NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The NFL and their teams are making money hand over fist. Gone are the days of a top-tier player or a winner at the top of the highest-paid list. In this era, all you have to do is complete 3 passes in a single drive and you’re rewarded handsomely.
In the last few years, contracts have skyrocketed. The NFL is doing a great job, and most of the players are doing their part. Which brings us to the contracts of these QBs.
With Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins inking his extension, he now ranks as one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL with an annual salary of 53.1 million. That places him 4th behind Jordan Love ($55M) Joe Burrow ($55M) and Trevor Lawrence ($55M).
Rounding out the rest of that group are Jared Goff ($53M), Justin Herbert ($52.5M), Lamar Jackson ($52M), and Jalen Hurts ($51M). After glancing over that elite list, what’s missing?
I’m sorry, but any player playing at what is considered the top position in all of sports earning that type of bread should have at least 1-2 Super Bowl wins under their belt. If not the wins, then the MVPs at least. Jackson fits that mold with the MVPs but he has fallen short in Super Bowl wins or appearances.
Burrow has no MVPs but he has been to a Super Bowl. The same can be said for Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff but that’s where the list should stop. Herbert can throw with the best of them but what MVP hype has he garnered and how many SB or even Conference Championships has he played in?
The Dolphins paid Tua a large sum and he fits in the same box as Herbert. Great arm and stats but he has not won anything yet.
Hell, of all these players, Love is the complete head-scratcher here. One solid season and now he’s the highest-paid QB in NFL history. That same argument can be made regarding Hurts. At least Hurst was rewarded for leading his team to a Super Bowl appearance. There is no way Love should be the highest-paid QB in the league.
And let’s not forget that Dak Prescott still has to be paid. And this is where things get a bit choppy. The Cowboys have no choice but to fork over a King’s Ransom for their starting QB. But like most on this list, is he worth it?
While the numbers for these QBs are good, how are they placed above Patrick Mahomes? Conventional wisdom will say the best should be paid like it. No QB in the NFL should be making more than Mahomes at any point until they can surpass him on the field. But the business side of the NFL doesn’t use common sense.
Going through this list, which of these QBs will you take over Mahomes? I get that agents and players are waiting for any QB to sign a deal. Once said QB signs, then the agents hit the GMs with what they believe is “Fair Market Value.” No. A QB with no rings or even Conference Championships wins or appearances should be in the ballpark of a winning QBs “Market Value.” No way.
Jackson wanted guaranteed money, the Baltimore Ravens gave it. Same with Kirk Cousins. Okay, that’s fine but Mahomes should have been the first player with a fully guaranteed deal. He has earned that.
What makes Mahomes the pinnacle is that he’s the hunted. His Kansas City Chiefs have won 3 Super Bowls in 5 years and played in 4 of those 5. He’s the bar.
The Cowboys will pay Prescott. But they will not pay him what he’s worth. I’m a huge Hurts fan but the Eagles did not pay him what he’s worth. He deserves less. Win a ring then come to the table.
With raw numbers, everyone on this list should be in the running for league MVP and have their respective teams vying for a Championship every year, not fighting for a playoff spot but a championship. All it takes is one solid year and the armored truck is backing into their driveway. Whatever happened to showing consistency? Do we think the New York Giants are not regretting paying Daniel Jones?
I am not saying that Love, Hurts, Lawrence, Prescott, and the others are not worthy of big bucks. I’m just saying, let them prove they are worthy of the big bucks. 30 TDs should not equal $55M. Either this offseason or next, Prescott will become the highest-paid QB in NFL history. There is no way Jerry Jones or Prescott will let Love sit atop that list for too long.
Mahomes set the bar then he was surpassed. Herbert and Lawrence have done less but they make more. We can’t be mad at the players. Their job is to take what they feel is the best deal for them. Who in their right mind will turn down $55M even if they know, they don’t deserve it?
