An NFL roster is a zero-sum game, thanks to the salary cap. Paying one player more means you have to pay another player less. That means it's important for every team to get value out of its veteran contracts. Football Outsiders analyzed the rosters of all 32 NFL teams and picked out the most valuable contract on each one.
In this analysis, we considered present value, likely long-term value and percentage of the salary cap tied up. The length of a deal is less of a consideration than it would be in other sports because injury can end a player's career at any time.
Finally, we will not use drafted players on rookie contracts because then the entire list would be rookie contracts. A good player on a rookie contract is immensely valuable, as you have likely learned from the discourse about teams with good young quarterbacks being able to field better teams around them. However, we did consider players on UDFA (undrafted free agent) contracts because any team had a shot at them, though most teams do not have a UDFA worthy of being on our list.
All contract information used was cobbled from Over The Cap data. Future cap percentages are based on a publicly available $218.2 million estimate for the 2023 salary cap. Stats listed are through Week 12. Teams are listed in alphabetical order by conference.
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC
Baltimore Ravens: Justin Houston, EDGE
Age: 33
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,500,000 (1.7%)
In terms of bang for your buck, there aren't many players who will give you more bang than Houston. The edge rusher has missed a short stretch due to injury, but when available, Houston has been wreaking havoc in the backfield for Baltimore. Houston, 33, leads the Ravens with 9.0 sacks in eight games, also sharing the team lead of seven tackles for loss and is second to Calais Campbell in quarterback hits. According to Sports Info Solutions, Houston's 5.4% sack rate leads all edge rushers and linebackers across the league with at least 100 pass-rush attempts.
Buffalo Bills: Ryan Bates, G
Age: 25
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $2,375,000 (1.1%)
2023: $4,875,000 (2.2%)
2024: $4,875,000 (1.9%)
2025: $4,875,000
Bates joined the Bills in 2019 after being cut as a UDFA by the Eagles. He served as a backup lineman before earning his first start in Week 4 of 2021. After a brief stint returning to a backup role, Bates started the final three games of the 2021 season and never looked back. Buffalo re-signed him this past offseason, making him the permanent starting right guard going forward.
Despite the Bills boasting a relatively low-cost offensive line, Bates is an outlier among the veteran Bills linemen. While the contracts for center Mitch Morse and tackle Dion Dawkins jump up after this season, Bates' leap is still considered very friendly in terms of relative position value. Moving into his first year as a full-time starter, Bates has actually improved with more repetition. His blown block rate dropped from 3.4% to 2.2% year-over-year. In addition, Bates has the fewest penalties of any of the Bills' offensive linemen.
Cincinnati Bengals: Samaje Perine, RB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $1,850,000 (0.9%)
Perine is more than a low-cost veteran backup to running back Joe Mixon. Even when Mixon is healthy, Perine is an effective receiving back, averaging 2.4 receptions per game with as many receiving touchdowns (4) as Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Perine's 19.7% receiving DVOA is sixth among qualifying running backs, beating out Mixon's 10.2%. It is certainly an added bonus that Perine can take over for Mixon in a pinch. With Mixon absent against the Tennessee Titans -- the league's best rushing defense by DVOA -- Perine and the Bengals' offense posted their second-best single-game rushing DVOA of the season.
It bears mentioning that cornerback Chidobe Awuzie would have retained his spot on this list from last year had he not been placed on season-ending injured reserve after Week 8. According to Sports Info Solutions, Awuzie's 37.0% completion percentage allowed is second only to Philadelphia's James Bradberry among players with at least eight starts, allowing 17 completions on 46 targets. In addition, Awuzie still leads the Bengals' secondary with eight pass breakups despite having not played since Halloween. If he continues this pace of play, expect to see him on the list in 2023 -- his $8.15 million cap hit is currently only 25th among 2023 cornerbacks.
Cleveland Browns: Ethan Pocic, C
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $1,187,500 (0.5%)
Pocic was given the unenviable task of shifting from guard to center and succeeding JC Tretter, and he has risen to the occasion. Pocic is currently sixth among centers in both pass block win rate and run block win rate, while also on pace to post a career low in blown block rate, per Sports Info Solutions. His 1.2% blown block rate currently ranks ninth among starting centers across the league and leads all starting Browns offensive linemen.
