Hundreds of players have departed Happy Valley for the pros, but only a select few have commanded top dollar in the market. To say the least, it’s surreal that as of last Thursday, August 27, the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history now belongs to a former Penn State Nittany Lion.

Let’s take a look at the largest guaranteed contracts that Penn State Football alumni have received at the next level.

10. Olu Fashanu – $20,510,710

One of Penn State’s greatest offensive linemen of all time, Olu Fashanu, was drafted 11th overall by the New York Jets in the 2024 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth a total of $20,510,710, all of which was guaranteed. The deal includes a fifth-year option as well.

9. Tyler Warren – $20,960,650

Tyler Warren used a sensational 2024 campaign to catapult his draft stock, landing 14th overall to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2025 draft. His fully guaranteed rookie deal is worth $20,960,650 and contains a fifth-year option.

8. Navorro Bowman – $22,050,000

After logging 480 tackles in his first four years of NFL action, Navorro Bowman cashed in on a huge extension with the San Francisco 49ers before the 2016 season. It was a four-year deal worth a total of $42,000,000, with $22,050,000 guaranteed. The deal was stacked on top of his previous five-year 2012 extension, keeping him in the Bay Area through the 2022 season. However, the former Penn State linebacker suffered a season-ending Achilles injury just a month into the season and would be released by the Niners just one year later.

7. Donovan Smith – $30,000,000

After being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Donovan Smith signed a two-year, $31,000,000 extension, almost all of which was guaranteed. In the first year of his new deal, Smith served as Tom Brady’s blind side protector and won the Super Bowl.

6. Allen Robinson – $30,750,000

After playing on the franchise tag for the Chicago Bears in 2021, former Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson signed a 3-year, $46,500,000 deal as a free agent with the Los Angeles Rams that included $30,750,000 of guaranteed money. Robinson caught just 34 passes for 339 yards in one season for the Rams before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2023 off-season.

5. Saquon Barkley – $36,000,000

After propelling the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win and almost breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, one of Penn State’s most notable alumni, Saquon Barkley, cashed in on a major pay raise in the 2025 offseason. The Eagles originally signed the free agent running back to a three-year, $37,750,000 contract in March of 2024, but after rushing for over 2000 yards en route to winning the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year, Barkley was rewarded with an extra $36,000,000 of guaranteed money and two extra years of security.

4. Chris Godwin – $44,000,000

After being franchise tagged in 2021 and 2022, Chris Godwin signed a three-year, $60,000,000 deal to remain with the team that drafted him back in 2017, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Godwin eclipsed 1000 receiving yards in his first two years on the extension, but his third and final year was cut short due to a gruesome ankle injury. Fortunately, the homegrown talent was retained from free agency, signing a new, three-year deal worth a total of $66,000,000. The former Penn State pass catcher received $44,000,000 of guaranteed money and a team option in 2027.

3. Will Fries – $44,000,000

Bet you weren’t expecting Will Fries to be number three overall in Penn State’s richest guaranteed contracts, were you? The former seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings signed a massive, five-year $87,720,000 deal with the Vikings during the 2025 free agency period. The 27-year-old received $44,000,000 in guaranteed cash and is slated to remain in Minnesota through 2029.

2. Abdul Carter – $45,255,180

Being the third overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft came with a massive payday for Nittany Lion Abdul Carter. Taken by the New York Giants, the rookie pass rusher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received a four-year, fully guaranteed $45,255,180 contract that includes a fifth-year option.

1. Micah Parsons – $136,000,000

After months of back-and-forth “negotiations” with the Dallas Cowboys, former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers on August 27. The Packers coughed up the largest contract for a non-quarterback in the history of the NFL and sent a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to Dallas in return for the opportunity to sign Parsons to the historic deal. The newest Cheesehead received a whopping guarantee of $136,000,000 out of the $186,000,000. The two-time first-team All-Pro is now tied to Green Bay through 2029.