NFL contracts can be a lot to digest. Full guarantees, injury guarantees, roster bonuses, signing bonuses, option bonuses, dead money ... the complexities of the salary cap and contract math can sometimes make it tough to tell what is actually a good deal in the NFL.
Signings that don't go well -- those that turn out to be albatrosses for the teams that gave them out -- tend to get the most attention, but we wanted to focus today on the opposite end of the spectrum, with a closer look at deals that are working out well for the team side. That means players whose performance relative to their pay give their teams a cap advantage. In other words, it's the best bang-for-your-buck deals around the league.
This requires a little bit of explanation, though. Because of the nature of rookie deals, we could make this list out of nothing but players on first contracts. So we broke it into two divisions at each position. The first is just the best value veteran deals for players on at least their second NFL contract. The other points to the best bang-for-your-buck rookie deals, contracts for players who haven't yet reached free agency and are still playing on the deals they got when they were drafted or signed as undrafted college free agents. Here's our look at guys who are providing major value in 2023 for each category, position by position.
Jump to position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL
EDGE | DT | LB | CB | S
QUARTERBACK
Veteran deal: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
He was the throw-in. The guy the Lions had to take back if they wanted to unload Matthew Stafford's contract on the Rams when Stafford decided he wanted out and the Rams identified him as the guy to help them win a Super Bowl. And once thought to be a bridge quarterback, Goff has stuck around in Detroit, now piloting one of the league's best teams.
The Lions paid him a little over $26 million in 2022 and are paying him about the same this season. He's on the books for about $27 million in 2024, too. It's basically half of what Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson are making, yet Goff is fourth in Total QBR (73.3), ahead of all three of them. If the Lions make a playoff run, and Goff continues to play well, expect them to work on an extension for him next offseason -- if not sooner.
Rookie deal: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
This is a no-brainer. As the last pick of the last round of the 2022 draft, Purdy signed a four-year, $3,747,640 contract. That's the total value of the contract, not the annual salary. The only portion of the contract that was guaranteed was the signing bonus, which was $77,012.
Assuming he remains the 49ers' starting quarterback, Purdy will surely be in line for a Year 4 performance escalator that will add a few million to his 2025 pay, but here's the kicker: The collective bargaining agreement prohibits teams from extending players' contracts until they've been in the league at least three years. Purdy could win the MVP award and the Super Bowl this season, and the 49ers wouldn't be allowed to reward him with an extension next offseason. He would have been better off being undrafted because undrafted guys get three-year deals that they can renegotiate after two years.
Tough break for Purdy, but a massively great one for the 49ers. Nobody is getting this much bang for this little buck.
RUNNING BACK
Veteran deal: Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Mostert signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract this offseason with a $1.3 million signing bonus and $900,000 of his $1.165 million salary in 2023 guaranteed. He has averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns in the Dolphins' first six games of this season, tied for the third most for any player through a team's first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era (ESPN Stats & Information).
Mostert will turn 32 in April -- not an age at which teams are clamoring to sign running backs. If he stays healthy and productive this season, there's no reason to think the Dolphins wouldn't bring him back for his scheduled $2.355 million salary next year. That money's not guaranteed, though, so Mostert would be a candidate to be cut if Miami decided to go in another direction.
Honorable mention goes to D'Andre Swift, as the Eagles are paying him only $1,774,399 this season after acquiring him in a draft-weekend trade from the Lions. He's currently fifth in rushing at 452 yards.
Rookie deal: Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
A seventh-round steal, Pacheco is in the second year of a four-year, $3,750,916 deal that included a $79,108 signing bonus. He was instrumental in the Chiefs' Super Bowl title run last season as a rookie and has hit the ground running this year as their lead back. Through six games, he has 522 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. As a 2022 draft pick, Pacheco is not eligible to discuss an extension with the Chiefs until after the 2024 season.
WIDE RECEIVER
Veteran deal: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans signed a five-year, $82.5 million extension in March 2018. Forgetting for a second what an accomplishment it is for a non-quarterback to see the end of a five-year contract that runs into his 30s without getting cut, look at the production the Bucs have received for their money. Over the past five years, Evans has averaged 75 catches for 1,169 yards and 10 touchdown catches per season. He's off to an incredibly productive start this season, as well, with 386 receiving yards and three TD catches. Evans' $16.5 million annual salary ranks 17th among NFL wide receivers in 2023.
Evans' contract voids after this season, and the Bucs will have to carry $12.2 million in dead money for his remaining bonus proration whether they extend him, franchise him or let him walk. At 30 years old, he probably can't count on another long-term contract, but assuming he gets through the season healthy, a veteran with his résumé should be an in-demand free agent.