This slot might belong to quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has exceeded expectations as the fill-in quarterback on a one-year deal. Brissett's run as starting QB landed him seventh in QBR and sixth in DVOA, capping his short-lived tenure with a gutsy overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Brissett heading back to the bench, the value of his one-year, $4.65 million contract no longer carries the same weight. However, he might have earned the right to another shot at a starting job next season.
Denver Broncos: Alex Singleton, LB
Age: 29
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $1,115,000 (0.5%)
Singleton was a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Montana State who was signed by the Seahawks. He failed to make the final roster, spending time on practice squads for the Seahawks, Patriots and Vikings before doing a stint in the CFL in 2016. Singleton eventually returned to the league and signed with the Eagles in 2019. Despite serving primarily as a backup for three years with Philadelphia, he still managed to lead the Eagles in tackles in 2020 and 2021. After signing a one-year contract with the Broncos this past offseason, Singleton is doing more of the same for Denver. Singleton's 90 combined tackles lead the Broncos and rank 17th leaguewide. Singleton's 571 snaps played this season are the eighth-most of any player on the Broncos, due in part to a significant contribution in special teams.
Houston Texans: Jerry Hughes, EDGE
Age: 34
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,750,000 (1.8%)
2023: $6,250,000 (2.8%)
Long story short, Hughes is the Texans pass rush. Hughes' 8.0 sacks are tied for 12th in the league, leading Houston's silver medalist Rasheem Grant by 4.5 sacks. According to Sports Info Solutions, Hughes' 3.6% sack rate is fifth among all defensive linemen with at least 100 pass-rush attempts. His 29 pressures are also a Texans high, per SIS. Hughes is no one-trick pony, though, ranking sixth among all defensive ends and outside linebackers in run stop win rate. Hughes is just two sacks shy of his career high of 10.0, a feat he last achieved nearly a decade ago. Amidst a career year at 34, Hughes is making $3 million less than Travon Walker, the rookie edge rusher taken first overall this past April.
Indianapolis Colts: Zaire Franklin, LB
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,610,000
2023: $3,000,000
2024: $3,390,000
Franklin was drafted by the Colts in the seventh round of the 2018 draft, serving primarily as a special teamer for the first three years of his career. He got his first start at linebacker in 2021, holding the lead role in 11 of his 17 appearances that year. Now as a full-time starter, Franklin as taken a major leap as one of Indianapolis' most important players.
Franklin's 906 snaps played are the second-most of any player in the league. He has played 99.6% of the Colts' defensive snaps while still making major contributions on special teams. Franklin's 121 tackles are one shy of the league lead, and he's on pace to break the Colts' franchise record for tackles set by Shaquille Leonard in his rookie season. Franklin also leads the team in tackles for loss, charting three passes defensed and a forced fumble along the way.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Arden Key, EDGE
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $4,000,000 (1.7%)
The Jaguars are one of the youngest teams in football, making them a difficult team to pin down for this exercise. Most of their biggest contributors on both sides of the ball are either still on their rookie contracts or were aptly paid in free agency. Which brings us to Key. Third edge rusher behind 2022 No. 1 overall pick Trayvon Walker and 2019 seventh-overall pick Josh Allen, Key has held his own in a rotational role.
