AJ Cole has become the NFL’s highest-paid punter after signing a four-year, $15.8 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders, which includes $11 million guaranteed. This new deal gives him an average annual salary of $3.95 million, surpassing the previous top earner, Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks, who earned $3.7 million per year.
Over six seasons with the Raiders, Cole has been one of the league’s top performers, averaging 48.6 yards per punt, with a career-long 83-yard punt in 2023. That same year, he set an NFL single-game record by averaging 63.6 yards per punt against the New York Giants. Notably, over 41% of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line.
At 29, Cole is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. Originally undrafted out of NC State, where he averaged 42.2 yards per punt, Cole has risen to the top of his position through consistent elite performance. This new extension replaces the final year of the four-year, $12 million deal he signed in 2022, which had previously placed him ninth among punters in contract value.
