Ryan Ramczyk‘s five-year, $96.2MM Saints extension moved the market for right tackles. Jamal Adams appears in line to do the same at safety. With the franchise tag deadline just more than two weeks away, here are the league’s top contracts — by average annual value — at each position:
Quarterback
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. Ten years, $450MM. Although Dak Prescott joined Mahomes in the NFL’s $40MM-per-year club and signed for $95MM fully guaranteed — compared to Mahomes’ $63MM — the Super Bowl LIV MVP’s uniquely structured contract still tops the league at $45MM on average.
Running back
- Christian McCaffrey, Panthers. Four years, $64.1MM. While other members of the 2016 and ’17 draft classes have signed extensions over the past year, McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott are the NFL’s $15MM-AAV backs.
Fullback
- Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers. Five years, $27MM. Like he did on his previous San Francisco deal, Juszczyk resides on his own tier for fullback money. His $5.4MM AAV tops everyone else at this position by at least $2MM.
Wide receiver
- DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals. Two years, $54.5MM. Hopkins’ 2020 Arizona add-on leads all wideouts’ AAVs by more than $5MM. He is signed through 2024.
Tight end
- George Kittle, 49ers. Five years, $75MM. Kittle’s $40MM in total guarantees tops this position by a wide margin, but Kyle Pitts‘ rookie contract (four years, $32.9MM) now leads all tight ends in full guarantees.
Left tackle
- Trent Williams, 49ers. Six years, $138.1MM. The 49ers top the market at three offensive positions, after narrowly outbidding the Chiefs for the eight-time Pro Bowl blocker.
Guard
- Joe Thuney, Chiefs. Five years, $80MM. The Chiefs’ aggressive offseason on the O-line involved a guard-record pact for the five-year Patriot blocker. While Thuney’s deal tops all guards inked to long-term contracts, Washington’s Brandon Scherff is attached to an $18MM franchise tag.
Center
- Frank Ragnow, Lions. Four years, $54MM. Ragnow’s $13.5MM-per-year pact topped Corey Linsley‘s recently agreed-upon deal at center. Since his rookie contract ran through 2022, Ragnow is under Lions control through 2026.
Right tackle
- Ryan Ramczyk, Saints. Five years, $96MM. The fourth-year blocker has inched the right tackle market closer to $20MM. This deal ($19.2MM per year) and Lane Johnson‘s ($18MM) are the only right tackle accords worth more than $14MM annually.
Edge defender
- Joey Bosa, Chargers. Five years, $135MM. Bosa’s $27MM-AAV deal eclipsed Myles Garrett‘s $25MM-per-year extension. Bosa’s $78MM fully guaranteed figure, however, tops the edge rusher market by $18MM.
Interior defender
- Aaron Donald, Rams. Six years, $135MM. Donald’s 2018 extension is the oldest deal on this list. The future Hall of Famer is signed through 2024.
Linebacker
- Bobby Wagner, Seahawks. Three years, $54MM. Wagner’s 2019 re-up can be directly traced to C.J. Mosley‘s Jets deal. Mosley’s $17MM-per-year accord earlier in 2019 changed the off-ball linebacker market. Mosley’s guarantees still lead the league at this position.
Cornerback
- Jalen Ramsey, Rams. Five years, $100MM. After the cornerback market did not move from its $15MM ceiling for nearly four years, Ramsey followed Byron Jones, Tre’Davious White and Marlon Humphrey in raising it.
Safety
- Justin Simmons, Broncos. Four years, $61MM. The Broncos locked up Simmons after franchise-tagging him twice.
Kicker
- Justin Tucker, Ravens. Four years, $20MM. Tucker agreed to his latest Baltimore extension in April 2019.
Punter
- Johnny Hekker, Rams. Four years, $17.5MM. The four-time All-Pro is signed through 2023, but the Rams added a cheaper alternative (Corey Bojorquez) who will compete with the nine-year veteran in training camp.
Long snapper
- Reid Ferguson, Bills. Three years, $4MM. Snappers’ stability notwithstanding, teams do not devote much more than league-minimum money to this niche position.
The surprise here is that the Lions (who passed on extending Golliday) would set a market salary standard. I think Ryan Kelly probably deserves to be the highest paid center though.
That was an easy move by the Lions because Golladay isn’t worth that money. He’s not a true #1 and will be cut by New York in two years.
Being cheap is always the easy move but not necessarily the best move. Trading for Goff while dumping the teams best WR really doesn’t make a lot of sense. It does indicate why Detroit is a consistent non contender though.
You don’t pay top dollar to players who aren’t difference makers, as it weakens the rest of the team.
A couple guys making $5 million more than the next highest paid player at their position (Hopkins?). That’s just plain stupidity by the team, pure greed and arrogance by the player, and disgusting all around.