He has two sacks and 18 pressures on the season, both not far behind the former first-rounders despite seeing fewer opportunities. On a down-for-down basis, he is holding his own. According to Sports Info Solutions, Key's 11.0% pressure rate is 20th in the league for linebackers with at least 150 pass-rush attempts, and his 6.8% QB-hit rate is ninth. While Key has played just 35.0% of defensive snaps for Jacksonville this season, he has certainly made his snaps count.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, QB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $35,793,381 (17.0%)
2023: $46,793,381 (20.2%)
2024: $44,293,381 (17.3%)
2025: $46,293,381
2026: $41,950,000
2027: $59,950,000
2028: $44,450,000
2029: $44,950,000
2030: $50,450,000
2031: $52,450,000
We'll make the argument that Mahomes' 10-year, $450 million contract, despite being the largest contract in sports history, is the Chiefs' best-value contract. By average per year value, Mahomes ranks fifth among current quarterbacks. All the quarterbacks ahead of Mahomes -- Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson -- signed their deals this past offseason. Rodgers' and Murray's contracts are the biggest indicators of future contracts, with Rodgers becoming the first $50 million-per-year quarterback and Murray's first non-rookie deal exceeding the APY set by Watson's $230 million fully guaranteed deal. These become the negotiation benchmarks for the next class of elite young quarterbacks.
Meanwhile, the contract for arguably the most talented quarterback in football currently is locked-in well below that threshold. It also has no guaranteed money attached to it after the 2024 season and no dead money after 2025. Mahomes' cap hit in 2023 is a big chunk, but it goes down the following season and -- outside of one record-setting $59.95 million projected cap hit in 2027 -- does not eclipse that number again until 2030.
Even that one-year spike is avoidable. The main form of payment in Mahomes' contracts come in the form of roster bonuses, which can easily be converted to a signing bonus in a restructure before a season begins. A restructure can be spread out at most across five years of a contract, with 2027 being the last year in Mahomes' deal to get maximum savings on a restructure. While the length of the contract allows Chiefs general manager Brett Veach to restructure any year he chooses, 2027 is the most opportune time. That year, Mahomes' base salary jumps from $2.5 million in 2026 to $10 million in 2027, and his total projected cap hit of $59.95 million would be the highest single-year cap hit in NFL history.
Las Vegas Raiders: Duron Harmon, S
Age: 31
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $1,047,500 (0.5%)
Of the former Patriots coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler recruited to Las Vegas, Harmon has been the most impactful. He has been everywhere as a safety. He leads the team with two interceptions, one of which was a 73-yard pick-six. His five passes defended are second only to cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. Harmon also boasts a forced fumble and the fourth-most tackles on the Raiders. His 682 defensive snaps played are second behind Maxx Crosby. Although Las Vegas ranks last in the league by defensive DVOA, Harmon has been a do-it-all safety at a bargain price.
Los Angeles Chargers: Austin Ekeler, RB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $7,000,000
2023: $7,250,000
No running back is more singularly important to their offense the way Ekeler is to the Chargers. Ekeler currently doubles as both the team's leading rusher and top pass-catcher. While not your traditional back, Ekeler accounts for 128 of the Chargers' 211 rushing attempts by running backs or fullbacks. (For reference, Sony Michel is second among such runners with 36 attempts.) Ekeler has long been a receiving back for the Chargers, recording at least 50 receptions per season in each of the past three seasons. With Chargers receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams each dealing with injuries, Ekeler's role has increased considerably.
Not only is Ekeler on pace for a career high in receptions, he is also well on his way to 100 rushing attempts and 100 receptions in a single season. According to Stathead, he would be just the fourth player in NFL history to accomplish such a feat, joining Matt Forte, Christian McCaffrey (twice) and fellow Charger LaDainian Tomlinson. Ekeler fell eight receptions shy of the feat in 2019, but his 7.3 receptions per game is 1.5 more than his 2019 average.
Ekeler is 10th in the league with 1,051 all-purpose yards and tied for second with 12 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. His even usage as both a rusher and a receiver puts him three receiving yards shy of 500 yards in each category. The only other players close to this feat -- McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara -- are the highest and second-highest paid running backs by APY respectively.
