The landscape of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL has been relatively stagnant in recent years. While other position groups have witnessed an increase in high-end salaries, the top of the CB market has remained unchanged.
Who is the highest-paid CB in the NFL, and which other cornerbacks round out the top 10 at the position?
Who Is the Highest-Paid Cornerback in the NFL?
Green Bay Packers CB Jaire Alexander is the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback after signing a four-year, $84 million extension with the Green Bay Packers in May 2022. One of only three corners with an annual salary north of $20 million, Alexander set a positional record by receiving a $30 million signing bonus.
However, that signing bonus was Alexander’s only guaranteed money on his new deal with the Packers. While his cap charges were manageable in previous years, Alexander’s cap figure will hit almost $24 million in 2024 and remain there through 2026. Green Bay could theoretically cut Alexander next spring, clearing $7+ million in cap space while absorbing $18 million in dead money.
Highest-Paid Cornerbacks 2-10
2) Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns | AAV: $20.1 million
The Browns made Denzel Ward one of the league’s highest-paid corners in April 2022, inking him to a five-year extension worth $100.5 million. Now entering his age-27 campaign while coming off his third Pro Bowl appearance, Ward received $71.25 in total guarantees, No. 1 among corners.
Ward’s 2024 salary became guaranteed on the first day of the 2023 league year, and nearly all of his 2025 salary guarantee vested on the third day of the 2024 league year. Cleveland restructured his contract in February 2024, reducing his current-season cap charge to $12 million but increasing it to $24+ million annually from 2025 through 2027.
3) Jalen Ramsey, Miami Dolphins | AAV: $20 million
Jalen Ramsey has long been considered one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL and has been paid as such. In Sept. 2020, he inked a five-year, $100 million extension with the Los Angeles Rams that made him the league’s highest-paid defensive back.
Los Angeles dealt Ramsey to the Dolphins ahead of the 2023 free agent period, and Miami has since reworked the veteran defender’s deal. Ramsey will carry a cap figure of roughly $8 million for the upcoming season. He’s signed through 2025.
4) Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens | AAV: $19.5 million
Marlon Humphrey signed a five-year, $97.5 million extension with the Ravens in Oct. 2020 that included $40 million in fully guaranteed money.
Baltimore has continuously restructured Humphrey’s deal, pushing money into the future while reducing his yearly cap charges. The Ravens haven’t re-done his deal yet this offseason, leaving Humphrey’s 2024 cap number at almost $23 million. He has $4 million roster bonuses due on the fifth day of the 2025 and 2026 league years, which will act as decision triggers for Baltimore’s front office.
T-5) Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints | AAV: $19.4 million
The Saints gave Marshon Lattimore a five-year, $97 million extension in Sept. 2021 and have already reworked the contract three times to create additional cap space. In March 2024, New Orleans agreed to a unique contract structure with Lattimore that could allow the club to trade the veteran corner this summer.
Instead of converting Lattimore’s 2024 salary into a signing bonus (the typical NFL strategy), the Saints turned his salary into an option bonus. While the money still prorates on New Orleans’ cap, the option bonus will transfer to Lattimore’s next team if he’s traded.
The Saints will absorb $30+ million in dead money if they trade Lattimore before June 1, but just $10-13 million if they wait until June 2 or later. Moving Lattimore could make sense for New Orleans, which just drafted CB Kool-Aid McKinstry in Round 2. But a trade probably won’t happen until later this summer.
T-5) Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys | AAV: $19.4 million
In July 2023, the Cowboys handed Diggs the exact same contract that the Saints gave Lattimore: five years, $97 million. He tore his ACL in practice two months later but is on track for the start of training camp.
Diggs, 24, led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, which helped him earn first-team All-Pro honors. The former second-round pick received $33.304 million fully guaranteed on his Dallas extension. Diggs will have his $9 million salary (currently guaranteed for injury only) fully guaranteed for 2025 if he’s still on the roster on the fifth day of the league year.
7) L’Jarius Sneed, Tennessee Titans | AAV: $19.1 million
L’Jarius Sneed began the offseason as the Kansas City Chiefs’ franchise player before being traded to the Titans in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. Tennessee extended Sneed as part of the deal, giving the 27-year-old a four-year deal worth $76.4 million.
Sneed set a new NFL cornerback record with $51.5 million in full guarantees, besting Ward’s deal by $7 million. He also received partial salary guarantees into his third year, which should keep him on the Titans’ roster throughout at least 2025.
8) Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears | AAV: $19 million
Jaylon Johnson set career bests in completion rate (55.2%), yards per target (4.8), and yards per completion (8.7) allowed and led the NFL in allowed passer rating (33.3) in 2023, so the Bears virtually had no choice but to extend him.
Chicago initially franchise-tagged Johnson before signing him to a four-year, $76 million deal that Sneed and his representation clearly worked off of. Given that Johnson is two years younger than Sneed, the Bears did well to keep his contract under $20 million annually.
9) Carlton Davis, Detroit Lions | AAV: $14.83 million
Carlton Davis joined Sneed as the other corner on our list to have been traded this offseason. The Lions acquired Davis for a third-round choice and absorbed the final year of the extension he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.
Once Davis officially landed in Detroit, the Lions restructured his contract for cap relief, converting $6 million in base salary into a signing bonus. Davis also has three void years on his pact, allowing Detroit to carry him at just $4.5 million in 2024.
10) Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers | AAV: $13.5 million
Davis and Charvarius Ward are the only members of our list set to hit the free agent market in 2025. Ward, who began his career with the Chiefs before signing with the 49ers in 2022, will search for his third NFL contract as he enters his age-29 campaign.
San Francisco has used a restructure and void years to keep Ward’s cap charges relatively low. That changes this year, when he’ll count for $18.4 million on the 49ers’ cap. If he doesn’t re-sign next spring, Ward will leave over $12 million in dead money on SF’s books.