2026 Positional Spending Rankings: Cornerbacks

By
Logan Ulrich
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To help pass the time from now until the start of training camp, we’ll be looking at where every team ranks in positional spending. Today we tackle cornerbacks. I would say this is the last of the “premium” positions where NFL teams tend to funnel spending, falling behind quarterbacks, linemen and receivers but ahead of safeties, linebackers and tight ends. Cornerbacks have not seen their wages grow at the same rate as the players they’re tasked with stopping (wide receivers) but the top of the market has been inching up. 

One note: rather than count dead money toward the positional groups, we will have it ranked separately in a post of its own. For example, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa‘s $55.4 million dead cap hit won’t count toward Miami’s quarterback spending, but it will be included in their league-leading $179 million dead cap figure. 

Here’s how the league’s cornerback rooms shake out from most expensive to least expensive: 

Resources:

1 – Chicago Bears: $52,759,303

  • Percentage of total cap: 17.52 percent
  • 2025 rank: 3rd
  • Top cap hit: Jaylon Johnson, $24,500,000 (8.13 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Kyler Gordon, $12,910,000 (4.29 percent)
  • PFF grade: 62.1 (21st)
  • Starters: Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Gordon
  • Depth: Malik Muhammad, Terrell Smith, Josh Blackwell

2 – New York Giants: $46,386,190

3 – Pittsburgh Steelers: $46,034,121

  • Percentage of total cap: 15.28 percent
  • 2025 rank: 2nd
  • Top cap hit: Jalen Ramsey, $19,500,000 (6.47 percent)
  • PFF grade: 71.7 (8th)
  • Starters: Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Ramsey
  • Depth: Asante Samuel Jr., Daylen Everette, Brandon Echols

4 – Cleveland Browns: $43,994,495

5 – Baltimore Ravens: $43,650,662

6 – Indianapolis Colts: $42,610,085

7 – New England Patriots: $41,634,493

8 – Detroit Lions: $35,836,036

9 – Tennessee Titans: $34,439,919

10 – Atlanta Falcons: $34,085,060

11 – Kansas City Chiefs: $33,687,273

12 – Denver Broncos: $32,201,127

13 – New York Jets: $30,448,155

14 – Houston Texans: $29,416,949

15 – Dallas Cowboys: $29,339,375

  • Percentage of total cap: 9.74 percent
  • 2025 rank: 8th
  • Top cap hit: DaRon Bland, $17,019,618 (5.65 percent)
  • PFF grade: 65.5 (16th)
  • Starters: Bland, DeCobie Durant, Caleb Downs*
  • Depth: Shavon Revel, Devin Moore, Reddy Steward
  • *safety/nickel

16 – Minnesota Vikings: $28,917,548

  • Percentage of total cap: 9.6 percent
  • 2025 rank: 22nd
  • Top cap hit: Isaiah Rodgers, $8,912,500 (2.96 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Byron Murphy, $8,322,000 (2.76 percent)
  • PFF grade: 72.8 (6th)
  • Starters: Murphy, Rodgers, James Pierre
  • Depth: Charles Demmings, Dwight McGlothern

17 – Carolina Panthers: $28,914,086

18 – Los Angeles Rams: $27,134,363

19 – Cincinnati Bengals: $25,707,968

20 – Seattle Seahawks: $24,415,618

21 – Las Vegas Raiders: $24,130,659

  • Percentage of total cap: 8.01 percent
  • 2025 rank: 31st
  • Top cap hit: Taron Johnson, $8,670,000 (2.88 percent)
  • Other notable cap hit: Eric Stokes, $6,680,000 (2.22 percent)
  • PFF grade: 62.4 (20th)
  • Starters: Stokes, Darien Porter, Johnson
  • Depth: Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy, Hezekiah Masses

22 – Arizona Cardinals: $22,457,414

23 – San Francisco 49ers: $21,974,996

24 – Green Bay Packers: $20,772,247

25 – Philadelphia Eagles: $19,904,958

26 – Buffalo Bills: $19,744,864

  • Percentage of total cap: 6.56 percent
  • 2025 rank: 15th
  • Top cap hit: Christian Benford, $7,396,000 (2.46 percent)
  • PFF grade: 61.3 (22nd)
  • Starters: Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Dee Alford
  • Depth: Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock, Toriano Pride Jr.

27 – Jacksonville Jaguars: $17,819,208

28 – Los Angeles Chargers: $17,687,410

29 – Miami Dolphins: $15,410,158

30 – Washington Commanders: $14,952,687

31 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $13,929,268

32 – New Orleans Saints: $13,210,999

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