Miami Dolphins: Kader Kohou, CB
Age: 24
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $715,000 (0.4%)
2023: $880,000 (0.4%)
2024: $995,000 (0.4%)
The Dolphins signed Kohou as a 2022 undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M-Commerce. Earning a starting spot at cornerback by Week 3 due to a laundry list of injuries, Kohou has been an excellent find for a team paying Xavien Howard and Byron Jones two of the 10 most expensive cornerback contracts in football. Kohou currently leads the Dolphins secondary with 7.1 yards per target allowed, according to Sports Info Solutions. His 52.6% completion percentage allowed is also very respectable for a rookie UDFA, especially when it is a tenth of a percent below Howard's. As a bonus, Kohou is fifth on the team in tackles for loss with four, just one behind Miami linebackers Elandon Roberts, Jaelan Phillips and Melvin Ingram. The rest of the Dolphins secondary combined has one tackle for loss, made by Brandon Jones.
New England Patriots: Jakobi Meyers, WR
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,986,000 (1.9%)
Amidst New England's continued pursuits for a new pass-catcher -- whether that be through the draft, via trade, or free agency -- none have had the consistency or staying power of 2019 undrafted free agent Meyers. Meyers has led the Patriots in targets and receiving yards in each of the past three seasons, with 2022 serving as his best year yet. For the first time in his career, Meyers is top 10 among wide receivers in both DVOA and DYAR. At just under $4 million, Meyers is signed for less than every skill position player acquired during New England's 2021 offseason spending spree (which included wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne and tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith) as well as 2022 offseason trade target DeVante Parker.
Despite being the highest-paid player on the Patriots roster in 2022, edge rusher Matthew Judon also deserves consideration as one of the best-value players on New England's roster. Judon currently leads the league with 13.0 sacks, is tied for sixth in the NFL with 46 total pressures and has arguably been a top-five edge rusher in the league since joining the Patriots. The edge rusher market is set to explode in 2023, with 13 players already signed to a cap hit of at least $20 million. Judon, however, is set to have a $16.5 million cap hit in 2023 and a $15 million one in 2024. The longevity of this deal, even if Judon drops slightly in performance, represents a massive value at a highly coveted position.
New York Jets: D.J. Reed, CB
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $4,601,765 (2.2%)
2023: $14,155,000 (6.2%)
2024: $14,155,000 (5.5%)
One of the main priorities for the Jets during the 2022 offseason was reinventing the team's secondary. With a one-year turnaround from a league-worst 29.0% defensive pass DVOA in 2021 to a fifth-best minus-12.6% DVOA in 2022, they are well on their way to calling that a success. While fourth overall pick and current Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite Sauce Gardner may receive a lot of the credit for the turnaround, offseason acquisition Reed certainly deserves his due. Reed, who played under Jets head coach Robert Saleh in San Francisco before joining the Seahawks, is having a career resurgence amidst the reunion. According to Sports Info Solutions, Reed is averaging a career-low 5.9 yards per target while also finishing second on the team (to Gardner) in passes defended, all while playing 100% of defensive snaps for the Jets this season.
In addition to quality defensive play, Reed beings a much-needed veteran presence to an extremely young cornerback room. Four cornerbacks on the roster -- not including Gardner -- are still on rookie contracts with less than three years of experience. Despite being 26, Reed is one of the oldest defensive backs on the team. Reed was a necessary addition not only for his strong play, but for his mentorship ability as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Sutton, CB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $5,200,000 (2.4%)
2023 [Void]: $2,100,000 (0.9%)
2024 [Void]: $0
2025 [Void]: $0
Sutton has taken off in his second year as a full-time starter for the Steelers. In 2021, Sutton's completion percentage allowed spiked to 63.3% while his yards per target shot up from 6.4 to 9.0, allowing five touchdowns over the course of the season as well. This year, however, Sutton has turned the corner, his 45.2% completion percentage allowed leading all members of the Steelers secondary and his 5.9 yards per target allowed leading all Steelers corners, per Sports Info Solutions.
Sutton and first-year Steelers corner Levi Wallace are both very fitting for this award. Wallace signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Steelers this past offseason, taking up a 1.2% cap hit in 2022. Wallace leads the Steelers secondary with nine pass breakups and three interceptions. However, the exceptional leap taken by Sutton as a home-grown product, coupled with how much better Sutton has performed in down-to-down coverage, gives him the edge over Wallace.
