NFL power rankings: 30 richest active players

27. Matt Schaub – $82,555,000

It has been a roller coaster career for Matt Schaub, who went from a third-round selection out of Virginia, to make a boatload of money with the Houston Texans. After three seasons with the Falcons, the team traded him to the Texans, who then released former starter David Carr. With the Texans, Schaub would have his best years, leading the NFL in passing yards during the 2009 NFL season.

A two-time Pro Bowler with the Texans, Schaub’s first contract with the team was a six-year, $48 million deal, which made him one of the higher paid quarterbacks in the league. In 2012, Schaub signed a five-year, $66.15 million extension with the team, but after a stellar 2012 season, his best years with the team were behind him. The team traded him to Oakland prior to the 2014 season, and the Raiders expected him to be the starter, though that certainly did not happen.

David Carr’s younger brother, Derek, would be named the starter for the Raiders, and Schaub’s days of being an NFL starter were over. After spending the 2015 season with Baltimore, Schaub would go on to sign with the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year deal prior to last season, serving as the backup to NFL MVP Matt Ryan. Schaub did make it to the Super Bowl as Ryan’s backup, though the Falcons would lose a heartbreaker to the New England Patriots in overtime.

Schaub has made an incredible amount of money in his career, and with the lack of quality arms in the league, he could stay on as a backup for a few more years.