Here are the salaries of the highest paid coaches in the NFL and the huge pay gap with the smallest contracts

What makes a good head coach in the NFL? The (multi) million dollar question 16 teams are constantly looking to find the answer to. Get a competent one and they can change the fortunes of a franchise. A dud, on the other hand, can mean millions of dollars down the drain.

Just as players have complicated clauses and bonuses written into their contracts, so do coaches. The main difference is that NFL coaches always have guaranteed contracts. If the team is doing well, the contract could be extended. If the team is doing badly, the coach can be dropped at any time. But the team is still on the hook for his money.

Since the coaching staff are not party to the collective bargaining agreement between teams and players, their salary has no bearing on the salary cap. Great news for those franchises with deep pockets, less so for small-market teams.

Is the highest-paid coach the most successful coach?

Every contract is individual to the coach and the organization, so generalizing isn’t easy. Stock options may be included, as could performance bonuses. Not every franchise publishes financial details of the front office or coaching staff, so a few coaches could fall anywhere along the pay spectrum. But the one thing that (we think that) we know is that the highest-paid coach in the NFL at present is also the most successful in the NFL.

Andy Reid, who coached the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Kansas City Chiefs, previously faced criticism for his poor record in championship games. However, he has since won three of the last five Super Bowls with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback.

In April this year, Reid secured a reported five-year, $100 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid coach in the NFL and North American sports leagues. The 66-year-old is also the only NFL coach to reach 100 wins with two different franchises and has led his teams to the playoffs 19 times in 25 seasons.

As a result, Reid has taken over top spot on the list from the recently retired Bill Belichick, who led this list in 2023.

Top 10 highest-paid NFL coaches

The salaries below include coaches who have been employed during the 2024 season. According to Sportico, 10 current coaches earn at least $9 million per year (base pay), “based on conversations with a half-dozen people familiar with NFL coaching contracts.”

Who are the lowest-paid NFL coaches?

Once again, while these figures have not been officially published, sources close to NFL teams claim these coaches are the lowest paid in the league.

The Cleveland Browns’ Kevin Stefanski, who is in his fifth season with the franchise, rounds off the list with an annual salary of “just” $3.5 million, less than five times the amount Reid picks up per season.