Tennessee Titans: Teair Tart, DT
Age: 25
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $895,000 (0.4%)
The Titans signed Tart as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and he became a consistent starter in 2021. In his third season with the Titans, Tart has quickly evolved into a force up the middle. Tart ranks sixth in ESPN's run stop win rate among defensive tackles, just four percentage points behind felt teammate Jeffery Simmons. According to Sports Info Solutions, his average depth of tackle of 2.0 yards ranks 23rd among interior defensive linemen with at least 20 tackles.
Tart has also made himself known in the pass rush, notching an 8.3% pressure rate that ranks 21st amongst defensive tackles. Tart's reps are low right now, playing 45.7% of defensive snaps, but Tart is a major part of Tennessee's defense posting a league-leading minus-29.1% defensive DVOA against the run.
NFC
Arizona Cardinals: Ben Niemann, LB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $895,000 (0.4%)
Niemann started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent for the Chiefs in 2018, working his way into a rotational starting role by 2020. Niemann spent four seasons with the Chiefs before Arizona signed him as a primary special teamer. However, the loss of linebacker Nick Vigil to injured reserve opened a starting opportunity for Niemann. The former UDFA has notched 41 tackles in a rotational role in Arizona's young linebacker corps, adding two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Atlanta Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson, RB
Age: 31
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $2,500,000 (1.2%)
2023: $5,500,000 (2.4%)
2024 [Void]: $2,500,000 (1.0%)
2025 [Void]: $0
Patterson saw a career resurgence that swept the NFL last season. Patterson flashed his ability as a dual threat running back, posting career highs in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.The Falcons' quarterback transition from Matt Ryan to Marcus Mariota has put a big damper on the passing part of that equation. That didn't matter for Patterson, who transitioned from a pass-catching back to a truly special running back.
In 2021, Patterson was not an efficient rusher, averaging 38.6 rushing yards per game and ranking 34th out of 50 qualified running backs in rushing DVOA. This year, Patterson is behind only Aaron Jones with a 22.1% rushing DVOA and he is fifth in the league in rushing DYAR despite missing four games to injury. His yards per carry average is up 1.2 yards while also adding 2.5 rushing attempts per game. Oh, and Patterson is still an elite returner at 31 years old, taking an NFL-record ninth kickoff return to the house this season.
Carolina Panthers: Frankie Luvu, LB
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,485,294 (1.6%)
2023: $5,500,000 (2.3%)
The Panthers rebuild starts on the defensive end, fueled by young draft talent such as Brian Burns, Jaycee Horn, C.J. Henderson, Shaq Thompson and Derrick Brown. But not enough attention is paid to the talent Carolina brings in through free agency. The Panthers picked up linebacker Luvu up in free agency last season as a backup defensive asset and special teamer. In his second year with the team and first as a full-time starter, the 2018 undrafted free agent is having a career season. Luvu is second on the team in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss, sitting behind Thompson in tackles and Burns in sacks and tackles for loss. He even has a pick six and a forced fumble to boot. When building a defense, landing cap-friendly projects like Luvu is just as important for the Panthers as hitting on draft picks like Burns and Thompson.
Chicago Bears: Jack Sanborn, LB
Age: 22
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $707,500 (0.3%)
2023: $872,500 (0.4%)
2024: $987,500 (0.4%)
While his impact comes from a small sample size, 2022 undrafted free agent linebacker Sanborn deserves mention on this list. Sanborn was exclusively a special teams player prior to the Bears' game against the Cowboys. He was inserted into the starting lineup after Chicago traded away Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn and has shined ever since. Since earning the starting job in Week 9, Sanborn has 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Sanborn earns this spot over someone like fellow linebacker Nicholas Morrow because of the longevity of his deal. While Morrow has played a team-leading 805 snaps this season and is third on the team in total tackles, Morrow is on a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Sanborn is on a cheaper deal and under team control until 2024. In just four weeks, Sanborn has progressed enough in four weeks to play 100% of defensive snaps while still contributing as a special teamer. In addition, while Morrow has the 12-game sample size, Sanborn has out-played Morrow since becoming a starting defender. As the Bears rebuild their defense, they hope to continue to hit on players like Sanborn.
