The NFL is filled with rich athletes. But there’s a special group of players in the league that remind everyone that not all contracts are created equal. Of course, we're talking about the quarterbacks - the top five earners currently in the NFL are all signal-callers.But outside of that coveted position, who are the biggest financial ballers? Here are the top 15 active, non-free agent, and non-quarterback players with the highest career earnings.All figures on this list are drawn from Spotrac and all stats are from Pro Football Reference.

15 Cameron Heyward – Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers

Heyward has become one of the all-time Steelers greats, and he’s earned quite handsomely during his ongoing stint with the franchise. He landed his first contract in the pros shortly after he was selected by Pittsburgh in the 2011 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year deal worth $6.7 million with the Steelers in his rookie year and then inked two more deals with the team, the last one being a four-year extension worth $65.6 million in 2020. His career earnings total as of the 2023 NFL offseason is $115,582,735.

14 Amari Cooper – Wide Receiver, Cleveland Browns

Selected fourth overall by the then-Oakland Raiders in the 2015 NFL Draft, Cooper showed right away why he’s a big-time player worth the big bucks. Playing on a four-year, $22.6 million deal in his rookie season, Cooper recorded 1,070 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 72 receptions and also earned Pro Bowl honors. The Raiders traded him to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 and two years later, signed a monster five-year $100 million extension with America’s Team. Now with the Browns, the former Alabama Crimson Tide wideout is the highest earner among active wide receivers with $116,672,334 in the bank.

13 DeMarcus Lawrence – Defensive End, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys love Lawrence, and it shows in the investment the team has made in the star defensive end. Lawrence was franchise tagged by the Cowboys in 2018 for $17 million. Dallas used the franchise tag again on him the following year for $20.6 million but the two sides eventually came to terms, with Lawrence inking a sweet five-year, $105 million extension. He is set to be with the Cowboys for years to come, thanks to a three-year extension contract he signed with the team in 2022 worth $40 million. All told, Lawrence’s earnings total is $117,349,519.

12 Lane Johnson – Right Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles

The veteran right tackle will be an Eagle for at least another season after he signed a one-year, $$33.445 million extension with Philly during the 2023 offseason. He is likely to be an Eagle until the day he decides to hang up his cleats – but not before earning a total of $118,436,625.

"My whole goal is to retire an Eagle," Johnson said (via Philadelphia’s official website). "That's what I'm going to do. I'm just excited to be here, be as fortunate as I am to be with one team for as long as I have. I love this game and, more importantly, I love the people and the coaches that I'm with every day and that's why I love the game so much."

11 Cameron Jordan – Defensive End, New Orleans Saints

The veteran defensive end has established himself as among his generation’s best players. Jordan, the long-time anchor of the Saints’ stop unit, signed a four-year, $7.73 million contract with New Orleans just before his rookie season in 2011. Four years later, he was extended for five years which earned him $55 million. It is still the most expensive contract in terms of total that he’s ever signed and likely will stay that way until the day he retires, considering that he is in the twilight years of this time in the NFL. Jordan’s career earnings is at $123,203,043.

10 DeAndre Hopkins – Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans

Hopkins is still chasing for his first Super Bowl ring, an adventure that has taken him to the Titans, who signed him to a two-year $26 million contract in the 2023 offseason. Tennessee hopes that he can help unlock the true potential of the Titans’ offense that has been so dependent on the legs of running back Derrick Henry. In any case, Hopkins’ bank account is among the fattest in the league, thanks in large part to the two massive deals he signed separately with the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 and 2020, respectively. So far in his NFL career, he’s pocketed a cool sum of $123,577,890.

9 Fletcher Cox – Defensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles

Like Johnson, Cox is an Eagles lifer. He’s never played for any other team in the NFL outside of Philadelphia, and it's going to be the case for at least one more season, as he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the team during the 2023 offseason. The bulk of his career earnings ($125,890,246) came from his dizzying six-year $102.6 million extension deal with Philly back in 2016.

