A couple weeks ago, the Houston Texans and their general manager Nick Caserio were able to get wide receiver Nico Collins’ services secured through the 2027 season, tacking a three-year, $72 million extension onto the one remaining season of his rookie deal he signed in 2021. This was a hefty expenditure for an ascending player, as it made Collins the seventh highest paid receiver in football at the time.
Mere days later, though, Collins $24 million per year annual value would get surpassed by Miami’s Jaylen Waddle and his $28 million per year contract. A few days after that, both of those deals would get massively dwarfed by Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, whose four year, $140 million reset the wide receiver market by several million dollars:
Collins’ deal is a good one for the player and the team. Both sides seem very happy with the agreement, and it seems like a negotiation that was respectfully and easily done. Jefferson’s deal, though, sets up for some contentious negotiations for a few other teams and their marquee wide receivers — Ceedee Lamb (Cowboys), Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) and Brandon Aiyuk (Niners), to name a few.
Nico Collins was never going to be in a contract negotiation that flirted with the top of the market for wide receivers, and thus, it was probably never going to get contentious. However, the Texans will likely need to put their “big boy pants” on for some of their contract extensions coming in the next couple years. By my count, these four players could reset the market at their position, like Jefferson did for receivers last week:
CJ STROUD, QB
CONTRACT SITUATION: Eligible for extension in 2026 offseason
CURRENT POSITION LEADER: Joe Burrow, $55M AAV
Stroud had the greatest rookie season for any quarterback in the history of the sport, and if he is able to match that or build on it in 2024 and 2025, he will become the highest paid player in the history of the sport, I’d be shocked if Stroud’s next deal is for LESS than $60 million per year.
WILL ANDERSON, EDGE
CONTRACT SITUATION: Eligible for extension in 2026 offseason
CURRENT POSITION LEADER: Nick Bosa, $34M AAV
Anderson probably has more work to do than Stroud, his draft classmate, to get into the “reset the market” conversation. Anderson was outstanding by rookie standards in 2023, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, to get into Bosa’s tax bracket, he will need to double his rookie sack number (7.5 sacks) in each of the next couple years. Even then, Anderson’s extension likely comes in the summer of 2027.
DEREK STINGLEY, Jr., CB
CONTRACT SITUATION: Eligible for extension in 2025 offseason
CURRENT POSITION LEADER: Jaire Alexander, $21M AAV
In the second half of the 2023 season, the Texans finally got the version of Stingley that they thought they were getting in 2022 when they used the third overall pick to bring him on the team. Injuries had been a major issued for Stingley going back to 2020, when he was at LSU. He needs to have a fully healthy season in 2024, with high level performance, for a top of market extension to even be a consideration next summer. More likely, this is a 2026 conversation.
LAREMY TUNSIL, LT
CONTRACT SITUATION: Free Agent after 2026 season
CURRENT POSITION LEADER: Laremy Tunsil, $25M AAV
We know that Tunsil is capable of getting a top of market contract extension at the tackle position, because he’s already done it twice before, including the summer of 2023. Currently, Tunsil is still the highest paid LEFT tackle, but don’t think he didn’t notice Detroit’s Penei Sewell resetting the right tackle market at $28 million per year. Tunsil is coming for more money in a couple years.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
