NFL power rankings: 30 richest active players

6. Carson Palmer – $156,648,722

During his time at USC, Carson Palmer developed enough buzz that it was clear he would be the first overall selection in the NFL Draft once he came out. The Cincinnati Bengals did just that in 2003, selecting the former Trojan with the No. 1 pick of the draft. During his time in Cincinnati, Palmer would show flashes of brilliance, but a terrible knee injury really derailed his career as the Bengals starting quarterback.

Palmer’s first contract with Cincinnati was a six-year, $42.69 million deal, but he was given a bigger investment two years later. The Bengals gave Palmer a 10-year, $119 million deal, ensuring the signal-caller would be under center for the team for the foreseeable future. However, Palmer was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2011, and the Silver and Black quickly inked him to a new four-year, $43 million deal. He would last only two years in Oakland, and has now spent the last four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

You have to wonder what might have been had Palmer not had so many issues with his knees. He has put together a very solid career despite the injuries, and all signs point towards him returning for another season in Arizona. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Palmer has thrown for over 44,000 passing yards during his career, and in 2015, he was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. Not bad for a guy who has had two major surgeries on his knee.