Chase Daniel is the top earner among QBs paid to not start

2. Drew Stanton, $32 million for 17 starts

Another Cardinals quarterback, Stanton earned his big payday from the team at age 30. As a former second-round pick by the Detroit Lions who went 2-2 in four career starts with the franchise, Arizona gave the signal-caller a chance in 2014 and it seemed like a smart move.

In his first year, Stanton went 5-3 in the eight games he played for the team throwing seven touchdowns and five interceptions. However, following that campaign, Stanton only started five more NFL games, going 4-1 in those contests. 

Given his strong play as a backup, Stanton was rewarded handsomely, making $31,951,719 over the course while playing in 38 games with 17 starts during his 14-year career. This earned Stanton $1,879,512 per start and his total career earnings place him at No. 84 all-time for the quarterback position.