Few significant deals are left to be signed this NFL offseason, which means we can settle in and judge the moves made so far.
One fun annual judgement is assessing who are the league’s most underpaid and overpaid players.
Here’s a team-by-team rundown of those who deserve raises.
Salary information courtesy of Spotter.
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Buffalo Bills: RB James Cook
You gotta love productive young running backs on rookie deals. The 24-year-old put up 1,567 scrimmage yards as a sophomore in 2023 and will cost just $1.6 million in 2024.
Miami Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa
Enjoy while it lasts, Miami. Even with a bump to $23.1 million in his upcoming option year, a quarterback who has been a legitimate MVP candidate in each of the last two seasons will only be the 37th-highest-paid player in the NFL in 2024.
New England Patriots: LB Jahlani Tavai
The five-year veteran exploded with 110 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, five passes defended and a sack in 2023. He’s slated to cost the Patriots just $3.2 million in a walk year in 2024.
New York Jets: Edge Jermaine Johnson II
This is a toss-up between 2022 first-round picks Johnson and Sauce Gardner, both of whom have become stars. Gardner more so than Johnson, but he’ll still make a decent $9.1 million in 2024, while Johnson is in line for just $3.6 million.
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Baltimore Ravens: S Kyle Hamilton
The 23-year-old first-team All-Pro is due just $9.6 million over the course of the next two seasons.
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Ja’Marr Chase
He’ll almost certainly become far more expensive after this season, but the three-time Pro Bowler has an average annual salary of just $7.7 million for now.
Cleveland Browns: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
The 2021 second-round pick broke out with 101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two picks and six passes defended in a Pro Bowl 2023 campaign and will cost the Browns just $2.1 million in the final year of his rookie contract in 2024.
Pittsburgh Steelers: WR George Pickens
The 23-year-old averaged a league-best 18.1 yards per reception despite limited support as a sophomore in 2023. He’s scheduled to make less than $4 million over the course of the next two seasons.
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Houston Texans: QB C.J. Stroud
Because the star quarterback’s $9.1 million average annual salary makes this comically obvious, we’ll also mention 1,200-yard receiver Nico Collins and his $3.3 million 2024 cap hit.
Indianapolis Colts: Edge Kwity Paye
The 2021 first-round pick is coming off an 8.5-sack season in which he cost the Colts just $3.7 million. That’ll increase to a mere $4.3 million in 2024.
Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Travis Etienne
Another success story from the first round in 2021 who has yet to get his bag, the 25-year-old has gone over 1,400 scrimmage yards in each of his healthy pro seasons. He’ll make only $4.1 million in 2024.
Tennessee Titans: LB Jack Gibbens
The undrafted 25-year-old worked for less than $1 million last year and will do so again in 2024. Not a bad deal for a guy who shined with 95 tackles in 2023.
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Denver Broncos: CB Patrick Surtain II
Hey, a 2021 first-round pick. This one is obvious, as the 23-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro in 2022. He’ll be expensive soon but will cost the Broncos just $6.7 million in 2024.
Kansas City Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie
The first-team All-Pro sophomore is slated to count just $7.3 million against the Chiefs’ salary cap in the next two seasons combined.
Las Vegas Raiders: LB Robert Spillane
The Raiders are getting good deals on both Spillane and Divine Deablo at linebacker, as both have been very productive and shown promise of more. The former has a deal that averages just $3.5 million per year, while the latter will make $3.4 this season. It’s a toss-up, but Spillane is more of a playmaker.
Los Angeles Chargers: G Jamaree Salyer
Fellow offensive linemen Trey Pipkins and Rashawn Slater are better players right now and also come pretty cheap, but Salyer has become a really solid starter despite possessing a sub-$1 million average annual salary.
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Dallas Cowboys: CB DaRon Bland
With all due respect to the underpaid CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, neither stood a chance next to a guy who intercepted nine passes in a first-team All-Pro sophomore season while earning less than $1 million.
New York Giants: LB Micah McFadden
The 2022 fifth-round pick broke out with 101 tackles as a sophomore and will cost the Giants just $2.3 million over the course of the next two seasons.
Philadelphia Eagles: WR DeVonta Smith
That’s back-to-back 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown campaigns for the 2021 first-rounder. He’ll count just $6.4 million against the cap in 2024 before the price tag skyrockets in 2025.
Washington Commanders: G Sam Cosmi
The 2021 second-round pick finally found a groove during a tremendous campaign at guard in 2023. The future’s bright, and he’ll cost just $3.7 million in the final year of his rookie deal next season.
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Chicago Bears: LB T.J. Edwards
Unrestricted free agents get such premiums that it’s rare to see a free-agent signing on a list like this, but the 27-year-old really did outperform his three-year, $19.5 million deal with 155 tackles, three interceptions and 2.5 sacks in 2023.
Detroit Lions: OT Penei Sewell
The 2024 season will be the last in which the 23-year-old will come cheap, but the fact remains that he’s a dominant first-team All-Pro who will make just $7.7 million in 2024.
Green Bay Packers: OT Zach Tom
Josh Myers and Rasheed Walker also offer Green Bay strong discounts along the offensive line, but the 25-year-old Tom was simply awesome during a breakout 2023 season. His rookie contract pays just $1.04 million per year on average.
Minnesota Vikings: WR Justin Jefferson
He’ll make more in his option year than he did in his first four seasons combined, but even $19.7 million is a steal for, arguably, the NFL’s best receiver. He’s done some unreal damage for a total price of just $13.3 million the last four years.
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Atlanta Falcons: LB Nathan Landman
The undrafted 25-year-old exploded with 110 tackles and three forced fumbles while costing the Falcons just $870,000 in 2023. He’ll make less than $1 million again in 2024.
Carolina Panthers: RB Chuba Hubbard
By no means is the 24-year-old a star, but he has delivered steadily throughout his first three years in Carolina and should be a factor again in 2024. That’s all with a contract that pays him just north of $1 million per year on average.
New Orleans Saints: LB Pete Werner
The 2021 second-round pick has become a more impactful player throughout his first three seasons and should keep improving. His rookie contract averages $1.4 million per year but expires next offseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OT Tristan Wirfs
His fifth-year option will pay him a handsome $18.6 million in 2024, but that’s still a deal for a 25-year-old three-time Pro Bowler. And it only begins to make up for the fact that he’s been delivering substantially with an average annual salary of just $4.1 million since coming into the league in 2020.
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Arizona Cardinals: C Hjalte Froholdt
The 27-year-old 2019 fourth-round pick looked well on track to becoming a journeyman backup before excelling mightily in the first season of a two-year, $4.6 million deal in Arizona. He is in line to make some serious coin in 2025.
Los Angeles Rams: WR Red Nacua
This is a toss-up between Nacua and running back Kyren Williams, both of whom were awesome in breakout roles in 2023. Both average about $1 million per year on rookie contracts, but Williams is a year closer to free agency.
San Francisco 49ers: QB Brock Purdy
Sometimes it’s just too straightforward. Among quarterbacks with at least 500 attempts, Purdy is by far the highest-rated passer in NFL history. But he’s the 62nd-highest-paid player on the 49ers’ roster.
Seattle Seahawks: RB Kenneth Walker III
Midway through a rookie contract that pays him an average of $2.1 million per year, the 2022 second-round pick has already racked up 18 touchdowns. That’s good bang for Seattle’s buck.
2024-04-12 11:33:40
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