Within the next year, several big-name players are scheduled to become free agents. Kirk Cousins is the name most have circled, as he will be a free agent for the second time in his career, and first since 2018 when he originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
The pending free agent class of 2024, though, has many more proven players that will be looking for big contracts, many of whom have more than earned a nice pay day.
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Let’s start with the Chiefs best defender, and biggest reason for doing this piece in the first place, Chris Jones. We all agree that Patrick Mahomes is the most important player on the Chiefs, but Jones is No. 2. He led all defensive tackles in pass rush win percentage and sacks from the defensive interior. He was second in the league in hurries, behind only Micah Parsons, and he was fifth in hits on the quarterback — as a defensive tackle.
Jones is currently holding out, as he and the Chiefs haven’t come to terms on a new deal, and he reportedly wants a $30 million per season deal. The Jets just made Quinnen Williams the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league in terms of total money, giving him a $96 million deal with an average salary of $24 million per year. Aaron Donald of the Rams is in the midst of a $95 million deal that pays him an average of $31 million per season. Will Jones have his demands met, or will he bring that number down a bit? Regardless, he is one of the five best defensive players in football, and if the Chiefs don’t pay him, someone else will.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
You can make the argument that Hockenson is the most underrated tight end in the league. He was second in targets by a tight end in 2022, trailing only to Travis Kelce, and his 96 receptions (regular season and postseason combined) were the second most amongst tight ends and 15th in the NFL as a whole.
Like his quarterback, Kirk Cousins, Hockenson is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. In a zone-run scheme that thrives off play action, Hockenson has shown he can produce to the highest standard of his position. The former Iowa Hawkeye is in the final year of his rookie deal, which means this contract will be his first mega-pay day as an NFL tight end. His base salary jumps from just under $540 thousand in 2022 to $9.3 million in 2023.
The current highest-paid tight end, in terms of average money per season, is Darren Waller at $17 million. Hockenson has done more than enough to garner that type of money. If he doesn’t stick around in Minnesota, I’d expect him to flourish with someone from the Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan mold of offensive scheming.
Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
Whenever Baker does get paid, it won’t be by the Cardinals. The two-time All-Pro requested a trade in April, and one would expect he’ll be dealt before the end of the 2023 season. Wherever he ends up landing, that team is getting a bonafide superstar in their defensive backfield.
While Baker’s numbers and performances were inconsistent in coverage last season, he was also asked to wear a lot of hats in the lowly defensive backfield that the Cardinals built around him.
His versatility sets him apart, though. He defends the run as well as any safety in the game and he is a powerful tackler. Derwin James is currently the highest-paid safety in terms of average money per season at just over $19.1 million. I think baker fits in around the Jessie Bates, Harrison Smith range at a comfortable $16 million per season. Who will give that to him? Perhaps the Jaguars. They have the money to do it, and could use an upgrade over Rayshawn Jenkins. Pairing Baker with Andre Cisco would also make for a marvelous tandem.
Frankie Luvu, Carolina Panthers
For my money, there isn’t a more underrated off-ball linebacker in football than Frankie Luvu. In terms of his ability to stop the run, few in the league are better. He was tied for fifth in the league in run stops in 2022, and he was ninth in the NFL in percentage of run defense snaps that resulted in a run stop, per PFF. His average depth of tackle was third in the league, meaning ball carriers simply weren’t getting past him, or getting far downfield whatsoever.
Luvu is in the final year of his rookie deal. He hasn’t gotten the accolades of other top inside linebackers, but the argument can be made that he is in the top 10 of his position. Will he get top 10 money? I’d expect his deal to be in the territory of Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell- between $55-65 million dollars over a four or five year span with somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million in guaranteed money.
D.J. Reader, Cincinnati Bengals
If you want to talk about dominance on the defensive interior, D.J. Reader is a name that needs to be talked about. He doesn’t get the attention of an Aaron Donald or Chris Jones, but Reader proved himself as an elite defensive tackle in 2022. He missed a lot of time last season with injury, but go back and watch that Titans game if you want to see how valuable Reader is to the Bengals.
He tied his regular season high in pressures with three, batted down two passes, and was constantly clogging run lanes and preventing Tennessee from getting any sort of ground game going. He topped this performance a few weeks later against the Browns, being credited with five run stops, which tied his season high. He was also the Bills’ biggest menace in the Divisional round, pressuring Josh Allen five times, hitting him twice.
Reader is one of the most consistently disruptive defensive linemen in today’s game, and he is slated to be a free agent in 2024. Cincinnati’s offense may get all the attention, but Reader is one of the most important building blocks that helped this team get to consecutive AFC Championship Games. While it will be difficult to pay everyone, especially when Joe Burrow will inevitably sign a hefty extension, Reader needs to be near the top of the Bengals’ priority list.
