A rising salary cap is cause for all NFL players to celebrate. But the additional spending capacity – this year estimated to be at least an extra $20 million – should be a particular source of joy for the league’s elite.
The continuing surge in cap space has coincided with the accelerated growth at the top of the market for several premium positions, including quarterback, wide receiver and edge rusher. With the arrival of the NFL offseason, several more stars in key spots could be in line to cash in with sizable new agreements. And while some of those market-moving deals could materialize in the coming weeks as teams try to create more short-term flexibility by backloading deals to lower their 2025 cap hits, others might not materialize until much closer to the start of the season.
Here are the top candidates to receive a hefty extension this offseason, with all cap figures via Over The Cap:
QB BROCK PURDY,SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
San Francisco has been setting the table for a massive payout for the former Mr. Irrelevant, carrying over approximately $50 million in unused cap space from last season to provide needed flexibility. And despite a trying season in which the 49ers missed the playoffs and Purdy’s passer rating dipped nearly 17 points to 96.1, owner Jed York said earlier in February that the team would “do everything” to nail down an extension. Determining the exact structure and financial terms will no doubt be complicated, but with the salary cap on a trajectory of making substantial annual leaps, any deal should put Purdy in the neighborhood of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as the NFL’s highest-paid player at $60 million per year. The timeline will also prove critical, as both sides seem eager for the 49ers to break from their established pattern of waiting out extension talks for star players. San Francisco could gain much-needed clarity if the team is able to handle the matter soon.
QB Geno Smith,Seattle Seahawks
One year after he first stirred speculation about his commitment to Smith upon his arrival, coach Mike Macdonald has affirmed that the 12-year veteran is “our quarterback” – and one he’s confident can contend for a Super Bowl, even as the team pivots to a rushing-led attack. But with Smith carrying a $44.5 million cap hit for the final year of his contract – the ninth-highest figure for any player at his position – Seattle has plenty of incentive to smooth things out. Another mid-tier, short-term contract extension for the 34-year-old could serve both sides well, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s three-year, $100 million deal signed last year standing as a potential yardstick.
RB James Cook,Buffalo
Josh Allen is due to have his contract reworked after his MVP campaign, as his $43 million average annual value has been dwarfed by a number of other quarterback deals that have landed in the last three years. With four years left on his deal, however, it’s not clear exactly what shape the reformatting will take. Cook, his backfield mate, also appears due for a raise after his second consecutive Pro Bowl season. But with the three-year veteran indicating he’s seeking $15 million per year – which would trail only 49ers star Christian McCaffrey in going rates for running backs and be nearly triple his upcoming base salary of $5.14 million – finding mutually agreeable terms might not be easy.
WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow has openly lobbied for his team to keep its core together this offseason. But a Cincinnati team that has been infamously stingy in locking in cap money will have its approach put to the test with its top two targets both seeking massive paydays. A decision on Tee Higgins must come first, as he is widely seen as the top potential free agent if he is not extended or given a second consecutive franchise tag. Chase, meanwhile, did not receive the extension he sought last year and responded with career highs of 127 catches, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns – all of which led the NFL. With one year left on his deal, he now looks in line to shatter former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson’s mark as the top-paid receiver at $35 million per year. The guaranteed money, however, could be a sticking point, as the Bengals have refused to keep up with market trends in committing money down the line.
WR Courtland Sutton,Denver Broncos
After skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason program last year, Sutton reported for mandatory workouts once the team agreed to terms on a restructured contract that featured a short-term pay bump. Now, he likely wants more out of Denver given he’s due just $14 million next season, a relatively modest sum for a player who single-handedly powered the receiving corps with 81 catches, 1,081 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. An extension could shrink his $20.2 million cap hit for 2025 and ensure that Bo Nix’s top target will remain in place while the Broncos try to build up the roster’s skill-position talent.
WR Garret Wilson,New York Jets
Unlike many other stars on this list, Wilson seems ambivalent about staying on with his current team, saying in December that he “can’t be worrying about all that” despite noting an extension “would be a blessing.” While first-year coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey might want a closer look at the star target, capitalizing early as his extension window opens this offseason could pay off in several respects. With Aaron Rodgers no longer part of the franchise’s plan, Wilson might be eager to start over after the quarterback and receiver struggled to establish a consistent connection. Establishing him as one of the building blocks for a franchise short on them could be a good starting point for the new regime. And the Jets might be wise to get out in front of a deal for a player who has posted three 1,000-yard seasons despite arguably the league’s worst quarterback play during that Span.
WR Terry Mclaurin, Washington Commanders
As a trusted team leader, two-time Pro Bowler and Jayden Daniels’ top weapon, McLaurin seems like a sure thing to get an extension this offseason. While McLaurin turns 30 in September, he’s as vital as any non-quarterback figure on the team. Between the need to address the lack of any guaranteed money on the final year of his current deal and the benefit to Washington of reducing his $25.5 million cap hit, there’s ample motivation to reach an agreement. Doing so quickly would help the Commanders get out ahead of a receiver market that only seems to be growing exponentially.
