NFL stars who could land massive contracts
Leave it to Patrick Mahomes to end a stagnant spring and summer for contract negotiations in the NFL.
Until Monday, only three veterans –Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Panthers running back Christian Mccaffrey and Patriots safety Patrick Chung –had signed contract extensions with their respective teams since April, with the potential for canceled games or no fans in the stands amid the coronavirus pandemic creating uncertainty for franchises and threatening to sharply reduce next year’s salary cap. The landscape of the league, however, underwent a tectonic shift when news broke that Mahomes had agreed to a recordsetting 10-year extension. The Super Bowl LIV MVP can earn up to $503 million in the next 12 years in which he is tied to the Chiefs, though the terms of the deal suggest that a restructuring is likely at some point.
The contract is just the latest résumé-building accomplishment for Mahomes, who in February became the youngest player to win a Super Bowl and league MVP when he ended the Chiefs’ 50-year title drought. Through the previous few offseasons, several top quarterbacks narrowly bested one another for the title of the league’s top-paid player. That trend looks to be over in the aftermath of Mahomes’ new payout, which stands $10 million per year ahead of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s previous high for average annual salary ($35 million).
Still, several stars throughout the league are in line for a hefty payday at some point in the coming year. And while many might have to wait longer than expected given the lack of clarity on what the effects of COVID-19 will mean for teams’ cap outlooks, a few stand to benefit significantly from the new bar set by Mahomes.
Here are the NFL standouts who could be next in line to land huge contracts:
Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans
From being selected two spots after Mahomes in the 2017 NFL draft to ending up on the wrong side of the Chiefs’ historic 24-point comeback in the AFC divisional round in January, Watson has played runner-up to his friendly rival in a couple of notable spots early in his career. Though the Houston gunslinger seems destined to finish behind Mahomes once again on the contract front, he surely is poised to win in his own way. While the Texans have made a handful of puzzling personnel moves with Bill O’brien at the helm, nearly all of them point toward a hefty upcoming investment in Watson, upon whom the offense is becoming increasingly reliant. Regardless of whether he scores the three-year extension he’s seeking, according to Pro Football Talk, or a longer pact, Watson has plenty of reason to smile after seeing the money doled out to Mahomes.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
What about the other signal-caller whose negotiations many expected to shape the offseason? Prescott has signed his franchise tender, and his stalemate with the Cowboys might continue for some time if he and the organization don’t agree to terms before next
Wednesday’s deadline for multiyear contracts. Set to earn $31.4 million this year if he plays on the franchise tag, Prescott is in a strong position if talks have to resume in 2021, when he would be due $37.68 million if issued a second consecutive tag amid a potential cap crunch. Mahomes’ deal might factor into discussions, but it might not change them until next year.
George Kittle, TE, 49ers
The tight end market has long been depressed, as Austin Hooper this March became the only player at the position to earn more than $10 million per year on a multiyear contract when he signed a four-year, $42 million pact with the Browns. Whether he will help reverse the trend or merely serve as an outlier, Kittle no doubt will set himself apart whenever he signs. That might not be for some time, however, as agent Jack Bechta said his client is a “unicorn” and deserves a “special contract” after recording the most receiving yards by any tight end in the first three years of his career (2,945). Ultimately, Kittle might be positioned to be compensated more like a wide receiver.
Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams
Los Angeles traffic isn’t the only thing likely to deter Ramsey from arriving to training camp in an armored truck once again. One year after making a flashy entrance to Jaguars camp in the vehicle, Ramsey still has yet to receive a longterm extension from the team that acquired him last October. The approach he has employed with the Rams, however, is quite different from the one he utilized in Jacksonville. Given that GM Les Snead agreed to give up two first-round picks for the cornerback’s services, Ramsey has sizable leverage in negotiations ahead of the final year of his pact. While a deal might not materialize quickly, Rams coach Sean Mcvay acknowledged the three-time Pro Bowl pick was capable of resetting the cornerback market, currently led by the Eagles’ Darius Slay (three years, $50 million).
Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers
As the Bolts start a new chapter in Sofi Stadium having split with former mainstay Philip Rivers, they can look to the other side of the ball for the next franchise fixture. Bosa has tallied 40 sacks in 51 games, with a foot injury in his 2018 campaign proving to be one of the few things capable of slowing him. Turning 25 on Saturday, the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL draft has the makings of a defensive cornerstone for years to come, and it would only be reasonable for him to seek to be paid as such. The Chargers shouldn’t expect a hometown discount, as Bosa already clashed with the organization when he waged an extended holdout as a rookie.
Ronnie Stanley, OT, Ravens
Baltimore is still a year out from the window for Lamar Jackson extension talks opening, but there are several key players from last year’s 14-2 team who merit large pay bumps before then. Chief among them is Stanley, the All-pro left tackle who helped the Ravens break the NFL’S single-season team rushing record. Entering his fifth-year option, the blindside protector said he’s in “no rush” to reach terms on a deal.