Yardbarker
x
It’s quarterback contract silly season, starting with Derek Carr
Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders has 125 million reasons to celebrate.  Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

It’s quarterback contract silly season, starting with Derek Carr

The reports are in, and quarterback Derek Carr is set to become the NFL’s highest paid quarterback to the tune of a $125 million, five-year contract extension – $25 million a year for those doing the math at home.

Of course, there can’t be a new contract, especially one that sets the standard for pay at the position, for a quarterback without there being a volley of takes fired into your screen about whether said quarterback is elite, or if there are several other quarterbacks deserving of the same money.

Such arguments ignore important context, like the fact that each successful QB contract only pushes the market higher, as does a salary cap that expands every year. You can point those things out until you’re blue in the face, and lord knows many have tried. The fact remains that people just plain enjoy arguing about quarterbacks and how much they make, whether or not those debates are informed by an understanding of how NFL teams engage in the QB market.  

Even though Carr is coming off a serious injury that prematurely ended his 2016 season, there’s little reason to think he doesn’t deserve top dollar and won’t continue to play at a high level. He’s improved year-to-year over the course of his three seasons in the NFL. 2016 could have very well been an MVP year for Carr had it not been cut short, to say nothing of the Raiders prospects in the postseason.  

Nevertheless, a quarterback having more money than others that have rings sets off alarm bells in the minds of many a simple-minded casual fan who demands to know how Tom Brady isn’t the highest paid passer in the NFL.

Now if you think Carr spurs fans into freaking out, here are some more quarterback contracts coming down the pike – perhaps not necessarily this offseason but soon – that will make football fans quibble endlessly.


Quarterback Kirk Cousins waits in franchise limbo for his next deal.  Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kirk Cousins: The matter of Cousins’ impending long-term contract has torn apart Washington’s front office and would likely do the same for football discourse, depending on where it comes from. Cousins has roughly as much of a case for big money as Derek Carr at this point, and is likely to get it somewhere. The fact that the ‘Skins have franchised him again for 2017 means almost certainly it won’t come this offseason. It’s becoming increasingly doubtful it’s coming from Washington at all. But he’ll likely be the next QB to become the highest paid, and that along will launch enough takes to blot out the sun.

Matt Stafford: Detroit’s quarterback was expected to fall apart once Calvin Johnson retired, and yet he thrived in 2017. The Lions as a team didn’t, and as always more blame than is perhaps deserved was heaped on the quarterback. Stafford is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017, at the age of 30. The way quarterback careers as going now, Stafford could conceivably play another eight years as an above average passer. The problem being that just being good in the NFL is kind of a purgatory that teams settle in without ever contending for a title. If Detroit forks over the money, fans will question whether they ever truly want to move forward. If they let him go, just as many if not more will wonder whether they’ll stumble on a few more Joey Harringtons trying to find the next franchise quarterback to help them break through.


Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) warms up for the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports

Alex Smith: The Chiefs drafting Pat Mahomes is a big shot across the bow to Smith’s long-term prospects with the team. Smith has been a fine game manager and done well to eliminate mistakes for the most part. The problem is that KC seems to have hit its ceiling in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Steelers beat them in Arrowhead in the postseason without scoring a touchdown. At the age of 33, it’s still possible for Smith to cash in one more time with a multiple-year deal, and with Mahomes nipping at his heels, it will take a hell of an effort in 2017 to get it.

Sam Bradford: Following a shocking trade just prior to the start of the 2016 season, Bradford had a solid start to the 2016 season. His season then fell apart, though that was also owed in no small part to some horrendous blocking from the Vikings’ offensive line. With some uncertainty surrounding the future of Teddy Bridgewater, it’s still possible for Bradford to be signed long-term again by Minnesota. It will take some doing, and knowing the shaky history of Bradford, will likely make the Internet erupt with takes.

Dak Prescott: He has three years remaining on his rookie deal, and it’s unlikely the Cowboys will surrender that bargain any sooner than they must. Still, this is the Cowboys quarterback we’re talking about. Prescott may have been one-and-done in the postseason in his rookie season, but he didn’t go down without a fight. Still, knowing the way football discourse picked on Tony Romo for lack of postseason success, it will matter little unless the wins show up. If two more years go by and Prescott hasn’t moved onto a Super Bowl or secured an MVP, there’s sure to be more than a little cruelty leveled at him when  the next deal comes. Sorry, that’s just how we treat Cowboys quarterbacks.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.