Dallas Cowboys: Leighton Vander Esch, LB
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $2,000,000 (0.9%)
In another world, Vander Esch never ends up on this list. Vander Esch burst onto the scene as a first-round pick in 2018, dominating for the Cowboys and earning second-team All-Pro honors. Over the next two seasons, the linebacker dealt with injuries and struggled to adapt to scheme changes, resulting in a significant drop in performance. Dallas declined his fifth-year option, and despite a slight return to form in the back-half of 2021, Vander Esch returned to the Cowboys on a one-year "prove it" deal this past offseason.
Over the first two-thirds of the season, Vander Esch has certainly proved it. He has proven himself a major contributor in run fits, leading the team with 75 tackles. He has shown signs of improvement in coverage, posting career lows in completion percentage allowed and yards per target, per Sports Info Solutions. Vander Esch has even had some signature moments in crucial situation, most recently stopping Saquon Barkley short of the first down marker to set up a fourth-down stop in a one-score Thanksgiving game. Whether it be for Dallas or another franchise, Vander Esch has earned another chance in this league.
Detroit Lions: Jamaal Williams, RB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $4,375,000
Williams was brought to Detroit last season as the supplementary back to D'Andre Swift. Somewhere along the way, Williams took that starting job for himself. Calling 2022 a career year would be an understatement. Williams ranks top ten in rushing DVOA for the first time in his career while posting a career-high 3.3% rushing DVOA. Having already taken more rushing attempts than in any previous season, Williams' 731 rushing yards are the 11th most in the league through 12 weeks. His 13 rushing touchdowns lead all running backs and match the number of rushing touchdowns Williams scored in the previous five seasons. Making the most of the opportunity given to him, Williams turned what was likely a temporary starting role amid injury into a career-changing season.
Green Bay Packers: Allen Lazard, WR
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,986,000 (1.8%)
The biggest story of Green Bay's offseason was the Packers' decision to trade away longtime top receiving option Davante Adams in lieu of an extension. Coupled with Marquez Valdes-Scantling's departure in free agency, the Packers had major holes to fill in their receiving corps. Despite looking to both free agency and the draft for answers, their best answer was already in-house. Lazard currently leads all Packers players in targets, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receiving DYAR. Despite the Packers' slip in offensive passing DVOA -- down from second in the league to 15th -- Lazard has remained a reliable receiving option amidst Green Bay's transition in wide receiver personnel.
Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Higbee, TE
Age: 29
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $4,250,000 (2.1%)
2023: $8,625,000 (3.8%)
2024 [Void]: $2,850,000 (1.1%)
2025 [Void]: $0
2026 [Void]: $0
The Rams are going through the Super Bowl hangover to end all Super Bowl hangovers. In a season as injury-riddled as this one, the Rams' "stars and scrubs" team-building method shows its ugliest warts. When you spend your high-end draft capital on top talent and sign them to big deals, the Day 3 draft picks are the ones left to hold down the fort when they get hurt. Ben Skowronek and Kyren Williams can only do so much when Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson II are all either already ruled out for the season or have the chance to be.
Higbee wins this honor on a bit of a technicality. Given that Rams roster-building exists at the extremes, Higbee gets credit for being a talented, modestly priced tight end who has yet to miss a game this season. With Robinson done for the season and Kupp on injured reserve, Higbee is far and away the top pass-catching option, on pace for a career high in targets and finish with a second-highest yards per game total despite seeing a downturn in catch rate and total yardage. The lack of offensive output is a team-wide epidemic, so that onus should not fall squarely on Higbee's shoulders. The continued expanded opportunity for targets will also give Higbee the chance to finish with a positive DYAR for his fifth straight season.
