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The 15 Highest Paid NFL Coaches in 2024

From former players to experienced leaders, these coaches have massive contracts

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Many factors go into making a great football team: The players (obviously), the management, the strategy, and, maybe most importantly, the coaching. In the NFL, there is a certain upper echelon of coaches that have either led their team to a Super Bowl, are on an upward trajectory, or are at least being paid like they are. If you’re reading this, then you might be wondering who the highest-paid NFL coach is, and we have you covered.

Some have won Super Bowls, and some are just starting, but one fact is certain: They’re all making big money. It is important to note that NFL coaches salaries are not necessarily publicly disclosed, so a lot of salaries are estimates. With that in mind, here are the 15 highest-paid NFL coaches in the league right now.

RELATED: The Five Highest Paid NFL Players in 2023

15. Matt LaFleur ($5 Million) - Green Bay Packers

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Perry Knotts / Getty Images
  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $5 Million/Year through 2026 (Signed January 2022)


Matt LaFleur has been the head coach of the Green Bay Packers since 2019, leading the team to three consecutive playoff appearances and two NFC Championship Game appearances. Despite losing QB Aaron Rodgers in 2022, with whom LaFleur had had a good bit of success with in his first years as head coach, the Packers' decided to extend LaFleur's contract in hopes of team's continued success under his direction.

14. Robert Saleh ($5 Million) - New York Jets

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  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $5 Million/Year through 2026 (Signed January 2021)

Robert Saleh became the new head coach of the New York Jets in 2021 after serving as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. During his time in San Fransisco, Saleh helped lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2019 season. Saleh's hiring by the Jets was a reflection of their desire to strengthen their team's past couple of years of less than ideal performance, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

13. Kevin O'Connell ($6 Million) - Minnesota Vikings

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (As Offensive Coordinator in 2021)
  • Most Recent Contract: $6 Million/Year through 2027 (Signed February 2022)

If anyone's been around the NFL, it's the young coach Kevin O'Connell, who played quarterback for a handful of teams before starting his coaching career in 2015, where he's also roamed quite a few teams' sidelines. He got his first head coaching offer in 2022 for the Minnesota Vikings, and due to his knowledge and experience, the team is hopeful that he will be able to use his young energy to reinvigorate the team.

12. Mike McCarthy ($6 Million) - Dallas Cowboys

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2010)
  • Most Recent Contract: $6 Million/Year through 2024 (Signed 2020)

Before heading to Dallas, Mike McCarthy was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons, where he led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2010. McCarthy is in the midst of a contract year with the Cowboys and it remains slightly unclear as to what the next move for Dallas will be as McCarthy's tenure has been stained by numerous early playoff exits.

11. Nick Sirianni ($6 Million) - Philidelphia Eagles

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  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $6 Million/Year through 2026 (Signed January 2021)

Heading into the 2023-2024 season, which was Nick Siranni's third year as the head coach of the Eagles, he had racked up a combined 23-11 record, which is the most wins by any Philadelphia head coach in their first two years. Sirianni is known for his high energy, and seriousness about the game of football.

Though he helped lead the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl in 2022, they came up short in the "Big Game". Coupled with a disappointing season in 2023, Sirianni's seat will be blazing hot next season as Philly fans are eager for the team to claim another Lombardi Trophy.

10. Zac Taylor ($6 Million) - Cincinnati Bengals

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  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $4.5 Million through 2026 (Signed February 2022)

Zac Taylor's coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M University after his playing days as a quarterback. He then progressed through various coaching roles in college football and the NFL, notably serving as an offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. In 2019, Taylor became the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, where he aimed to revitalize the team's performance. After Taylor helped bring the once struggling team to a playoff appearances in 2021 and a Super Bowl appearance in 2022, the Bengals did not waste any time extending Taylor's tenure with Cincinnati.

9. Sean McDermott ($8 Million) - Buffalo Bills

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  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $8 Million/Year through 2027 (Extension Signed January 2023)

It could be argued that Sean McDemott has significantly transformed the Buffalo Bills organization in his first six seasons, making him deserving of being the 9th highest paid coach. The Bills have a history of success, making 4 straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s (losing all four), but that success halted in the late 90s, leading to a playoff drought that ended shortly after McDermott (plus a handful of very talented players) arrived in Buffalo.

That said, this was a tough season for Buffalo, and we are starting to hear some of "Bills Mafia" question if McDermott will ever be able to get them over the hump.

8. Doug Pederson ($8.5 Million) - Jacksonville Jaguars

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2017)
  • Most Recent Contract: $8.5 Million/Year multi-year contract (Signed February 2022)

Doug Pederson was once the Super Bowl winning head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles before being fired after the 2020 season and later agreeing to a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars were desperate to find a potential franchise coach following some embarrassing years with Urban Meyer as their head coach. Pederson has a reputation for his aggressive play-calling and quarterback development skills, which was a big draw for the Jaguars who have a young star with great potential on their hands in QB Trevor Lawrence.

7. Kyle Shanahan ($10 Million) - San Fransisco 49ers

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  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $10/Year through 2029 (Signed September 2023)

Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, has been with the team since 2017. He has played a significant role in the team's success, leading them to Super Bowl appearances during the 2019 and 2023 seasons, both losses.

He's well known for his offensive expertise, which makes sense given the fact that his father Mike served as offensive coordinator for the 49ers in the 1990s before becoming a Super Bowl winning head coach with both the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins. Kyle Shanahan is highly regarded for his innovative play-calling and strategic approach to the game.

