The 2023 NFL season kicks off this week, but one of the major headlines has been some of the key players who have not joined their teams due to contract disputes.
Those include San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, who was last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones, the defensive anchor of the Super Bowl LVII winner.
But while there’s concern over when the two are going to suit up for their respective squads -- both of which are expected to compete for the Super Bowl again this year -- the opportunity for both of them is massive.
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Bosa is seeking a deal that would make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history in, at least in terms of annual salary, a mantle currently held by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who makes nearly $31.7 million annually.
Jones, who plays the same position as Donald, is also using him as a basis for the deal he seeks. There is a significant gap in annual pay between Donald and second-highest paid DT, the New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams who signed a 4-year deal in July worth $24 million annually.
FS1’s Nick Wright said on Sept. 4 that he believes Jones is seeking a two-year deal worth $32 million annually, which would be a tick above Donald, while the Chiefs are looking closer to $27 million a year for a two-year deal. Other reports have stated that Jones would be fine as the second-highest paid defensive tackle.
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Two other superstars who could seek contract extensions, but are not on contract holdouts, are Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
What makes them different from the two defensive stars is that both are still on their rookie deals and have a year remaining on their deals after this coming season. However, both are extension eligible and should command historic deals.
Burrow was the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and has revitalized a fledgling Bengals franchise, leading them to the last two AFC Championship games and a Super Bowl berth in 2022. He could break the record for per year salary of an NFL contract which sits at $52.5 million per year signed by the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, who was drafted five picks after Burrow.
Jefferson is coming off a season where he won Offensive Player of the Year for a Vikings squad that won its division with a 13-4 record. He should be able to seek out for the highest contract for a wide receiver in the market, which is currently held by the Miami Dolphins’s Tyreek Hill whose deal is at $120 million for four years, or $30 million annually.
We have football this week and there are 4 contract extensions on the table for players that are generational talents.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) September 5, 2023
Joe Burrow, Nick Bosa, Chris Jones and Justin Jefferson.
These are all future Hall-of-Famers that could respectively sign record deals.
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