Which NFL Coaches Are Paid the Most?

Over the years, the NFL has seen rookies like Patrick Mahomes, Ty Cobb, and Odell Beckham Jr. grow into football legends and thrill fans with unforgettable plays. These players, however, might only have attained their prime if they had an experienced hand to guide them. Unfortunately, even if a professional team has the best hands and legs, there's a slim chance of becoming the best if they don't have a great coach.

The head coach of an NFL franchise is key to the club's success because he's the person who devises the winning strategies, uses the right players for each game, and improves players both mentally and physically. Thus, NFL coaches are paid considerable sums to deliver results. Here is a list of the coaches who receive the highest salaries.

Mike Vrabel

Former linebacker and three-time Superbowl champion Mike Vrabel bagged one of the NFL's most distinguished honors as the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year, this was after leading the Titans to a 12-5 record in 2021. In January 2018, the Tennessee Titans hired him as head coach, and he led them to a 43-27 overall record in four years. 

He also won the 2020 AFC South title with them despite a challenging season plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vrabel has transformed the Titans' style of play and successfully improved their offensive and defensive plays. The coach is paid an estimated $3 million for his success at the helm of affairs in the NFL team.

Kyle Shanahan

Kyle Shanahan is an American football coach with 15+ years of significant achievements, an attribute the 49ers recognized and decided they had to bring him on board. The San Francisco team did not regret their judgment as the former Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans coach won the Coach of the Year award by Sporting News in 2019.

Shanahan also won the NFC's Coach of the Year after a breathtaking 13-3 regular-season record that ended with the team winning the NFC West Division Title. The 49ers pay Shanahan a hefty sum of approximately $3.5 million as of this writing.

Kevin Stefanski

Kevin Stefanski had an early start in the coaching world as he was only 23 when he took over as the assistant director of football operations at the University of Pennsylvania. So he had a wealth of managerial experience in the bag at a young age, especially in a franchise where the average age of coaches is 42.7.

Stefanski grew into an excellent, all-round leader in his time with the Minnesota Vikings after holding several managerial roles in a 13-year stint. When he left the Vikings in 2020, the Cleveland Browns snatched him up, and he recorded a fantastic total of 20 wins in his first two seasons. He is paid around $4 million for his prowess on and off the field.

Mike Zimmer

Mike Zimmer's football career tells one of the most awe-inspiring comeback stories. Even though the former Illinois State University linebacker could not come back to play after a thumb injury and career-ending neck injury in 1976, he bounced back to become an accomplished coach in the NFL.

On January 15, 2014, the defensive guru was hired by the Minnesota Vikings to fill in as their head coach of the franchise, and he's served well ever since. In 2015 and 2017, he led the club to two NFC North Championships. He earned a $4 million salary at the club before parting ways in 2022 after eight years. A deserving pay after leading the Vikings to a 13-3 season, the seventh-best record in franchise history.