NFL Kicker Salary – Highest Paid NFL Kicker

The top 10 NFL kicker contracts are all worth at least $14 million, including a salary cap charge, cash payout value, and guaranteed payday. They include kickers like Josh Lambo, Justin Tucker, and Harrison Butker.
All of the NFL kickers contracts include multiple components, such as a base salary, pro-rated bonus, and per game roster bonus.
NFL kickers sign multi-year contracts with teams, before they are scheduled for free agency.

NFL kickers are the playmakers of their teams. These gridiron superstars can turn a game on its head in with seconds remaining on the clock.

With so much riding on every kick, the best NFL kickers are paid a fortune. Mind you, the average NFL kicker salary is not too shabby either.

Highest Paid NFL Kicker (2021):

Harrison Butker – Kansas City Chiefs ($20,275,000)
Wil Lutz – New Orleans Saints ($20,250,000)
Jake Elliott – Philadelphia Eagles ($20,150,000)
Justin Tucker – Baltimore Ravens ($20,000,000)
Ka’imi Fairbairn – Houston Texans ($17,650,000)
Brandon McManus – Denver Broncos ($17,200,000)
Chris Boswell – Pittsburgh Steelers ($16,806,000)
Josh Lambo – Jacksonville Jaguars ($15,500,000)
Jason Myers – Seattle Seahawks ($15,450,000)
Graham Gano – New York Giants ($14,000,000)

Lace up, suit up, and ready your bet slip folks. Today, we’re going to check out the highest paid NFL kicker salaries. These big kicking superstars make our NFL spreads much more enticing!

Graham Gano ($14m)

New York Giants kicker, Graham Gano stand 6'2" tall, weighs 200, and went to Florida State College.

In 2020, his salary cap charge was $2,906,250, with a cash payout of $5,250,000 and a contract value of $14 million. He is fully guaranteed $9,500,000.

In 2021, his base salary was $2 million, with a prorated bonus of $750,000, and a roster bonus of $1.5 million. His free agency begins in 2024.

Jason Myers ($15.45m)

Seattle Seahawks kicker, Jason Myers stands 5'10" tall, and weighs 180. He went to college at Marist.

In 2020, his salary cap charge was $3,600,000, with a cash payout of $2.6 million, a contract value of $15,450,000, and a guaranteed payday $5,500,000.

In 2021, his base salary was listed at $3,350,000, with a prorated bonus of $1 million.

Josh Lambo ($15.5m)

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker, Josh Lambo stands 6 feet tall, and weighs 215.

He went to college at Texas A&M, and recorded a 2020 salary cap charge of $4,125,000, with a cash payout of $3,062,500, and a contract value of $15,500,000. He has a guaranteed payday of $6,500,000.

In 2021, his base salary was listed at $3.5 million, with a prorated bonus of $875,000. He entered the NFL in 2015 for the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent.

Chris Boswell ($16.8m)

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker, Chris Boswell stand 6'2" tall, and weighs 185. He went to college at Rice, and entered the NFL in 2014 as an undrafted free agent for the Texans.

In 2020, his salary cap charge was $2,598,333, with a cash payout of $2,375,000, a contract value of $16,806,000, and a fully guaranteed payout of $7,295,000.

In 2021, his base salary was listed at $3,085,000, with a prorated bonus of $1,683,333.

Pretty big payday, right? You ain’t seen nothing yet! Our sportsbook is loaded with many more NFL kicker stats – stay tuned, the countdown continues…

Brandon McManus ($17.2m)

Denver Broncos kicker, Brendan McManus stands 6'3" tall, and weighs 201. He went to college at Temple.

His 2020 salary cap charge was $4,175,000, with a cash payout of $5.5 million, and a contract value of $17,200,000. His fully guaranteed payout is $9.5 million.

In 2021, his base salary was $1,075,000, with a prorated bonus of $500,000, and a roster bonus of $2,925,000. His guaranteed salary in 2021 was $4 million.

Ka’imi Fairbairn ($17.65m)

Houston Texans kicker, Ka’imi Fairbairn stand 6 feet tall, weighs 185, and went to college at UCLA.

His 2020 salary cap charge was $4,750,000, with a cash payout of $7 million, and a contract value of $17,650,000. He is fully guaranteed $9 million.

In 2021, his base salary was $3,450,000, with a prorated bonus of $750,000, and a guaranteed salary of $2 million. His free agency begins in 2024.

We’re heading into the $20M contract club. Ready for a breather? Check out our NFL Cheerleaders salary article for the latest info on how much NFL cheerleaders make each year.

Justin Tucker ($20m)

Baltimore Ravens kicker, Justin Tucker stands 6 feet tall, weighs 180, and went to college in Texas.

In 2020, his salary cap charge was $5,100,000, with a cash payout of $3,500,000, and a contract value of $20 million. He is fully guaranteed of $12.5 million.

In 2021, his base salary was $3.5 million, and a prorated bonus of $1.6 million.

Jake Elliott ($20.15m)

Philadelphia Eagles kicker, Jake Elliott stands 5'9" tall, and weights 167. He went to college in Memphis.

His 2020 salary cap charge was $2,629,000, with a cash payout of $5,725,000, and a contract value of $20,150,000. He is fully guaranteed of $5,655,000.

In 2021, his base salary was $2,500,000, with a prorated bonus of $774,00, and a workout bonus of $50,000. His guaranteed salary was listed at $2,500,000. His free agency begins in 2025.

Wil Lutz ($20.25m)

New Orleans Saints kicker, Wil Lutz stands 5'11" tall, and weighs 184.

In 2020, his salary cap charge was $4,200,000, with a cash payout of $3,150,000, and a contract value of $20,250,000. The fully guaranteed payout was listed at $9,200,000.

In 2021, his base salary was listed at $3,400,000, with a prorated bonus of $1,050,000, a roster bonus of $200,000, and a workout bonus of $50,000. Lutz’s free agency begins in 2024.

Harrison Butker ($20.275m)

Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker stands 6'4" tall, and weighs 199. He went to college at Georgia Tech, and entered the NFL in 2017 in Round 7, for the Carolina Panthers.

In 2020 his salary cap charge was $3,195,000, with a cash payout of $2,495,000. Butker’s contract value is $20,275,000, with a fully guaranteed payday of $6,490,000.

Note: NFL kicker salaries and searches for the highest paid NFL kickers will not yield the same results. Players always negotiate with their NFL teams for multi-year contracts. Regardless, you always get what you pay for with NFL kicker salaries.

These players are assessed by their field goal rate, with guys like Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens hammering home a 91% conversion rate – the best in his generation.

Feel free to check out our NFL referee salary article, with full details of different salaries for umpires, line judges, and NFL referees.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark Zaleski / AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 18th January 2021

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About the Author

Brett Chatz

Brett is an internationally published sports journalist, political analyst, and medical fiction author. His commentary is seen in The Star, The Citizen, Tampa Bay Times, The Street, The Sowetan, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Independent, and across hundreds of online and print media platforms. He is the author of ‘Cricket Chatz’ and the highly-acclaimed, ‘Serum’.