Rookie deal: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
There are so many candidates here. My list included Jaylen Waddle, Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Brandon Aiyuk, DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins and CeeDee Lamb, but St. Brown's fourth-round selection in 2021 earned him $4,285,290 over four years. All of those other guys are first- or second-round picks making much more. So while many of them are also producing more, St. Brown is the top wideout here and an essential cog on one of the best teams in the league, making him a steal. He's currently 11th in receiving with 455 yards, and he has scored three TDs.
As a 2021 draft pick, St. Brown will be extension eligible next offseason for the first time. Because he wasn't a first-round pick, the Lions do not hold a fifth-year option on him for 2025. The wide receiver extension market didn't really materialize this offseason, so there's a backlog with Jefferson and Lamb still hoping for new deals, Chase becoming extension eligible next year, and Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. set to become eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season.
TIGHT END
Veteran deal: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
This was a tough one, because the high-end vets at this position (Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, etc.) are also the highest-paid ones. And I didn't want to use Taysom Hill because ... well, I'm sort of perpetually confused about how to characterize him or assign him a position.
Engram got a three-year, $41.25 million deal from the Jags this summer after getting the franchise tag in the spring, and out of the gate he is proving to be a trusted target for Trevor Lawrence. He already has 301 receiving yards on the season. Engram is signed through 2025, so any extension talk likely waits until after the 2024 season because he just got paid.
Rookie deal: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
LaPorta was a second-round pick this April and got a four-year, $9.5 million contract. He already has three touchdown catches in his first five NFL games. He is not extension eligible until the 2026 offseason, so the Lions have him on the cheap for a while.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Veteran deal: Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles' mainstay left tackle is the 16th-highest-paid left tackle in the league, playing in the third year of his four-year, $64 million contract extension. Mailata is currently seventh among tackles in pass block win rate (93.3%) and just outside the top 10 in run block win rate (79.8%). And his salary cap hit won't get over $15 million in any season for the remainder of his current deal.
Mailata's deal expires after the 2025 season. He'll be only 28 at that point, so obviously he'd be an extension candidate in the 2025 offseason, if not sooner.
Rookie deal: Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 13th pick in the 2020 draft, Wirfs helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl as a rookie and has held up well since then, sitting 12th in pass block win rate this season (92.5%). He's in the fourth year of a four-year, $16.228 million deal, and even if he plays next season on his $18.244 million fifth-year option, his deal will have been a bargain for the Buccaneers.
But Wirfs could also be in line for a big-money extension this coming offseason that would help Tampa Bay knock that cap number down and keep him there long term.
INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE
Veteran deal: Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs
As part of their offensive line rebuild in the wake of their Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers, the Chiefs signed Thuney away from the Patriots for five years and $80 million in spring 2021. It wasn't cheap, but Thuney has been worth every penny as the veteran anchor of an offensive line that has since won another Super Bowl title. At $16 million per year on average, he's the seventh-highest-paid guard in the league and has played better than that ranking. He was first among all offensive linemen in pass block win rate last year (98.9%), and he's currently leading the pack in 2023 (98.8%).
Thuney is signed through 2025 and scheduled to earn $16 million in each of the next two seasons. The contract is fine, but the Chiefs have some tough cap decisions looming in the next couple of years. Thuney is 31, and it's not impossible to imagine him at risk of a pay cut or a release in the next couple of years if the Chiefs need the money.
Rookie deal: Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Yeah, the Chiefs' interior offensive line is kind of the envy of the league. Also considered for this spot was center Creed Humphrey, who was the Chiefs' second-round pick in the same 2021 draft in which they found Smith in the sixth round. Smith got a four-year, $3.61 million deal that has been way more than worth it.
He is signed through 2024 and extension eligible next offseason for the first time, along with Humphrey. These are the kinds of tough cap decisions I was referring to when discussing Thuney. Can you afford to keep them all? Smith should be a priority, though.
EDGE RUSHER
Veteran deal: Frankie Luvu, Carolina Panthers
One of the more underrated edge rushers in the league, Luvu had seven sacks last season and already has 2.5 this year. He's working in the second year of a two-year, $9 million contract that he signed in the 2022 offseason, and his cap hit for this season is just $5.47 million. And at 27 years old, he could be a sneaky gem of next year's free agent class. Ka-ching.
Rookie deal: Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
Some of these are obvious. Parsons was the 12th pick in the 2021 draft, and as such is no rookie-deal bargain. But in the big picture, he's maybe the biggest bargain in the league. Parsons got a four-year, $17.1 million deal, and the team will have a fifth-year option on him for 2025 if it doesn't extend him after this year. He might be the best defensive player in the entire league, and the fact that coordinator Dan Quinn basically overhauled the entire Dallas defense to function with Parsons as its center during the offseason before Parsons' rookie year tells you he has an impact that far exceeds his direct deposit statements. He has 31.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles over 39 career games.