6. John Harbaugh ($12 Million) - Baltimore Ravens

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2012)
  • Most Recent Contract: $12 Million/Year through 2025 (Signed August 2022)

After a successful career as a defensive and special teams coordinator, John Harbaugh was hired by the Baltimore Ravens to be their head coach in 2008. Since then, Harbaugh successfully led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2013, where he defeated his brother Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers.

John Harbaugh would have been even higher on this list had it not been for his brother Jim signing an even bigger contract with the Chargers in early 2024.

5. Andy Reid ($12 Million) - Kansas City Chiefs

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  • Super Bowls Won: 3 (2019, 2022, 2023)
  • Most Recent Contract: $12 Million/Year through 2024 (Extension signed in 2020)

One of the most experienced head coaches in the league, Andy Reid has been a the helm of two different teams since 1999. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles until 2012, and even though he brought the team six division titles, five trips to the NFC Championship Game, and an appearance in the Super Bowl, the Eagles elected not to extend him.

He was promptly hired by the Chiefs, where he has also had a ton of success, including three Super Bowl championships -- most recently in this past Super Bowl, ICYMI. The question now is whether or not 65 year-old Reid will retire or sign another inevitable extension offer as the Chiefs continue to build this dynasty that largely has Reid to thank for its success.

4. Mike Tomlin ($12.5 Million) - Pittsburgh Steelers

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2008)
  • Most Recent Contract: $12.5 Million/Year through 2024 (Extension signed in February 2021)

Mike Tomlin has been the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007, and if you can believe it, is just their third head coach since 1969. He's had a great amount of success since taking the reins, boasting a 153-86-1 record.

Tomlin's contract is technically expired now that the 2023 season is over, but many expect the Steelers to offer another extension to the veteran.

3. Sean McVay ($14 Million) - Los Angeles Rams

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2021)
  • Most Recent Contract: $14/Year through 2026 (Extension signed in 2022)

Once thought of as the NFL's "golden boy", Sean McVay became the youngest head coach in league history when the Rams hired him at the age of 30. Many of his players were (and some still are) older than he is, but he has established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, leading the Rams to a Super Bowl win in just his second season.

After that, McVay got a raise which made him one of the highest paid coaches at the time, and is now currently the third highest contract for a coach in the NFL.

2. Jim Harbaugh ($16 Million) - Los Angeles Chargers

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  • Super Bowls Won: 0
  • Most Recent Contract: $16 Million/Year, Through 2029 (February 2024)


Jim Harbaugh, who is known both for his notable career as a player in the NFL and his coaching stints in college football at Stanford and Michigan, was announced as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year. He will see a nice pay bump from his time as a college coach, but will also come with plenty of added pressure. Though it won't be his first time as a head coach in the NFL, the expectations for what he'll do for the Chargers franchise are incredibly high.

Jim Harbaugh is known particularly for his ability to coach quarterbacks, and Chargers QB Justin Herbert has all the talent to be great. Many are hopeful that by signing Jim Harbaugh, Herbert will be able to reach his full potential and the Chargers will quickly become a force to be reckoned with.

1. Sean Payton ($18 Million) - Denver Broncos

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2010)
  • Most Recent Contract: $18 Million/Year through 2027 (February 2023)

Sean Payton coached the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2023, racking up an impressive 152-89 record in those years. He also has a Super Bowl victory under his belt, leading the Saints to a title in 2010 when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts.

After those (nearly) couple of decades of success in New Orleans, the Denver Broncos announced that they had hired Payton as their head coach in February 2023. Though it was a rocky start for the veteran with his new team, he was still the second highest paid coach in the 2023 season, and now that Bill Belichick is currently unemployed, Payton is currently the highest paid NFL coach.

*Note

In the 2023-2024 season, Bill Belichick (arguably the best NFL coach of all time) and Pete Carroll were numbers 1 and 3, respectively, on the list of highest paid NFL coaches. As of now, neither is an active coach in the NFL.

In January 2024, it was announced that after a remarkable 24 years coaching New England, the Patriots would not be extending Belichick's contract, thus ending his epic tenure there. Though there have been rumors about where Belichick might end up (if anywhere at all) nothing has been confirmed, and perhaps this could mean that his legendary career as an NFL coach is over (at least for now).

Unlike Belichick, Pete Carroll officially announced his retirement at the end of the season, so there is no question on whether he will return to a new team.

Bill Belichick ($20 Million in 2023-2024 Season) - New England Patriots

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  • Super Bowls Won: 6 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2017, 2018)

Once the highest-paid coach in the NFL, Belichick certainly got money like he is the best in the league. A winner of six Super Bowls with the Patriots, he has had a storied career with the franchise leading them to an unparalleled era of success in the NFL. He and the GOAT QB, Tom Brady, helped drive the Patriots to become a true dynasty, one of the greatest in sports history.

With his $12 million paychecks, Belichick has amassed a sizable net worth thanks to this success.

Pete Carroll ($15 Million in 2023-2024 Season) - Seattle Seahawks

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  • Super Bowls Won: 1 (2013)

The former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, who was there from 2010 until he was fired after the 2023 season, Pete Carroll had a very successful career including a Super Bowl victory in 2013. The Seahawks also appeared in the Super Bowl in 2014, but fell just short after Carroll called for a pass on the goal line in the final minute that was intercepted by the New England Patriots; a call that has been publicly derided to no end ever since.

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