NFL quarterback contracts are about to explode the current market

The next wave of NFL quarterback contracts in the league is poised to be an insane time.  In the next calendar year, there are several signal callers who could play themselves into a massive payday. Quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and Russell Wilson could all sign record-breaking deals that reset the markets.

However, with the NFL cap space rising and set to approach roughly $230 million by next season, we could see another slate of ridiculous contracts being handed out.  The quarterback position is about to explode.

Let’s take some guesses and see what these contracts could look like.

NFL Quarterback Contracts: Current AAV will be destroyed soon

The average annual value is the number that players generally want to beat.  So far, Aaron Rodgers is the leader in that clubhouse, coming in at a hair over $50 million per season.

Russell Wilson will eventually sign a massive contract extension from the Denver Broncos, and there are reports that he could ask for $50 million in a new deal.

I would feel relatively confident predicting that’s where the 11th-year quarterback will end up with a new deal.

Both Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson are making about $46 million per season, and I think Wilson knows that he’s better than both and more deserving of a higher contract number. Being that it’s getting close to $50 million, I think that’ll be right where he ends up.

It’ll likely be a four or five-year deal, but nothing longer.  Wilson will be 34 years old this season and will likely want to cash in again as he creeps more into his 30s.

So a four or five-year contract paying $50 million per season seems like the ballpark in which the Broncos and Wilson will operate.

Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow are both going to sign massive extensions next offseason in all likelihood.  I think both will want to eclipse the $50 million per year mark and set the record.

Depending on each team’s success in 2022, I think we could see the QBs barreling towards a $55 million per year deal.

Even though Justin Herbert hasn’t made the playoffs and doesn’t have a ton of winning on his resume, his skills, and future in the NFL are without question.  He’s already one of the most talented players in the entire league, and he’ll be compensated as such.

Joe Burrow is in the same boat, but I do think he isn’t quite as dynamic as Herbert.

However, both are as close as they can get, and I would expect each player to sign a contract with at least five years in length, and maybe more.

Patrick Mahomes signed his contract for 10 years, and Josh Allen for six, so I think there’s a chance we could see Herbert and Burrow each sign for a long period of time.

I would project that each player would sign an extension worth at least $52 million per season, perhaps more.

Lamar Jackson is the most interesting case, as he doesn’t have an agent nor does he want to negotiate a deal when week one starts. He had a down 2021 season, but the team looks much improved and much healthier for 2022. Jackson could be another player hitting that $50 million per year mark, but his overall situation is interesting.

If the Ravens were willing to meet his demands contractually, wouldn’t he have already been extended?  What’s the holdup here?

I do think that the Ravens might not be willing to pull the trigger just yet on a massive extension for the fifth-year quarterback.

I think they want to see him return to his old form in 2019 and 2020.  If he does that, I think a massive extension is much more likely.

I would project that all four of these quarterbacks will eventually sign contracts worth at least $50 million per year or more in the next calendar year.