Who is the highest-paid NFL rookie in 2025? Ranking top 10 stars making bank

The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and rookies are signing their first professional football contracts. These players have made it to the big leagues and will be part of teams competing for the Super Bowl trophy in the 2025/26 season.

With that in mind, let's look at the highest-paid rookie in the 2025 NFL season. We will also identify how much the top-10 best paid rookies will earn in the upcoming campaign.

Who is the highest-paid NFL rookie in 2025?

According to Spotrac, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is the highest-paid rookie in the 2025 NFL season. The former Miami Hurricanes quarterback was selected No. 1 in this year's draft and has signed a four-year contract worth $48.7 million.

Ward is getting paid based on the current rookie contract scale. As the first pick in the 2025 draft, he'll make $8,865,000 in Year 1, $11,081,250 in Year 2, $13,297,500 in Year 3, and $15,513,750 in Year 4. Ward will make just over $2,000,000 more than Jacksonville's Travis Hunter, the second overall pick in the draft.

Cam Ward was widely considered a lock for the No. 1 pick if the pick belonged to a quarterback-needy team. The Tennessee Titans fell into that category, and they opted to add Cam Ward to a roster that still includes 2023 second-round pick Will Levis. It's been reported that both players are currently battling to be the Titans' starter for their Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos.

Top 10 highest-paid NFL rookies in 2025

Here's a list of the top 10 highest-paid rookies in the league:

1. Cam Ward, Quarterback, Tennessee Titans - $48,757,500
2. Travis Hunter, Cornerback/Wide Receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars - $46,571,074
3. Abdul Carter, Defensive End, New York Giants - $45,179,746
4. Will Campbell, Offensive Tackle, New England Patriots - $43,589,604
5. Mason Graham, Defensive Tackle, Cleveland Browns - $40,806,872
6. Ashton Jeanty, Running Back, Las Vegas Raiders - $35,837,732
7. Armand Membou, Offensive Tackle, New York Jets - $31,862,416
8. Tetairoa McMillan, Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers - $27,887,104
9. Kelvin Banks Jr., Offensive Tackle, New Orleans Saints - $27,688,114
10. Colston Loveland, Tight End, Chicago Bears - $26,595,118

Each of the above contracts is fully guaranteed for a four-year span. The contracts for the draft picks get progressively larger. Hence, Cam Ward is the best-paid rookie of his class entering the 2025 regular season.