Who Are the Highest Paid Coaches in the NFL in 2023 Season?

Who are the highest paid coaches in the NFL this season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Details about player contracts are in the NFL news cycle seemingly every day. There are complicated clauses, guarantees and bonuses that change each player’s money and each team’s salary cap situation.

But what about head coaches? Their money doesn’t count against the cap, and few coaches see the end of a contract. If the team is succeeding, a coach will get an extension before his current deal is up. If the team is struggling, a coach could get fired at any moment.

How much money do NFL head coaches make? The information isn’t always publicly available, depending on the coach and organization.

Here’s what we know about how much each coach will make in 2023 (via Sportico):

1. Bill Belichick, $20 million

With six Super Bowl rings and 23 years of tenure with the New England Patriots, it makes sense that Belichick is the highest-paid coach. He also makes personnel decisions for the Patriots, including the draft, free agency and trades. Belichick is a three-time AP Coach of the Year and the all-time leader in playoff wins by a coach.

2. Sean Payton, $18 million

NBC Sports’ Peter King reported that Payton’s deal with the Denver Broncos is for five years and “in the neighborhood” of $18 million per season. The Broncos are hoping he’s able to turn their franchise around after a rocky first year with Russell Wilson under center. Payton has a Super Bowl win under his belt, plus a 152-89 record in 15 seasons with the Saints.

3. Pete Carroll, $15 million

The Seattle Seahawks’ head coach since 2010, Carroll has led the team to the postseason 10 times in 12 years. Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos before losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX the following year. The 71-year-old Carroll is the NFL’s oldest head coach, but his latest contract extension runs through 2025.

4. Sean McVay, $14 million

After winning his first Super Bowl, McVay was rewarded with a hefty new contract that made him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. He threatened retirement, and the threat clearly worked out in his favor. Los Angeles suffered its first losing season under McVay in 2022, but the Rams have won the NFC Championship Game twice in his tenure.

5. Mike Tomlin, $12.5 million

After finishing his 16th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin is one of the top coaches in the NFL. He’s never finished below .500, leading the Steelers to the playoffs in 10 of 16 seasons and making the Super Bowl twice. Tomlin won the Super Bowl in just his second season, but he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016.

T-6. Andy Reid, $12 million

Coming in at sixth on this list, Reid is a bargain for the Kansas City Chiefs. He could never win the big game until he found Patrick Mahomes, but he hasn’t squandered his opportunity with the NFL’s best quarterback since 2018, making five straight AFC title games, three Super Bowls and winning it all twice. His second ring last season came in his 10th year with the Chiefs after 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles.

T-6. John Harbaugh, $12 million

Hired in 2009, Harbaugh has just two losing seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He won Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013 against his brother, Jim, and the San Francisco 49ers. Recently, he transformed the Ravens’ offense as they moved from pocket passer Joe Flacco to dual-threat Lamar Jackson.

T-8. Kyle Shanahan, $10 million

Shanahan is routinely discussed with the league’s best coaches. The San Francisco 49ers have been bitten by injuries to key players almost every season, but the team made the Super Bowl in 2019 and lost in the NFC title game in 2021 and 2022. Last season was perhaps his best coaching effort, getting within one game of the Super Bowl with Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy under center.

T-8. Josh McDaniels, $10 million

In his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders, McDaniels produced an underwhelming 6-11 campaign. He shined in New England as Tom Brady’s offensive coordinator, but he’s struggled so far to produce as a head coach with the Raiders and Broncos (17-28 overall record). Next season will be critical for McDaniels with a new quarterback.

10. Mike Vrabel, $9.5 million

Vrabel has been one of the NFL’s most consistent coaches since he was hired by the Tennessee Titans in 2018. They went 9-7 in his first two seasons, followed by 11-5 and 12-5 campaigns. Even though the team regressed to 7-10 in 2022, the Titans are always a hard-nosed team that no one wants to face under Vrabel’s leadership.

11. Doug Pederson, $8.5 million

After five seasons in Philadelphia – with a Super Bowl win in 2017 – Pederson was fired in 2020 before taking a year off. He was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022 and immediately worked wonders with former top pick Trevor Lawrence. The Jags went 9-8 and won a playoff game in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 27-0 deficit.

How much money does Nick Sirianni make?

Sirianni makes an estimated $6-7 million per season for the Eagles.

Many questioned the decision to hire Sirianni in 2021, but he silenced the doubters by making the postseason as a rookie coach. The Eagles bowed out in the wild card round before making a handful of solid additions in the 2022 offseason, and then winning the NFC championship. Even though Philly lost in Super Bowl LVII, Sirianni and Co. have a bright future.