USA TODAY International Edition
Top NFL players in line for big deals
Carson Wentz got paid this summer, but he won’t be the only one. With the NFL season just a little fewer than three months away from kicking off, some teams will likely soon look to lock up players who are facing expiring contracts. Texans edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett are separate cases after they were both tendered with the franchise tag, leaving them until July 15 to sign long-term deals.
Here are some of the more notable players next in line to get an extension.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: Dallas has had the benefit of playing a franchise quarterback on a fourth-round rookie contract. That’s about to change, and the Wentz contract figures to be the measuring stick of Prescott’s market. Owner Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, the team’s executive vice president, have repeatedly praised Prescott for what he brings to the team. Now they’ll have to show what they think that’s worth.
Tom Brady, QB, Patriots: This very likely will be Brady’s final contract in the NFL. He will turn 42 in August and has hinted that he wants to play until he’s 45. His current deal expires at the end of the 2019 season, so look for New England to move quickly and lock in one of the greatest to ever do it, more than likely on a team-friendly deal Brady has become known for signing.
Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers: Rivers recently said that he was “fine” to let his contract play out and that there was “no immediate stress or urgency” to get a deal done before next offseason. So maybe this is one contract that gets resolved after 2019 ends. But even though Rivers is 37, he just made his eighth Pro Bowl and continues to keep the Chargers a contender in the AFC. It should only be a matter of when the sides come together.
Michael Thomas, WR, Saints: A second-round pick from 2016, Thomas enters the final year of his rookie contract and is currently one of the best bargains in the NFL. His production (321 catches for 3,787 yards and 23 TDs in three years) far outpaces his pay (due $1.15 million in base salary in 2019). That should change in a big way for the twotime Pro Bowler and 2018 All-Pro pick. After New Orleans ponied up to extend defensive end Cam Jordan in June, Thomas should be the next priority and might be in line to become the highestpaid receiver in the NFL.
Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys: Prescott isn’t the only Cowboy waiting to get paid. Cooper will play under the fifthyear option of his rookie deal ($13.9 million in base salary) and is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. But since Dallas invested a first-round pick in its trade to acquire Cooper, it’s almost certain the team will keep him on a sizable deal.
Julio Jones, WR, Falcons: Jones is one of the game’s best pass catchers and significantly underpaid, as he’s set to earn a little more than $21 million over the next two years. By comparison, Antonio Brown just signed a three-year, $50.13 million deal with the Raiders. After Jones signed a contract adjustment last offseason, a full extension could be in order before the start of training camp.
A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: Last but certainly not least, Green is another wideout waiting for a pay bump. One interesting note: The first deal to get done among Thomas, Cooper, Jones or Green could alter the outlook for others. Some might prefer to wait for the dust to settle before signing their names.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: See, we were not kidding about the Cowboys having to open up their wallets. Elliott and Prescott arrived in the same draft class, but Elliott is under contract for an additional season thanks to his fifthyear option for 2020. As the Cowboys have done with Prescott and Cooper, the Joneses have stressed that Elliott is essential to their operation. And don’t forget about Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones, who is set to become a free agent after this year.
Jalen Ramsey, CB, Jaguars: Like Elliott, Ramsey is locked up through 2020 on a fifth-year option. And whenever Ramsey gets his, he’ll likely set the cornerback market. Ramsey said recently at minicamp that he “will not be getting a contract extension this year” because the Jaguars haven’t been eager to renegotiate. He then said on Instagram he wouldn’t be giving any discount and that — whenever both sides would sit down to talk — his salary ask would be “ungodly.” Perhaps that public pressure is exactly what prompts the Jaguars to reconsider their stance and negotiate sooner rather than later.
Bobby Wagner, LB, Seahawks: Arguably the best inside linebacker in the NFL, Wagner seemingly wants to be paid that way after the Jets gave C.J. Mosley $17 million a season to pace the league at the position. Wagner enters the final season of his deal and will turn 29 this month. Seattle typically gets these deals done just before the start of training camp, so mid- to late July might be the window.
Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs: Jones is in a standoff with Kansas City. Set to enter the final year of his rookie deal, he led the Chiefs with 151⁄2 sacks in 2018 and held out of mandatory minicamp while he sought a new contract. Pass pressure from the interior defensive line should be a priority for the team, but with little leverage, Jones is subject to fines if he continues his holdout. Kansas City also has to decide how to move forward with Tyreek Hill, a free agent after this season, as the receiver has yet to rejoin the team following an investigation into child abuse allegations.
Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jaguars: Ngakoue’s situation is pretty much a parallel to Jones’. He outperformed a rookie deal with 291⁄2 sacks in three seasons, held out of minicamp and is looking to get paid.
Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers: Truly in a make-or-break year with a new head coach in Bruce Arians, Winston has been far too inconsistent. But now that he’s in his fifth-year option for $20.9 million, how he plays will determine what he gets paid and where. Expect the Bucs to take their time to see what he does in 2019.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans: Like Winston, Mariota likely needs to post a productive season to boost the value of his next contract. Injuries and coaching instability have plagued him early on, so Tennessee needs to see more.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers: Set to play his fifth-year option in 2019, Gordon said during Los Angeles’ mandatory minicamp that he wants to get a deal done sooner rather than later and that both sides were talking. Gordon is a multipurpose threat, though injuries have slowed him.
Jared Goff, QB, Rams: Goff has plenty of time left, as his current contract runs through 2020 after the Rams picked up his fifth-year option. But he shares the same agency as Wentz, and Goff — who was drafted one spot ahead of the Eagles quarterback at No. 1 overall in 2016 — could follow a similar timeline.