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In 2015, the NFL salary cap was $143.28 million.
By 2025, it had ballooned to $279.2 million.
The escalation is reflected in the 10 players from Alabama high schools and colleges who have been paid the most money by their teams during their NFL careers.
All 10 played during that time period.
Six of the 10 players appeared in the 2025 season, and one who didnt still added $4.25 million to his career earnings as he finished his final contract in retirement.
Even former Athens High School standout Philip Rivers got a little slice of the latest pie to embellish his hold on the top spot among the money-makers.
Now the football coach at St.
Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Rivers came out of retirement to start three games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025.
He added $278,888 to his career earnings to reach $244,223,210, according to the sports-financial website spotrac.com a total that ranks 13th in NFL history.
The three players with Alabama football roots who got paid the most in the 2025 season crashed into the career top 10.
Tua Tagovailoa was paid $50,913,647 as the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, Jalen Hurts was paid $42,507,560 as the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles and Josh Hines-Allen was paid $33 million as a defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They jumped to sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, among players from Alabama high schools and colleges in NFL career salary.
Tagovailoa and Hurts are going to keep rising, too.
Now with the Atlanta Falcons, Tagovailoa is due $55.215 million for the 2026 season.
Hurts is signed for $51.5 million in each of the next three seasons.
The No.
10 player on last years earnings list, Rodney Hudson (B.C.
Rain High School) with $82,403,707, is down to 16th this year.
The three-time Pro Bowl center also was passed by three former Alabama defensive tackles Jonathan Allen, Quinnen Williams and Daron Payne in 2025.
Also missing from this years top 10 are DeMarcus Ware (Auburn High School, Troy) and Marcell Dareus (Huffman High School, Alabama), who ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, last year.
The modern takeover of the top 10 is likely to continue.
The salary cap for the 2026 season is up to $301.2 million.
FOR MORE OF AL.COMS COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE The 10 players from Alabama high schools and colleges who have been paid the most by NFL teams include: 1.
Philip Rivers, Athens High School: $244,223,021 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers 2004-2019, Indianapolis Colts 2020, 2025: Rivers was chosen for the Pro Bowl eight times.
In NFL history, the quarterback ranks sixth in touchdown passes and eighth in passing yards.
2.
Julio Jones, Foley High School, Alabama: $149,167,021 Atlanta Falcons 2011-2020, Tennessee Titans 2021, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022, Philadelphia Eagles 2023: A wide receiver, Jones was chosen for seven Pro Bowls and received first-team All-Pro recognition twice.
In 2015, Jones had 1,871 receiving yards, which at the time was the second-most in a single season in NFL history.
3.
Tyreek Hill, West Alabama: $146,212,700 Kansas City Chiefs 2016-2021, Miami Dolphins 2022-2025: A wide receiver, Hill has been a Pro Bowl selection eight times and earned first-team All-Pro recognition five times.
In 2023, Hill led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and tied for the league lead with 13 touchdown receptions.
An injury limited Hill to four games in 2026, but he still added $26,273,529 to his earnings to rise two places on the list.
4.
Amari Cooper, Alabama: $138,442,228 Oakland Raiders 2015-2018, Dallas Cowboys 2018-2021, Cleveland Browns 2022-2024, Buffalo Bills 2024: A wide receiver, Cooper was a Pro Bowl selection five times and has seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
5.
Cam Newton, Auburn: $133,545,071 Carolina Panthers 2011-2019, 2021, New England Patriots 2020: The No.
1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after winning the Heisman Trophy as the quarterback for Auburns 2010 BCS national-championship team, Newton was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the first-team All-Pro QB in 2015, when he won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.
6.
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama: $124,378,454 Miami Dolphins 2020-2025: The Dolphins released Tagovailoa from his four-year, $212.4 million contract even though theyll have to pay him $54 million as he plays for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2026 season.
Tagovailoa was a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, when he led the NFL in passing yards.
7.
Jalen Hurts, Alabama: $111,405,119 Philadelphia Eagles 2020-2025: A three-time Pro Bowler, Hurts has started in two Super Bowls and won the MVP Award for Super Bowl LIX, where the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to win the NFL championship for the 2024 season.
8.
Josh Hines-Allen, Abbeville High School: $101,645,539 Jacksonville Jaguars 2019-2025: A Pro Bowl selection in 2019 and 2023, Hines-Allen holds the Jacksonville franchise record with 61 career sacks.
9.
Marlon Humphrey, Hoover High School, Alabama: $101,032,093 Baltimore Ravens 2017-2025: The cornerback has been a Pro Bowl selection four times and a first-team All-Pro pick twice for the Ravens.
10.
C.J.
Mosley, Theodore High School, Alabama: $98,906,002 Baltimore Ravens 2014-2018, New York Jets 2019-2024: An inside linebacker, Mosley was a Pro Bowl pick five times and recorded more than 100 tackles in every season in which he played at least 15 games.