By the time the 2022 regular season starts, the number will easily be in double figures.
The Chargers got the ball rolling by signing Mike Williams to a three-year, $60 million contract with $40 million fully guaranteed before the March 8 deadline teams had to designate franchise players.
Conventional wisdom suggested Godwin would hit the open market when he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee late in the 2021 regular season but he was franchised for a second straight year at $19.18 million this time around.
The next big move was the Raiders acquiring wide receiver Davante Adams, who was designated as a franchise player, from the Packers for 2022 first- and second-round picks.
He was dealt to the Dolphins for five draft picks: 2022 first-, second- and fourth-round picks in addition to 2023 fourth- and sixth-round picks.
The Bills remedied Stefon Diggs being underpaid last week after outperforming the five-year, $72 million extension he signed with the Vikings in 2018.
Diggs’ $24 million-per-year extension average signifies that the inflated values of the Adams and Hill deals for bragging rights are being minimized by teams in negotiations.
The idea is to try to get as many “bites of the apples” as possible with the salary cap set to explode in the coming years thanks to new media rights deals reportedly worth $113 billion over 11 years and an influx of gambling revenue.
Brown has essentially averaged 62 catches for 998 yards and eight touchdowns in a run-oriented offense featuring 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry.
Typically, negotiations of contract extensions are over the amount of compensation in a contract excluding what a player was scheduled to make, the new money, and the number of new contract years.
If McLaurin got the same $73 million over four years as Moore, it would be a three-year extension averaging $23,403,333 per year — $70.21 million in new money since his current 2022 salary is $2.79 million.
CAA Sports’ Tory Dandy is going to play a significant role in the additional developments in the wide receiver market because he represents Brown, Metcalf and Samuel.
The optimal time to make a trade would be within the next two weeks before the 2022 NFL Draft begins on April 28 so current draft capital could be acquired.
The Seahawks reportedly turned down the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft from the Jets for Metcalf, who set a franchise record with 1,303 receiving yards in 2020.
Samuel, who is coming off a breakout season, is the most intriguing of the four because of his versatility, which should add to his value.
Niners general manager John Lynch called Samuel a foundational piece shortly after the 49ers lost the NFC Championship Game to the Rams. Samuel unfollowing the 49ers on social media and scrubbing references to the team on Instagram has led to speculation that he could be traded.
There is one other wide receiver who could be in line for a contract in this salary stratosphere.
He also earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and capped his historic season by being named MVP of Super Bowl LVI.