With league-wide revenue increasing, NFL contracts are about to blow up even more. It’s the nature of the beast in a league that is seeing its financial growth surpass anything we’ve seen in North American professional sports history.
We’ve already seen a ton of huge contracts handed out during NFL free agency. The expectation now is that extensions will be the name of the game as the league prepares for its annual draft and off-season programs.
From three young quarterbacks to a stud wide receiver and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, here’s a look at seven star players in line for huge contract extensions this offseason.
Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
- Jalen Hurts stats (2020-22): 62.3% completion, 7,906 passing yards, 1,898 rushing yards, 70 total TD, 19 INT
A second-round pick of the Eagles back in 2020, the 24-year-old Hurts has morphed into one of the better young quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s coming off an absolutely brilliant 2022 season that saw the former Oklahoma standout tally 35 total touchdowns against six interceptions.
From a team-wide perspective, Hurts led Philadelphia to a surprise NFC Championship and put up an historic performance in a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles’ brass was certainly paying attention to this.
“It’s no secret that sometime relatively soon we want to extend our quarterback. Our whole kind of roster building is going to turn a little bit here from a quarterback on a rookie deal towards hopefully a quarterback on a long-term deal.”
Time is a bit sensitive in this regard given that Hurts was a second-round selection. This means that Philadelphia doesn’t have a fifth-year option on his rookie contract for the 2024 season. Getting something done in short order must be in the cards.
Projected Jalen Hurts contract: 5 years, $260 million with $150 million fully guaranteed
Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers
One of the truly elite all-around players in the game, the 25-year-old Bosa is making a name for himself as a generational edge guy. Last season saw Bosa record 48 quarterback hits, 19 tackles for loss and a league-leading 18.5 sacks. The dude actually boasts an absurd 16.4% pressure rate since entering the league back in 2019. San Francisco’s brass knows full well that it has to extend the young pass rusher.
“I feel really confident. It’s hard for me. I want things done now. I always challenge that. Why can’t we? He wants to be here, we want him. Deadlines tend to drive these things, but our track record is — we get them done.”
Any extension this offseason would end up making Bosa the highest-paid defensive player in league history. That is to say more than the $31.67 million Aaron Donald is earning annually with the Los Angeles Rams. In fact, Bosa could get a deal that will pay him the most for a non-quarterback in NFL history. Based on their recent track record with the likes of George Kittle, Fred Warner and Deebo Samuel, expect San Francisco to ink Bosa shortly before the start of training camp.
Projected Nick Bosa contract: 5 years, $160 million with $100 million guaranteed
