2026 Positional Spending Rankings: Cornerbacks

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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: Salary information via Over The Cap Depth charts via OurLads Pro Football Focus grades 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 Percentage of total cap: 15.4 percent 2025 rank: 11th Top cap hit: Paulson Adebo , $24,199,390 (8.03 percent) PFF grade: 58.6 (27th) Starters: Adebo, Greg Newsome II , Andru Phillips Depth: Deonte Banks , Colton Hood 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 Percentage of total cap: 14.61 percent 2025 rank: 1st Top cap hit: Denzel Ward , $30,893,412 (10.26 percent) PFF grade: 58.6 (28th) Starters: Ward, Tyson Campbell , Myles Harden Depth: Myles Bryant , Dom Jones , D’Angelo Ross 5 – Baltimore Ravens: $43,650,662 Percentage of total cap: 14.49 percent 2025 rank: 12th Top cap hit: Marlon Humphrey , $26,276,000 (8.72 percent) PFF grade: 63.4 (19th) Starters: Humphrey, Nate Wiggins , Chidobe Awuzie Depth: T.J. Tampa , Chandler Rivers , Keyon Martin 6 – Indianapolis Colts: $42,610,085 Percentage of total cap: 14.15 percent 2025 rank: 7th Top cap hit: Charvarius Ward , $19,886,666 (6.6 percent) Other notable cap hit: Sauce Gardner , $9,500,000 (3.15 percent) PFF grade: 70.5 (9th) Starters: Gardner, Ward, Justin Walley Depth: Cam Taylor-Britt , Mekhi Blackmon , Cameron Mitchell 7 – New England Patriots: $41,634,493 Percentage of total cap: 13.82 percent 2025 rank: 18th Top cap hit: Carlton Davis , $22,000,000 (7.3 percent) Other notable cap hit: Christian Gonzalez , $4,805,458 (1.8 percent) PFF grade: 74.2 (2nd) Starters: Gonzalez, Davis, Marcus Jones Depth: Karon Prunty , Kindle Vildor 8 – Detroit Lions: $35,836,036 Percentage of total cap: 11.9 percent 2025 rank: 19th Top cap hit: D.J. Reed , $17,867,000 (5.93 percent) PFF grade: 66.4 (14th) Starters: Reed, Rock Ya-Sin , Roger McCreary Depth: Ennis Rakestraw , Keith Abney 9 – Tennessee Titans: $34,439,919 Percentage of total cap: 11.43 percent 2025 rank: 4th Top cap hit: Alontae Taylor , $14,000,000 (4.65 percent) Other notable cap hit: Cordale Flott…