Minnesota Vikings: Patrick Peterson, CB
Age: 32
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,132,353 (1.5%)
2023 [Void]: $750,000 (0.3%)
Peterson has turned back the clock, and the Vikings are better for it. After signing a one-year, $8-million deal with the Vikings in 2021, Peterson re-upped for a cheaper deal this past offseason. While the Vikings have struggled in pass coverage this season, Peterson has arguably been the saving grace of this secondary. In his 12th year of play, Peterson is tied for sixth in the league with 10 pass breakups; his 47.4% completion percentage allowed is his best mark since 2017, per Sports Info Solutions. Peterson leads all Vikings cornerbacks with 7.0 yards per target allowed and is one interception off the team leader Harrison Smith. He's doing all this on a contract that pays him less than first-round cornerbacks make on a per-year basis.
New Orleans Saints: Tyrann Mathieu, S
Age: 30
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,400,000 (1.6%)
2023: $8,900,000 (3.9%)
2024: $10,900,000 (4.3%)
2025 [Void]: $3,800,000
2026 [Void]: $0
Somehow, the Saints end up tens of millions of dollars over the cap during the offseason. Somehow, they always manage to wriggle out of it, adding an incredible piece in the process. This year's major addition: three-time All-Pro safety Mathieu. While the Saints have drastically under-performed expectations this season, their secondary has been one of the lone bright spots with a 12th-best 2.3% defensive pass DVOA. Mathieu has been a major contributor to that, allowing a 52.9% completion percentage and 4.8 yards per target, per Sports Info Solutions. In addition to Mathieu's three pass breakups, two interceptions and fumble recovery, his 59 tackles rank third on the Saints defense.
Mathieu has also been one of the most reliable pieces of New Orleans' defense this season, playing 793 of 794 possible defensive snaps. Mathieu is the only member of the Saints secondary to start all 12 games this season; Justin Evans is the only other member to even appear in double-digit games so far. Landing a player of Mathieu's caliber for $3.4 million is a steal. On any other team, the remaining money on this contract would likely dock points, but New Orleans' annual cap gymnastics make it less of a concern.
New York Giants: Fabian Moreau, CB
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $862,500 (0.4%)
Moreau was a steal for the Giants, starting the 2022 season on the practice squad before receiving a full promotion to the active roster at the end of September. Moreau was coming off his worst season since joining the league in 2017. Starting 16 games at cornerback for the Falcons in 2021, Moreau allowed a career-high 527 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in coverage per Sports Info Solutions.
Since joining the Giants, however, Moreau has seen a complete turnaround. Moreau's 4.9 yards per target allowed is the lowest rate among the Giants secondary, while his 42.9% completion percentage allowed on 42 targets leads all Giants cornerbacks. According to SIS, his touchdowns allowed fell from eight to two year-over-year, and his 11 pass breakups are tied for second-most in the league among defensive backs.
Philadelphia Eagles: James Bradberry, CB
Age: 29
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $2,278,000 (1.0%)
2023 [Void]: $4,972,000 ($2.1%)
2024 [Void]: $0 (0.0%)
2025 [Void]: $0
2026 [Void]: $0
Either of Philadelphia's offseason additions in the secondary could have made this list. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, leading the league with six interceptions, is making just $2.54 million this season. However, given his indefinite departure from a lacerated kidney, Bradberry will do just fine. A cap casualty of the Giants' offseason spring cleaning, Philadelphia welcomed a former division rival with open arms. The additions of Bradberry and Gardner-Johnson have allowed the Eagles to build the second-best pass defense by DVOA through 12 weeks.
Bradberry has been one of if not the best cornerback in football this season, allowing just 18 receptions on 56 targets for 175 yards. According to Sports Info Solutions, his 32.1% completion percentage allowed is the best among cornerbacks with at least eight starts, as is his 3.1 yards per target allowed. Bradberry's 10 pass breakups are tied for sixth-most in the league, while his three interceptions are tied for second on the team with Darius Slay.
