Story by
Jared Goff's next Detroit Lions contract to rank him inside NFL's top 10 highest-paid QBs
- Story by
- Jared Goff's next Detroit Lions contract to rank him inside NFL's top 10 highest-paid QBs
Jared Goff 's expected contract extension sits atop the list of 2024 offseason priorities for the Detroit Lions .
Goff can sign a long-term extension any day now, before he enters the final year of his extension signed in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams . Goff has one year remaining, worth $27.3 million in 2024 along with a $5 million roster bonus due Thursday, and after the season expressed a desire to stay in Detroit .
Advertisement
Goff, 29, is coming off one of the best seasons of his eight-year career ( 30 TDs, 12 INTs ), and helped Lions reach heights the franchise hasn't seen in a generation, helping him become a venerable sports figure in the city where his name was chanted by fans, regardless of venue .
The prices for quarterback deals continue to soar as the NFL salary cap rises each season. Goff's number could be eye-watering at first glance, possibly a deal worth $50 million annually as suggested by CBS' Boomer Esiason , falling in line with other quarterback contracts signed in recent years.
Here's a look at the 12 quarterback contracts worth more than $40 million annually, as a reference point for Goff's next deal:
MOCK DRAFT EXPLAINER: It's time for Lions to address OL again in NFL draft: Here's why
Advertisement
Top NFL quarterback contracts
Contract details via Spotrac , ordered by annual average value, or most money per year.
Joe Burrow , Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow, 27, signed a contract on the eve of the 2023 season that gave him the highest per-year dollar amount of any quarterback in the league on a five-year, $275 million deal set to kick in for 2025. The deal included a $40 million signing bonus and carries $219 million guaranteed. It is worth $55 million per year on average, with a cap hit up to $68.5 million in the final year in 2029.
Justin Herbert , Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers runs with the ball against Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions during the first half at SoFi Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
Herbert, 26 this Sunday, was another quarterback from the 2020 draft who earned a massive extension with the team that selected him. He agreed to a five-year, 262.5 million deal last July, worth $52.5 million annually, set to begin in 2025. The deal included $218.7 million in guaranteed money and a $16.1 million signing bonus. The deal starts with a $37.3 million cap hit in 2025, and goes up to a $71.2 million cap hit in 2028, before dipping in 2029.
Advertisement
Lamar Jackson , Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs in the first half for a first down against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.
The reigning NFL MVP signed his new deal last offseason after spending months in trade speculation. Jackson, 27, signed a five-year, $260 million deal last April, ending that speculation and briefly making him the highest-paid signal caller in the league, which included $185 million guaranteed and a $72.5 million signing bonus, worth $52 million annually. The deal kicked in immediately, meaning Jackson has four years left on the deal, carrying a $32.4 million cap hit in 2024 and that number goes up to $74.65 million by 2027, the final year, with a $51 million base salary.
Jalen Hurts , Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws a touchdown pass during the second quarter against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field, Dec. 25, 2023.
Hurts, 25, received a five-year, $255 million contract after leading to the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season, signing his big deal just 10 days before Jackson in April. The deal included $179.4 million guaranteed and a $23.3 million signing bonus, worth $51 million on average annually. Hurts' deal carries large bonuses and a low base salary, like a $13.6 million cap hit in 2024 ($1.125 million base salary, $4.6 million signing bonus, $7.8 million option), while earning a $38.9 million guaranteed bonus.
Advertisement
Russell Wilson , team TBD
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) tackles Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.
The Broncos trade for Wilson and subsequent extension is the most recent example of a large quarterback contract backfiring spectacularly. After being dealt from Seattle , Wilson received a five-year, $242.5 million extension just before the 2022 season, including $161 million guaranteed and a $50 million signing bonus, worth $48.5 million a year. The extension was set to kick in this season, but Wilson's dismal play his first two seasons warranted an early breakup, with the Broncos deciding to cut him and eat an NFL-record $85 million in dead cap to part ways. Wilson, 35, is now an unrestricted free agent.
Kyler Murray , Arizona Cardinals
Detroit Lions outside linebacker Charles Harris (53) and linebacker Jessie Lemonier (52) put pressure on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during second half action on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, at Ford Field in Detroit.
Murray, 26, received a five-year, $230.5 million extension in July 2022, worth $46.1 million annually, including $159.8 million guaranteed and a $29 million signing bonus. Murray, whose deal kicks in this season, is slated to have a $51.8 million cap hit in 2024, including $37 million in base salary, and his cap hit will stay between $43 million and $55 million until he's a free agent after the 2028 season.
Advertisement
Deshaun Watson , Cleveland Browns
The Browns traded for Watson and then gave him a fully guaranteed contract when they signed him in March 2022 to a five-year extension worth $230 million , worth $46 million annually, and included a $44.96 million signing bonus. Watson has three years remaining on the deal, slated to become a free agent again in 2027, while carrying a cap hit of $63.97 million each season, including a base salary of $46 million.
Patrick Mahomes , Kansas City Chiefs
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) looks to tackle Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.
Yes, you have to go down this far on the list of average salaries to find the 28-year-old Mahomes. The reigning two-time Super Bowl MVP signed a 10-year, $450 million contract with the Chiefs in July 2020, fresh off his first Super Bowl. Mahomes' deal is worth $45 million annually, and his most expensive years are 2024-27, carrying a cap hit of $58 million or more each year before it drops for the final years. The Chiefs in September restructured roster bonuses into signing bonuses to create flexibility.
Advertisement
Josh Allen , Buffalo Bills
Bills quarterback Josh Allen runs the ball against the Lions during the first half of the Lions' 28-25 loss on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022, at Ford Field.
The Bills locked up Allen in August 2021, signing him to a six-year, $258 million deal , worth $43 million annually, that included $150 million guaranteed and a $16.5 million signing bonus. Allen has five years remaining, peaking at a $56 million cap hit in 2025, and has a $47 million cap hit for 2024. The Bills converted part of his 2023 salary into a signing bonus to clear cap space, and the Bills have spent the offseason so far trying to shed more salary.
ANALYSIS: Lions need a No. 1 cornerback. Recent history shows several ways to find one.
Matthew Stafford , Los Angeles Rams
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff hugs Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford after the Lions' 24-23 win in the NFC wild-card game at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan, 14, 2024.
Ah, yes a familiar face. Stafford, 36, received a four-year, $160 million contract extension from the Rams, worth $40 million annually, and included $130 million guaranteed and a $60 million signing bonus. The deal kicked in for 2023 and carries cap hits of $49.5 million or $50 million in the final three seasons, with him scheduled to be a free agent in 2027. Stafford earned the deal for leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title in his first season after being traded from Detroit in exchange for Goff and draft picks .
Advertisement
Dak Prescott , Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas.
Prescott, 30, is the second of three QBs on this list on a four-year, $160 million contract extension worth $40 million annually, which he signed in March 2021. The deal included $126 million guaranteed and a $66 million signing bonus. Prescott has one year remaining on the deal carrying a cap hit of $59.45 million, with a $29 million with free agency potentially looming in 2025 if a new deal is not struck .
Daniel Jones , New York Giants
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) runs in a touchdown during the first half against the Lions, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Jones, 26, signed a four-year, $160 million deal in March 2023 as a free agent, after leading the Giants to the playoffs. His deal runs through 2026, carrying a cap hit between $41 million and $58 million each of those seasons. In 2024, Jones is slated for a $47 million cap hit, including a $35.5 million base salary.
Advertisement
Customize your Free Press experience: Download our app for the latest news, alerts, eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jared Goff's Lions contract will rank him inside NFL's top 10 for QBs
