Imagine Lance Alworth starring for $20,000 in the 1960s at the outset of his Hall of Fame career with the San Diego Chargers.
Or fast forward three-plus decades later to when San Francisco 49ers star Jerry Rice signed for what seemed to be a fortune — $32 million over seven seasons.
Hope those two Pro Football Hall of Fame living legends have their chinstraps buckled tight because today’s wide receivers fill up wheelbarrows with their excess money.
Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase just became the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback by getting a four-year, $161 million contract that includes $112 million guaranteed.
That’s an average of $40.25 million per season.
For a wide receiver. For someone who catches the ball and occasionally blocks.
Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings had the previous receiver record with an average annual salary of $35 million when he signed a four-year, $140 million deal last year.
Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb ($34 million), Pittsburgh’s DK Metcalf ($33 million), Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown ($32 million), Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30.025 million) and San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk ($30 million) also average at least $30 million per season. Metcalf received his deal after being acquired in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks.
With all these guys raking in this much cash, $40 million will be the new target for receivers searching for a new deal. How far away is $50 million?
Again, all this cash for wide receivers.
There are 14 quarterbacks who have a higher average salary than Chase. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is the leader with a $60 million average.
Not all those quarterbacks are worth the money. The Jacksonville Jaguars paying Trevor Lawrence $55 million is borderline insane, and the fact the Atlanta Falcons paid Kirk Cousins $45 million is laughable.
Pretty sure we don’t need to dissect the Cleveland Browns’ now-restructured deal with Deshaun Watson that includes guarantees of an average of $46 million per year. There’s not a dumber contract signing in NFL history.
So you have to look at Chase’s contract compared to the market. Seems like $25 million a year would be top-of-the-line money for a receiver. But NFL teams are loaded with so much money, and there’s a lot of pressure to keep your marquee players.
Chase certainly had all the leverage after achieving the receiving triple crown last season by leading the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yardage (1,708) and touchdown receptions (17).
In four NFL seasons, Chase has 395 receptions for 5,425 yards and 46 scoring catches in 62 regular-season games. Those are wild numbers.
Chase just turned 25 earlier this month, so he has plenty of elite play in his future. He definitely deserves to be the highest-paid receiver, even if $40 million seems way, way high.
But Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ($55 million) is certainly happy to keep his top target. Cincinnati also reached a deal with No. 2 receiver Tee Higgins on a four-year, $115 million deal, an average of $28.75 million.
That’s $69 million per year on average for two wide receivers. Higgins’ average salary is ninth in the NFL.
It’s not just receivers that are raking in a new level of cash.
A defensive player now will average $40 million per season.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sounded like he meant it when he said he was done playing for the Cleveland Browns. He wanted a trade, he wanted away from the franchise and he wanted to win.
Then he said the magic words — it’s not about the money.
Funny how every time an NFL player says it’s not about the money, it always ends up being the most important element. Suddenly, staying in Cleveland was just fine as Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million deal.
Yeah, Myles, tell us one more time how it wasn’t about the money.
Garrett is one of five defensive players with an average annual salary of $30 million or more.
The others are Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million), San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa ($34 million), Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones ($31.75 million) and Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. ($30 million).
Oh gosh, a defensive back making $30 million. Things are really getting out of hand.