San Francisco 49ers: Jauan Jennings, WR
Age: 25
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $825,000 (0.4%)
A handful of 49ers have some argument as the team's best-value contract, at least in the vacuum of 2022. Charvarius Ward has been San Francisco's best cornerback in a year marred by injuries, but his cap hit jumps from $3.8 million in 2022 to $16.4 million in 2023. Fellow cornerback Emmanuel Moseley would have had an even better case than Ward's had he not torn his ACL in Week 5. Because of the terms of the trade with Carolina, Christian McCaffrey's $690,000 cap hit for San Francisco finishes below the top-51 cutoff. He would easily get the spot if he didn't then become the highest-paid running back in the league. Jimmy Garoppolo was untradeable because of his old contract. Even after re-negotiating the deal to be more team-friendly -- while currently sitting third in the league in both passing DVOA and passing DYAR -- Garoppolo is still the highest-paid member of this 49ers team.
Instead, the honor goes to wide receiver Jennings. San Francisco drafted Jennings in the seventh round of the 2020 draft, waiving him before the season and adding him to the practice squad. Jennings signed a reserve contract and earned a spot on the roster in 2021, working his way up to San Francisco's third wide receiver. Jennings has already matched last year's reception mark in six less games while ranking fourth on the team with 37 targets and fifth with 11.2 yards per touch. With McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle all ranking at or near the highest-paid players at their respective positions, getting meaningful contributions from players like Jennings go a long way.
Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith, QB
Age: 32
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,500,000 (1.6%)
When considering how important the positional value of the quarterback position, there probably isn't a more valuable 2022 contract than Smith's. He hasn't had a starting job since 2014 prior to this season, making five starts in fill-in roles from 2015 to 2021. Once Seattle traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos, Smith was given the chance to compete against newly-acquired ex-Broncos quarterback Drew Lock. Smith took that opportunity and turned it into a top-10 quarterback season. Smith ranks fifth in QBR, eighth in passing DVOA and eighth in passing DYAR, and is tied for fifth in passing touchdowns thrown. This is not just a simple re-tread in a new system, either.
Smith is almost an entirely different quarterback -- even from the version Seahawks fans briefly saw in 2021. Smith is on pace to set new career-highs in both yards per attempt and completion percentage (minimum 30 pass attempts). Smith boasts the second-best DVOA on passes more than 15 yards downfield behind only Tua Tagovailoa. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Smith also leads the league in completion percentage over expected by a full percentage point. In what was supposed to be a year lost to rebuilding and retooling, Smith's play has put the Seahawks in a position where they could outright win the NFC West.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Shaq Mason, G
Age: 29
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,078,353 (1.5%)
2023: $9,576,000 (4.2%)
2024 [Void]: $3,228,000 (1.3%)
2025 [Void]: $0 (0.0%)
2026 [Void]: $0 (0.0%)
The Buccaneers acquired Mason from the Patriots this past offseason for a fifth-round pick already a bargain for a lineman of his caliber. According to Sports Info Solutions, Mason has yet to allow a sack this season, and his 1.4% blown block rate is currently tied for tenth-lowest among all guards (min. 400 snaps). Even after a price hike come 2023, Mason ranks 10th among current right guards and 16th among all guards in cap hit. With the injury woes and roster turnover faced by the Buccaneers this season, Mason was well worth the investment.
Tom Brady also belongs in the conversation for the Buccaneers' spot on this list. Known for taking pay cuts to facilitate better rosters throughout his career, Brady's $11.9 million cap hit for 2022 comes in below Carson Wentz's, Sam Darnold's and Matt Ryan's, just beating out Joe Burrow's rookie deal by about $2 million. Even in a down year for the Buccaneers' offense, Brady still ranks fourth in passing DYAR and ninth in passing DVOA. However, Brady's cap hit in 2023 is set to be a more reasonable (relative to performance) $35.1 million. His contract also carries three void years through 2026, none of which have an attached cap hit.
Washington Commanders: Trai Turner, G
Age: 29
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2022: $3,000,000 (1.4%)
Throughout the game of musical chairs that is the Commanders offensive line, Turner is having one of the better seasons of his career. Turner has a career-low 1.4% blown block rate through 503 snaps this season, leading the Commanders in blown block rate among all linemen with a minimum 200 snaps. In pass protection, Turner has allowed just one sack, his 0.3% sack rate also leading Commanders offensive linemen, per Sports Info Solutions.