Jeremiyah Love made history in more ways than one when he heard his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Notre Dame product became one of just five tailbacks to be selected inside the top-5 since the turn of the century when he was taken by the with the third overall pick. That draft slot brings certain expectations. It also brings a gleaming paycheck, one that will put him in the upper echelon of players at his position. With that, here's what you need to know about Love's contract, one that figures to Darren Raddysh Jersey reset the running back market in 2026 and beyond. 2026 NFL DRAFT HQ: | | Jeremiyah Love contract details Years: Four Contract value: $52.5 million Love hasn't yet signed his contract. A suming he does, however, he'll command a record-breaking fee compared to his positional peers. Love will take home upwards of $50 million over the course of his contract. He will take home the whole of that figure, making him the highest-paid tailback in NFL history in terms of guaranteed money. Love's contract sees him surpa s a host of gifted runners, including Saquon Barkley ($36 million), James Cook ($28.82 million), Derrick Henry ($24 million) and Christian McCaffrey ($24 million). Love's deal also dwarfs the contract running back Ashton Jeanty -- a fellow top-10 pick -- took home in 2025. The figures of Love's contract also make him the highest-paid running back in the league in terms of total cash. He is slated to be the seventh highest-paid running back in the league in terms of average annual value (AAV) in 2026, only bested by Barkley, McCaffrey, Henry, Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall and Jonathan Taylor. Love's draft slot puts him in rarefied air among RB earners. He'll look to live up to his top-tier billing with immediate production for the Cardinals. MORE 2026 NFL MOCK DRAFTS: Highest-paid running backs in 2026 Love is slated to take home more money than any other tailback over the course of his contract. His average annual value (AAV) is far le s glitzy, however; Love will take home $12.6 million per season, the seventh-best mark in football. Here's a look at the highest-paid running backs in terms of AAV: Rank Player AAV Team 1 Saquon Barkley $20.6 million Eagles 2 Christian McCaffrey $19 million 49ers 3 Derrick Henry $15 million Ravens 4 Kenneth Walker III $14.35 million Chiefs 5 Breece Hall $14.293 million Jets 6 Jonathan Taylor $14 million Colts 7 Jeremiyah Love $12.6 million Cardinals 8 Alvin Kamara $12.25 million Saints 9 Travis Etienne $12 million Saints Josh Jacobs $12 million Packers Most guaranteed money for RBs in 2026 Love's contract looks far rosier when guaranteed money is accounted for. He sits comfortably in first among guaranteed payouts for tailbacks, besting Barkley by $16 million. Rank Player AAV Team 1 Jeremiyah Love $52.5 million Cardinals 2 Saquon Barkley $36 million Eagles 3 Ashton Jeanty $35.896 million Raiders 4 James Cook $30 million Bills 5 Kenneth Walker III $28.7 million Chiefs 6 Travis Etienne $28 million Saints 7 Jonathan Taylor $26.5 million Colts 8 Derrick Henry $25 million Ravens 9 Christian McCaffrey $24 million 49ers 10 Kyren Williams $23 million Rams Anthony Cirelli Jersey