Peyton Manning is highest paid player in NFL

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will end this year as the National Football League's (NFL) highest-paid player, according to a Forbes report released Wednesday.

Manning, a four-times most valuable player in the NFL who agreed to a five-year $90-million contract with the Colts last month, is expected to earn $23 million in total compensation for 2011.

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is second on the list with expected earnings of $18.4 million and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is third at $18 million.

In assessing payrolls based on figures from rotoworld.com, Bleacherreport.com and other published reports, Forbes said teams had especially poured money into quarterbacks and the defensive line.

Bradford, last year's first overall draft pick, was one of several young quarterbacks who benefited from lucrative deals signed before the recent lockout which resulted in a rookie wage scale as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.

The league and its players finally ended their bitter row over how to carve up their financial empire last month after a four-and-a-half-month lockout.

The five highest-paid NFL players for 2011:

1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis, quarterback, $23 million

2. Sam Bradford, St. Louis, quarterback, $18.4 million

3. Tom Brady, New England, quarterback, $18 million

4. Michael Vick, Philadelphia, quarterback, $15.9 million

5. Richard Seymour, Oakland, defensive lineman, $15 million