53. Joe Flacco ($44.5 million)

Athlete

The 2013 Super Bowl MVP broke the bank in the offseason with a new three-year, $66.4 million contract that will keep him with the Baltimore Ravens through 2021. The deal includes a $40 million signing bonus for Flacco ($15 million of the bonus is deferred to March 2017, but FORBES considers it earned during our measured time period). His $22.1 million average salary is the highest in the NFL, topping Aaron Rodgers' previous mark of $22 million.