8 David Bakhtiari – Left Tackle, Green Bay Packers

Even though Aaron Rodgers is no longer in Green Bay, Bakhtiari still has a big role in the Packers’ offense. But it’s really his success at taking care of Rodgers’ blind side that remains the biggest reason why he continues to earn a lot. Three years before Rodgers left Lambeau Field, the Packers signed Bakhtiari to a four-year, $92 million extension. With Rodgers gone, the Packers would love for their investment in Bakhtiari still pay off by seeing him effectively protect Jordan Love. Bakhtiari has $127,446,517 in career earnings in the NFL.

7 Joey Bosa – Outside Linebacker, Los Angeles Chargers

Drafted third overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, Bosa continues to make tons of money in the NFL, thanks to his five-year, $135 million extension with the Chargers in 2020. That deal came with guaranteed money worth $78 million at the time of signing. As of the 2023 offseason, Bosa has a total of $127,894,417 in NFL earnings.

The aforementioned contract also made him the highest-paid defensive player in terms of season average. Bosa suffered an injury in 2022 which limited him to only five games, but the Chargers still expect him to perform at a high level through the duration of his contract. He will be 31 by the time that deal expires in 2026, so provided that he's healthy, he can expect more money to cash in beyond 2026.

6 Chandler Jones – Defensive End, New England Patriots

Unlike most other players on this list, Jones has collected paychecks during his NFL career from more than one team. He started in the NFL with the New England Patriots before playing for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders. The four-time Pro Bowler, who has a total of $132,907,510 in career earnings, most recently signed a three-year deal with the Raiders in 2022 worth $51 million. That’s roughly six times more money than what he earned in four years with the Patriots.

5 Calais Campbell – Defensive End, Baltimore Ravens

A six-time Pro Bowler, Campbell’s longevity in the NFL is a major reason why he’s ranked this high on the list. He has never inked a deal higher than $60 million, but he’s also signed a total of six contracts in his NFL career. The latest was a one-year, $7 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, who still believe there’s gas left in the tank of the 36-year-old vet. All in all, Campbell has earned $141,591,393 in his pro career.

4 Khalil Mack – Outside Linebacker, Los Angeles Chargers

One of the most talented pass rushers of his era, Mack ($150,345,498) can also be remembered for the massive contract extension he inked with the Chicago Bears in 2018. After he was traded by the Raiders to Windy City that year, Chicago had him pen a salivating six-year extension worth $141 million. That extension alone is enough to land him on this list. But there was also the four-year, $18.676 million contract he inked in 2014 with the Raiders before his rookie campaign.

3 Aaron Donald – Defensive Tackle, Los Angeles Rams

Donald is the greatest defensive player of his generation and has a case to be the GOAT. But regardless of what you feel about how he compares with the other top players, what’s undeniable is that Donald is a rich man. Because he’s so good at disrupting opposing offenses, Donald has pocketed a total of $157,114,238 million so far in his NFL career. When he signed the three-year, $95 million extension with the Rams in 2022, he became just the first non-quarterback player to ever earn at least $30 million a year.

2 Trent Williams – Left Tackle, San Francisco 49ers

With 10 Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pro inclusions under his belt, Williams ($168,790,970) is regarded as one of the best offensive tackles ever in the NFL. The 49ers made sure they wouldn't lose an elite talent like that when they signed him to a historic contract in 2021. During that year's offseason, the Niners inked Williams to an eye-popping six-year $138.06 million contract that came with $55.1 million in fully guaranteed money and a signing bonus worth $30.1 million. That deal also made Williams the highest-paid offensive lineman in history.

1 Von Miller – Defensive End, Buffalo Bills

Miller has it all. He has two Super Bowl rings, eight Pro Bowl selections, three First-Team All-Pro nods, and even an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. On top of those, he also has a total of $179,385,534 in NFL career earnings. Miller signed two contracts in the NFL -- one each with the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills -- that went for at least $114 million.