It’s become a trend for quarterbacks in the NFL to reset the quarterback market in free agency with contract extensions. It doesn’t matter who you are, or how many playoff wins you do or don’t have, if a team is confident in extending its quarterback, they will likely become the top-five highest-paid QB or even the highest.
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Dak Prescott is the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, making $60 million per year, for a quarterback who has seen minimal playoff success since becoming a starter.
What’s ironic is that some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL aren’t being paid as such. The two quarterbacks that appeared in this past Super Bowl- Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, on top of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson- aren’t the top-five highest-paid quarterbacks right now.
At the same time, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the top-five highest-paid quarterbacks. Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million contract that included $200 million last offseason, averaging $55 million per year. Jackson ($52 million), Hurts ($51 million), and Mahomes ($45 million) each effectively earn less than Lawrence per year.
Lawrence also has more guaranteed money than both Hurts and Jackson. Additionally, he is tied for the second-highest contract annually with Jordan Love, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. He has a career record of 20-30 and has one playoff win.
Seven months ago, former NFL scout John Middlekauf labeled Lawrence as overrated and said that he has the second-worst contract currently in the NFL. He thinks the Jaguars overpaid for an average quarterback.
“Trevor Lawrence is one of the most overhyped players in the history of the league,” Middlekauf claimed. “They have good offensive pieces, he just looks awful…. The second-most-overpaid player in the NFL. That contract currently looks like a disaster.”
Meanwhile, Hurts has been to multiple Super Bowls, and even won one, Mahomes has won three Super Bowls and multiple league MVPs, and Jackson has won multiple MVPs.
Jordan Love is another example of a quarterback who was paid big without proving much. While he is a good quarterback, he’s only played two full seasons and has an 18-15 career record with a 1-2 postseason record.
Even Justin Herbert, who is a good quarterback, can be seen as overpaid. He has an average career record of 41-38 and has never won a playoff game, going 0-2 in two games. He is paid $52.5 million per year and is the eighth highest-paid QB in the NFL.
Hurts and Jackson (and other quarterbacks) will soon likely surpass Lawrence’s contract. But with each QB contract, the QB market gets more and more inflated and if something is not done soon, QBs will be making truly mind-boggling amounts of money in the near future.
