NFL 2022: Projecting the next 5 biggest quarterback extensions
There are a few quarterbacks that are poised to get paid in the near future. Let’s take a guess on projecting the numbers of their first big payday.
With nearly every quarterback contract signed, the market for them resets. A couple of offseasons ago, Patrick Mahomes sent the world on fire with his 10-year, mega contract extension.
This offseason, Aaron Rodgers effectively became the richest man in NFL history with his new contract extension that is paying him roughly $50 million per year.
Since Rodgers sits at the top of the market, $50 million per year is going to be the starting point for a few quarterbacks when negotiating their new deals.
There are a few quarterbacks who are going to be paid in the next calendar year. I would expect all of Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson to get massive, marketing resetting deals.
I’m going to undertake the task of trying to project how long and how much money these players will sign for.
There really isn’t an exact science for QB contracts. I would guess that agents who are negotiating on behalf of their QB clients are simply looking at the top of the market and creating offers based on that.
So, let’s take stab at projecting future quarterback contracts to be handed out in the near future.
Projecting next big quarterback contracts in the NFL
1. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray is going to be given an extension likely during this offseason. He’s got three years in the NFL under his belt.
Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Carson Wentz, and Jared Goff all signed their first big extensions after their third season concluded, so it’s reasonable to expect Murray will sign an extension soon.
There’s been a bit of a standoff with Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. Murray has made it very clear that he wants an extension, and after some social media dramatics, things have appeared to cool down, and Steve Keim, the General Manager, seems to want to get an extension done this offseason.
Murray isn’t going to approach the 45 or 46 million per year range that Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson are signed for, but rather somewhere in the lower-40s.
It’s still going to be a massive contract, but it won’t reset the market.
I don’t think Murray is going to sign for a lengthy period of time either.
Josh Allen’s contract extension was for six years, and Patrick Mahomes’ extension was for 10 years.
Kyler Murray strikes me as someone who would take the route that Dak Prescott recently took, signing for a shorter time, let’s say around four years, and trying to cash in again when the salary cap subsequently increases.
Murray turns 25 this season, so this would allow him to cash in again down the line when he’s still in his 20s.