Parsons will be eligible for an extension next offseason for the first time. The Cowboys still want to get something done with CeeDee Lamb, and they'll be talking extension with quarterback Dak Prescott next offseason, as well. But Parsons could be in line for a record-setting defensive player contract and likely will be the top priority for the team. The Cowboys have been bracing for this deal for at least a year.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Veteran deal: Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Sticking with the "obvious" theme, Jones is making $19.5 million this season, which ranks him ninth among defensive tackles when he's either the best in the league or second best behind Aaron Donald. The Chiefs had to give him $6.5 million in incentives to get him to end his holdout and show up for this season, but they're still getting more than they're paying for, with one of the highest-impact players in the league at any position. Since 2018, Jones' 62 sacks rank fourth in the NFL.
Jones is eligible for free agency after this season, and it would cost the Chiefs about $32 million to franchise him, which means that isn't likely. He turns 30 next July, which could give some teams pause when talking long-term deal. But a player this good rarely hits the open market, and you shouldn't worry about Jones' ability to secure his family's future even further with his next deal.
Rookie deal: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
The ninth pick in this year's draft landed a four-year, $21.8 million deal and already has 12 pressures, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles from the interior. Carter missed Sunday's game against the Jets, and it was the Eagles' first loss of the season. Coincidence? This guy could be their Parsons. Carter isn't extension eligible until after the 2025 season, and the Eagles' fifth-year option on his rookie contract would be for the 2027 season.
LINEBACKER
Veteran deal: Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts
Relegated to special teams when Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator in Indy, Franklin was elevated to a starting role when Gus Bradley got that job in 2022. He was fourth in the league with 167 tackles last season, and he leads the league in tackles this year entering Week 6 (77).
Franklin signed a three-year, $10 million contract prior to the 2022 season, and he recently described that deal as "a little more special-teams-ish." He stands to earn a lot more on his next one. He's signed through 2024 and scheduled to make $2.88 million next year. The Colts have been kind of weird about extensions lately, but they did get one done at long last with running back Jonathan Taylor. You have to think Franklin will be in their plans long term.
Rookie deal: Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens
Queen was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2020, and as such, he signed a four-year, $12.2 million contract. This is the final year of that deal, and the Ravens did not exercise Queen's fifth-year option for 2024, likely because they'd just signed middle linebacker Roquan Smith to a huge extension. They might not be able to afford to keep him, but Queen should command a high-priced contract if he hits free agency next offseason. He has been a high-impact guy for Baltimore's defense, and is currently tied for 16th in tackles (53) with 3.5 sacks.
CORNERBACK
Veteran deal: Rasul Douglas, Green Bay Packers
Douglas signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Green Bay prior to the 2022 season. He had four interceptions last season and has been a nice bargain free agent veteran find for the Packers' defense. Through five games, Douglas has 22 tackles, an interception and six pass breakups.
He is signed through 2024 and scheduled to make $9 million next season. Of that, $2 million comes in the form of a roster bonus that's due at the start of the 2024 league year in March. So the Packers likely have to decide by then whether they want him on next year's team. None of his 2024 money is guaranteed.
Rookie deal: L'Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs
How do you keep winning Super Bowls after you pay your quarterback? Scroll back up and see how many Chiefs are on this list. Sneed was a fourth-round pick in 2020 who has become a shutdown corner for Kansas City in the final year of his four-year, $3.93 million contract. He hauled in eight interceptions and had 6.5 sacks over his first three seasons but is still looking for his first of 2023 in each category.
Sneed is eligible for free agency after this season. Man, do the Chiefs have a lot of decisions to make.
SAFETY
Veteran deal: Micah Hyde, Buffalo Bills
Hyde signed a two-year extension in 2021 that pays him an average of $9.625 million per season. That ranks 15th among safeties, but at age 33, Hyde is still delivering high-level production for a Buffalo defense that relies heavily on its safeties. He has two interceptions over six games this year.
His contract voids after this season, and the Bills will carry $3.408 million in dead money next year from his current deal whether they re-sign him or let him go. On New Year's Eve, he will turn 33, an age at which a lot of NFL players' futures are up in the air.
Rookie deal: Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
A fifth-round pick in 2021, Hufanga became a 17-game starter in his second season, when he collected four interceptions and two sacks and was named a first-team All-Pro. He already has a pair of interceptions this season and looks like a guy headed for a big extension next offseason. Hufanga's rookie deal was a four-year, $3.72 million contract that's paying him $940,000 this year.
The 49ers, like the Chiefs, are going to have to figure out which of their excellent young players they can afford to keep and which ones they can't.