When the Kansas City Chiefs face the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, Sept. 5 from São Paulo, Brazil, it “will be the most accessible NFL game ever produced,” according to league executive vice president for communications and public affairs Jeff Miller.
It’s not the first NFL game ever exclusively streamed – NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix have all had cracks at showing games – but all that is required is access to the Internet. No subscriptions. No dollars. Anywhere in the world.
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Counting YouTube, NFL games will air on seven platforms during the 2025 season: the three traditional networks (CBS, NBC, FOX), Prime Video for “Thursday Night Football,” ESPN/Disney for “Monday Night Football” and Netflix’s two Christmas Day games.
The NFL says it’s keeping fans top of mind while sprinkling its product across the media ecosystem.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott’s $60 million AAV makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The Dallas quarterback signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Cowboys on the eve of the 2024 NFL season opener.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott’s $60 million AAV makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The Dallas quarterback signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Cowboys on the eve of the 2024 NFL season opener.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow also signed a deal with an AAV of $55 million, however his deal was for five years and $275 million. Burrow agreed to the extension with Cincinnati on Sept. 7, 2023.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-2. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence signed his own five-year, $275 million dollar extension on June 13, 2024. His AAV is also $55 million.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen’s $55-million AAV ties him with Love, Burrow and Lawrence, however the Bills quarterback’s extension was for six years and $330 million.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
With an AAV of $53.1 million, Tagovailoa barely beats the next few players on this list. The Dolphins signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million extension on July 26, 2024.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
The Lions rewarded Goff with a four-year, $212 million extension before the 2024 NFL season after he helped turn Detroit into a top contender in the NFC. His deal has an AAV of $53 million.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-7. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft shocked the world after taking over as the 49ers QB and turned his success into a five-year, $265 million contract on May 16, 2025. Purdy will earn an average of $53 million per season.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert earns an AAV of $52.5 million after he signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Chargers before the 2023 NFL season.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
10. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson’s average salary is $52 million thanks to the five-year, $260 million contract he signed on April 27, 2023.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
11. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
The Super Bowl LIX MVP earns an average salary of $51 million. He signed a five-year, $255 million deal in April 2023 and has already paid off the Eagles’ investment with a Super Bowl win.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
12. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Parsons became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history after signing a four-year, $186 million extension following his trade from the Dallas Cowboys to the Packers. His AAV is $46.5 million.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
13. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Murray earns $46.1 million on average after he signed a five-year, $230.5 million deal on July 21, 2022.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
14. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Despite playing just 19 games over three seasons with Cleveland, Watson’s contract has an AAV of $46 million. He signed a five-year, $230 million contract after the Browns acquired him in a trade with the Houston Texans on March 18, 2022.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-15. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons before the 2024 NFL season. Despite losing the starting QB job to Michael Penix Jr., Cousins earns $45 million on average.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-15. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes’ 10-year, $450 million deal is the biggest contract in NFL history, despite his $45 million AAV ranking him 15th on this list.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
17. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams signed Stafford to a two-year, $84 million extension for an AAV of $42 million before the 2025 NFL season.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
18. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt signed a three-year, $123 million deal on July 17, 2025, to briefly make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback before Micah Parson’s extension with the Green Bay Packers. Watt earns an average salary of $41 million.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
19. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase became the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver after signing a four-year, $161 million extension before the 2025 NFL season. His average salary is $40.25 million
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
20. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Garrett earns a $40 million AAV. The Browns defensive end signed a four-year, $160 extension on March 9, 2025.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
21. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
Crosby also earned his big payday in March, signing a three-year, $106.5 million contract just four days before Garrett’s extension. Crosby earns a $35.5 million AAV.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
22. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million extension on June 3, 2024 to make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback in history at the time. He earns $35 million on average.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
T-23. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Two months after Jefferson’s deal, Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million extension with Dallas. Lamb’s AAV is $34 million.
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Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
25. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Darnold scored a payday with Seattle after a resurgent season with Minnesota in 2024. Darnold earns an AAV of $33.5 million after signing a three-year, $100.5 million contract on March 10, 2025.
“We need to continue to evolve with the landscape around us,” NFL executive vice president for distribution Hans Schroder said during a conference call with reporters Sept. 2.
The NFL remains committed to free-to-air distribution, Schroeder said. The foundation, 87%, of its games are available on broadcast TV stations, FOX and CBS affiliates, which is inherently fan-friendly, according to the NFL. Assuming fans have access to an antenna, all games in home markets are free. (Digital antennas for smart televisions cost around $20.)
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For fans who don’t live in the same television market as their favorite team is where it becomes more complicated – and pricier. “Sunday Ticket” costs $276 for the year, but a new monthly option ($85) could be more palatable to fans. NFL RedZone, or NFL+ for those wanting to watch on a smartphone, is another option – at additional cost.
Choice for fans a good thing? Or more of a headache?
There is no denying the media landscape is different than it was 15 years ago, when broadcast television was the sole medium for distribution. Now, fans that want to watch via a direct-to-consumer option (such as FOX One, Paramount+ or ESPN’s app) or on traditional cable or a smartphone can do so.
“We think adding choice and availability for our fans is a win for the fans,” Schroeder said.
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He added: “We want to be on the screens and platforms and places where we already know fans are spending their time.”
Except, fans aren’t spending time there to watch football. Instilling that in fans will be a learned behavior. But the NFL believes fans are not paying simply to watch their games.
“We want to be on those big platforms, and if you look where we’ve gone on digital, I think the other thing I’d say is that we are on platforms that are already highly-scaled with wide reach already,” said Schroeder, noting that YouTube is available in almost every country in the world and that Netflix has approximately 300 million worldwide subscribers.
Highest paid NFL players 2025: See where Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons rank
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“The reality is our fans are spending more and more of their time across different parts of the media landscape,” Schroeder said. “I think by giving them more choice, more opportunities to access our content … that’s great.
“For us, it’s about giving those choices and those opportunities. Once we do that, the fan can select the best way to engage and the best platforms for them.”
Not everybody, including the league’s most obsessed fans, agrees.
“The NFL is more fragmented than anybody else out there from a sports league standpoint, and obviously the reason for that is money,” streaming expert Dan Rayburn told USA TODAY Sports at the start of the 2024 season. “That’s all it is.”
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Digital distribution means experimentation for NFL, broadcast partners
YouTube is airing the game for an undisclosed amount, but is believed to be more than the $105 million NBCUniversal paid to air the 2024 Brazil contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers on Peacock.
What the league is looking for in new partners is twofold – size and scale. YouTube satisfies those conditions. More than anything, the league wants the games produced and announced in a way that feels like any NFL game. That way, the league can continue to stand by its belief it can put any of the 272 regular season games in any slot.
Innovation is another factor the NFL likes when it comes to new digital partners. One example would be Amazon’s “PrimeVision,” which uses league proprietary data (NextGen Stats). YouTube is experimenting by spotlighting creators that have large followings on their platform; commissioner Roger Goodell filmed a promotional video with Jimmy “Mr. Beast” Donaldson.
“When it comes to digital, there are more ways we can focus on innovating,” Schroeder said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: YouTube’s Chiefs-Chargers stream another hurdle for NFL fans