Trent McDuffie has set the record as the highest-paid cornerback after signing a $124 million deal with the Rams, a contract that will pay him $31 million per year over the next four seasons. Two other NFL players at the same position will also earn around $30 million during the upcoming 2026 season.
Adam Schefter shared a list on X (@adamschefter) highlighting the six highest-paid cornerbacks for the upcoming NFL season. McDuffie tops the list, while Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. will earn similar salaries this year.
- Trent McDuffie: $31M
- Sauce Gardner: $30.1M
- Derek Stingley Jr.: $30M
- Jaycee Horn: $25M
- Jalen Ramsey: $24.1M
- Patrick Surtain: $24M
Gardner and Stingley Jr. are the two youngest players on the list Schefter shared. Both are 23 years old, two years younger than McDuffie, who will enter the 2026 season at 25 and celebrates his birthday on Sept. 13. Itās also worth remembering that McDuffie previously signed a four-year, $13 million contract with the Chiefs earlier in his career.
The longest contracts among active cornerbacks in the NFL
Three cornerbacks currently hold the longest active contracts entering the 2026 season. None of them appeared on the previously shared list from Schefter of the highest-paid players at the position. All three signed five-year deals worth between $100 million and $88 million.
- Denzel Ward (Cleveland): 5 years, $100.5M
- Marlon Humphrey (Baltimore): 5 years, $97.5M
- Deommodore Lenoir (San Francisco): 5 years, $88.8M
McDuffieās four-year contract does not place him on that list, but he still has at least $100 million guaranteed. He also leads all cornerbacks in total guaranteed money in a contract, with Derek Stingley Jr. ranking second at $89 million guaranteed.
