Over the past few seasons, the NFL has seen quarterback contract skyrocket in terms of value. With Derek Carr, Geno Smith and Daniel Jones adding their names to the list of big-money quarterback deals, Cowboys star Micah Parsons jokingly claimed he was considering a position change.
With so much money being doled out to quarterbacks, Parsons joked about taking up the position himself in order to secure the bag and get a cut of the big deals being tossed around.
Jones and the Giants agreed to a four-year, $160 million deal, which could potentially be worth as much as $195 million in total money. That contract includes $94 million in guaranteed money.
As for Carr, he signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints, including a guaranteed $100 million. Smith did reasonably well for himself, too, agreeing to a three-year, $105 million pact to remain with the Seahawks.
Parsons, like the rest of the league, is paying attention to these monster contracts. And now he wants in on the haul.
In terms of defensive players, only Aaron Donald boasts a contract with an average annual value above $30 million, earning $31.66 million per season for the Rams. Additionally, the only defensive players pocketing more than $25 million annually are Donald, TJ Watt, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett.
Parsons could realistically wind up collecting that level of salary if he continues on his current career trajectory.
When Parsons’s current contract comes to an end, he’ll certainly be in line for a big payday. The 23-year-old is still playing under his rookie deal, which runs through the 2024 season. He’s set to earn a base salary of $2.12 million in 2023 and $2.99 million in 2024, before the Cowboys can exercise the fifth-year option in his deal.