TE Trey MCbride,Arizona Cardinals
In a season in which many expected Marvin Harrison Jr. to seize the spotlight in the desert, it was actually McBride who enjoyed a full star turn for the Cardinals. The third-year pass catcher ranked second at the position in receiving yards (1,146), and his 111 catches nearly doubled that of the next closest teammate in Harrison (62). Currently set to earn just $5.22 million in base salary for the final year of the pact, the 25-year-old could help push the tight end market forward.
TE George Kittle,49ers
Plenty of changes could be underway in the Bay Area, with wide receiver Deebo Samuel among the established veterans seemingly on the way out. Yet Kittle seems to be on solid ground after a year in which he posted 78 catches and 1,106 receiving yards, his highest totals since 2019. Lowering his $22.09 million cap hit for next season should be a priority for general manager John Lynch, and San Francisco likely could do so without overextending itself too much.
OT Rashawn Slater,Los Angeles Chargers
Like many of his peers, Slater was revitalized by the arrival of Jim Harbaugh and the system he and offensive coordinator Greg Roman implemented, as the 2021 first-round pick displayed a dominant form and earned his second Pro Bowl nod. His timing is impeccable, as a fifth-year option worth $19.04 million is all that remains on his rookie deal. With All-Pro Tristan Wirfs having set a new high for offensive tackles with last offseason’s five-year, $140.63 million extension, Slater and the Bolts have a pricey new reference point in any talks.
DE Trey Hendrickson,Bengals
One year after his trade request led nowhere, Hendrickson is ramping up the pressure on the Bengals, telling “The Pat McAfee Show” during Super Bowl week, “I want to help win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati, whether I’m there or not.” As the NFL’s reigning sack king (17½), he is highly valuable to a defense lacking for playmakers elsewhere – as well as a franchise that seems committed to return to contention after missing the playoffs the last two seasons. But paying top dollar to a 30-year-old pass rusher could be tricky, and so too could be fielding a favorable return for him on the trade market.
DE Greg Rousseau,Bills
As Buffalo’s lone legitimate threat off the edge, Rousseau might have an argument to be ahead of Cook in the pecking order for an extension. Yet it could be tricky to slot a 6-foot-6, 266-pound edge rusher who has shown immense talent but has yet to crack through to the elite tier at his position, who all typically command at least $24 million per year. Meanwhile, cornerback Christian Benford and linebacker Terrel Bernard could also be on the radar for new agreements.
LB Micah Parsons,Dallas Cowboys
Next to Purdy, his deal might be the most anticipated of the offseason, as Parsons appears primed to push Nick Bosa for the title of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player at $34 million per year. But could this be another Jerry Jones negotiation that takes plenty of time to play out? The Cowboys didn’t come to terms with CeeDee Lamb until late August last year, and the record pact for Prescott landed just hours before the 2024 season opener. While Parsons recently told the Cowboys’ official website there had been “no progress yet” on contract talks, he maintained “there’s definitely a plan in place.”
OLB T.J Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Whatever plans the steady Steelers have to shake up their roster after yet another early postseason ouster don’t appear to include moving Watt. Team president Art Rooney II set aside the notion of trading the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year ahead of the final year of his contract, saying instead that Watt is “the kind of guy we want to have in the locker room going forward.” After being held without a sack in the final four games of the season, Watt vowed to make changes to his game in the offseason. But even after the seven-time Pro Bowler turned 30 in October and posted his lowest sack total (11½) in a full campaign since his rookie year in 2017, the Steelers appear to be confident enough in Watt’s trajectory to keep paying him a handsome sum.
CB Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
The No. 3 pick in the 2022 NFL draft has enjoyed a steady ascent, with last season serving as his official arrival to the tier of the league’s elite defensive players. He notched five interceptions – and two more in the playoffs – and 18 passes defensed en route to All-Pro honors. Though the Texans could exercise his fifth-year option to leave the team with two more years left on his deal, an extension in the near future would be entirely reasonable. Whenever he gets his next contract, expect it to challenge the Denver Broncos’ Pat Surtain II for the top pay at cornerback (four years, $96 million).
S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
Re-upping seems like a no-brainer for both Hamilton and the Ravens, whose midseason decision to move the do-everything defensive back to a more traditional deep safety role helped spark a massive turnaround. But the two-time Pro Bowler doesn’t seem to be in any rush to complete a deal, telling the Baltimore Sun this week that his offseason focus is on training rather than negotiating. Baltimore also might not feel much urgency to lock in anything right away given Antoine Winfield Jr.’s place atop the safety market at $21 million per year is unlikely to be challenged by anyone other than Hamilton in the near future. But there’s little question Hamilton will leap to the top spot at some point.
S Kerby Joseph,Detroit Lions
Despite leading the NFL with nine interceptions, Joseph was snubbed for the Pro Bowl, though he was an All-Pro selection. But there’s no questioning the perception of him within Detroit’s front office. “He fits our culture,” general manager Brad Holmes said of Joseph in his season-ending news conference. “It’s hard to find ballhawk guys that will tackle like how he does, and I think that’s what makes him unique. … We haven’t had any intense dialogue about that yet, but obviously we want to keep the good players here.”
