the salary table.
The Five highest-paid punters in the NFL
The punting position is vastly underrated in the NFL. Games can be won, lost, and altered by a top-notch punt, so it's only fitting that they get paid. Here's a rundown of the five highest-paid players at the position:
Be the GM of your favorite team, use our free Mock Draft Simulator with trades
#5. A. J. Cole III, Las Vegas Raiders - $3,000,000
A. J. Cole III is a two-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro selection, and the starting punter for the Las Vegas Raiders. He has been with the Raiders his whole career, as he was signed by them as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Cole III signed a four-year, $12.4 million contract extension with the Raiders on December 9, 2021, and has proved excellent value for money. He is one of the few Pro Bowlers on the Raiders squad and a great member of the locker room.
4. Logan Cooke, Jacksonville Jaguars - $3,000,000
Regular punters aren't typically selected in the NFL Draft. However, Logan Cooke was seen as more than ordinary coming out of college. Cooke was immense for Mississippi State, recording punts for 6,250 total yards for a 41.7 average. He was touted as a late-round draft pick coming into the 2018 NFL Draft.
Cooke was subsequently selected by the Jaguars in the seventh round of the Draft. He signed a four-year, $12 million extension with the Jaguars on March 20, 2021. Cooke is a one-franchise player, and the Jaguars faithful are pleased with his consistent output.
3. Tress Way, Washington Commanders, $3,312,500
Trees Way is the starting punter for the Washington Commanders. Way is one of the longest-serving Commanders, having joined the franchise in 2014. The tenured talent is a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time selection to the All-Pro second team.
Trees Way attended the University of Oklahoma, initially joining as a kicker but later converting to his current position. This proved a smart move for his NFL prospects, as he became a Sooners' starter.
Of Way's 250 punts, 91 went inside the 20, 71 were for 50 or more yards, and 36 were touchbacks, solid stats for a college prospect.
Way went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, later signing with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. He was eventually waived before the 2013 and 2014 NFL seasons. Way was ultimately signed by the then-Washington Redskins, on August 20, 2014. He has been in Washington ever since.
2. Jack Fox, Detroit Lions - $3,491,250
Jack Fox is the starting punter for the Detroit Lions and is among the best players at his position in the league. Fox is a one-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro selection, with both accolades coming in the 2020 NFL season.
Fox was both a kicker and punter for four seasons at Rice University. He put up great numbers in both capacities at the collegiate level and was named first-team All-conference and the Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, as well as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award in his senior year. Coming out of college, Fox was seen as a potential late-round Draft pick.
Perhaps surprisingly, Fox went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was promptly signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. He never played an NFL snap for the Chiefs, as he was released on November 6, 2019.
Fox later joined the Detroit Lions, initially via the practice squad, but eventually worked his way up to the primary team. He has been a constant fixture in the Lions squad since signing a three-year, $11.325 million contract extension on October 22, 2022.
1. Michael Dickson, Seattle Seahawks - $3,674,765
Michael Dickson is the starting punter for the Seattle Seahawks and is arguably one of the best punters in the league. Dickson has a career punt average of 47.6 yards per punt, a mark that is currently the highest in NFL history.
Dickson is a one-time Pro Bowler, a one-time All-Pro selection, and a PFWA All-Rookie Team member. He signed a four-year, $14.5 million contract extension with the Seahawks on June 4, 2021, the wealthiest punter contract in NFL history.
