1. Justin Herbert - 5 Year, $262,500,000 (APY $52.5 m)
Signing Bonus: $16,128,376
The kid from Eugene is among the top on this list and ranks 8th all-time in the entire league with his nearly $53 million-dollar-a-year contract. Herbert inked his deal in 2023 after proving to be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL through his first few seasons.
The Los Angeles Chargers drafted Herbert with the 6th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and he earned the starting role right away. He threw for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns in his Offensive Rookie of the Year winning campaign. The following year he became one of just nine players in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.
His play has earned him the big bucks and it all started back at Autzen Stadium. During his time at Oregon, Herbert became one of the greatest of all time. He sits behind just Marcus Mariota in most of the program career record books.
2. Penei Sewell - 4 Year, $112,000,000 (APY $28 m)
Signing Bonus: $15,000,000
Yet another player on this list with a brother who also played at Oregon. Sewell is elite and if his play isn't enough to prove it, just look at his contract. He's the second-highest-paid offensive lineman in football and he deserves every penny.
The former 4-star recruit found his way into the starting left tackle position right away as a true-freshman in Eugene. By the end of his 3-year collegiate career, he became the only Oregon Duck to ever win the Outland Trophy.
The Detroit Lions added their cornerstone tackle with the 7th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and the production they've received from him is remarkable.
When the Lions drafted Sewell, they were looked at as one of the worst teams in the league. His rookie season finished with a 3-13 record. Fast forward to now and the Lions are one of the best teams in the league.
And while Sewell hasn't single-handedly fixed the roster, he has been a huge piece in the transformation. He's made the Pro Bowl in three out of his four seasons and has been named first-team All-Pro in each of the past two.
3. DeForest Buckner - 2 Year, $46,000,000 (APY $23 m)
Signing Bonus: $18,000,000
The oldest player here is certainly not the least. Buckner's time in Eugene goes back to the 2010's where he helped begin to switch the narrative of Oregon football. While yes, the offense was the key component to the success from that era, the defense was extremely important too.
Buckner came to Eugene in 2012 and found action right away. He stuck around up until his senior season when he really began to take the next leap. That 2015 season was monstrous for the team and Buckner's personal success.
Buckner was named as Oregon's second ever Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year whilst the program reached it's second ever National Championship game.
His success earned him a first-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft where the 49ers selected him with the 7th pick.
His professional career has been great as well. While no longer with the team that drafted him, the 30-year old is still playing at a high level with the Colts. Buckner is a two-time All-Pro, three-time Pro-Bowler, and is creeping on 70 career sacks.
He'll enter his 10th season as the 8th highest paid interior defensive lineman in all of football and doesn't look to be slowing up his level of production anytime soon.
4. Deommodore Lenoir - 5 Year, $88,884,000 (APY $17,776,800 m)
Signing Bonus: $13,000,000
In comes the first player on this list that isn't a former first-round draft pick. Lenoir was selected by the 49ers all the way down in the 5th round in the 2021 NFL Draft. The former 3-year starter at Oregon saw his draft stock fall a bit lower than expected despite a great collegiate career.
He was a crucial piece in the Ducks secondary along side Thomas Graham Jr., as the two held down the cornerback spots in Eugene for roughly four years. The 49ers staffers must have saw what Ducks fans knew all along as they found a gem in what is now their only draft pick from 2021 remaining on the active roster.
Lenoir had to earn his minutes early on in the NFL. He received just five starts throughout his first two seasons. In 2023, however, he earned his way into the starting rotation for good.
That season saw him double his career interception total from three to six. He also added 10 pass deflections, 84 tackles, and made it all the way to the Super Bowl. The following offseason is where he inked his new deal as one of the highest-paid corners in the NFL.
5. Jevon Holland - 3 Year, $45,300,000 (APY $15,100,000 m)
Signing Bonus: N/A
The most recent member on this list signed his new deal just earlier this week. Holland is now a New York Giant after spending his first four seasons in Miami. The former Oregon standout is a ballhawk in every sense of the word.
He started right away as a true-freshman and led the team with five interceptions. His sophomore year was much more of the same as he led the team in interceptions again with four.
The anticipation for his expected last year in Eugene was derailed due to the pandemic, so he decided to enter the NFL Draft with just two years of collegiate ball under his belt.
From the looks of it that's all he needed. He became a mainstay in Miami's secondary from day one after being selected early in the second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Over four seasons he has one defensive touchdown, five interceptions, five forced fumbles, five sacks, and 301 total tackles.
Holland will add to that total in New York next season, where he'll be reunited with
Kayvon Thibodeaux, a future member on this list.