Whether it’s the star quarterback aiming to reset the market or the young safety who needs a productive season to have his fifth-year option exercised, unresolved contract situations tend to perpetually lurk in the background for various NFL teams.
Some are more understated, perhaps a concern for 2025 and beyond. Others, though, are immediate talking points as training camp quickly approaches.
Which contract situations are most compelling heading into 2024? The Athletic’s NFL writers gathered the ones worth tracking.
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Budda Baker, safety
There’s no mistaking the heart and soul of the Cardinals. It’s Baker. He’s been an organizational fixture since he was drafted in 2017, a six-time Pro Bowler. When healthy, he’s still among the best at his position, a force on the field and a respected voice in the locker room. And he’s only 28. With Baker becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2024, his status in the desert will become a key storyline. Baker, with a base salary of $14.2 million, said during OTAs he wants to be a Cardinal but understands it’s a business. — Doug Haller
A.J. Terrell, cornerback
Terrell is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option at $12.3 million this season. The Falcons are expected to sign him to a second deal before the negotiations get tense, but the question is: At what number? Terrell, the No. 16 pick in 2020, has been good in Atlanta, but he’s gone two seasons without an interception and had some rough moments, too. The top of the cornerback market is $21 million per year, and Terrell’s camp is sure to ask for close to that, but the Falcons should push back and hope to come in around the $17 million range. — Josh Kendall
Marlon Humphrey, cornerback
Humphrey still has three years remaining on the extension he signed with the Ravens during the 2020 season. However, this fall could significantly impact his future in Baltimore. The 27-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, but he’s struggled to stay healthy in two of the past three years, and he’s not consistently making the impactful plays he did earlier in his career. With his cap number rising north of $25 million next season, Humphrey probably needs a strong bounce-back season to remain with the Ravens in 2025 and beyond. — Jeff Zrebiec
Spencer Brown, offensive tackle
One of the few question marks heading into last season was whether the 2021 third-round pick could fulfill his promise after a rocky sophomore campaign. Brown answered with authority, playing every single one of Buffalo’s 1,305 snaps. Pro Football Focus charted him for only two more pressures than Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins. Brown now enters the final year of his rookie contract. The Bills will have significant cap space next year after receiver Stefon Diggs’ dead money clears, but they can save a lot by extending Brown in the next few months and not letting him get close enough to free agency to get curious about testing the open market. — Tim Graham
Diontae Johnson, wide receiver
Johnson could only watch while the wide receiver market exploded over the last month, hoping his payday would come later. The Panthers made no move to extend Johnson after trading for the former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout in March, preferring to see whether he emerges as the explosive, coverage-separating receiver Bryce Young and the offense lacked last year. If he does — and if Johnson doesn’t become a distraction when the ball doesn’t come his way — he could cash in next offseason. That’s his expectation. — Joseph Person
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DJ Moore, wide receiver
Guard Teven Jenkins and wide receiver Keenan Allen, free agents after 2024, are likely to at least enter the season on those expiring deals. Jenkins has to show durability, and the Bears will want to see what Allen can still do at age 32. Moore’s contract goes through 2025, so nothing is urgent, but he’s currently 17th among receivers in terms of average salary and coming off a career year. Moore has become one of the faces of the franchise, and maybe GM Ryan Poles wants to reward that with a new deal sooner rather than later. — Kevin Fishbain
Ja’Marr Chase, wide receiver
With Justin Jefferson now signed, the Bengals can begin negotiations with Chase, who is extension eligible entering his fourth season. The club exercised the fifth-year option for 2025, but agreeing to a contract this summer could yield a few concessions from Chase, who is looking to make money in the same range as Jefferson. This deal eventually gets done, but more than likely in the summer of 2025. The Bengals’ organizational approach with big contracts has been to wait out the negotiations. Locking Chase in now could ease tension in a receiver room that already felt plenty of it with Tee Higgins. — Paul Dehner Jr.
Amari Cooper, wide receiver
Cooper, 30, stayed away from the team’s offseason program — including the mandatory minicamp — because he wants future guarantees from the Browns ahead of the final year of his current contract. Cooper believes he has leverage because he’s been excellent in his two seasons in Cleveland, and the rest of the receiving corps is somewhere between unproven and just not good. He’s likely looking for something like the $35 million in guarantees Mike Evans got last spring ahead of his age 31 season — or maybe the $50 million Tennessee gave to Calvin Ridley, who’s six months younger than Cooper. The Browns have the money to give Cooper a raise now, but future years could be complicated. Stay tuned. — Zac Jackson
CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver
This could also be Dak Prescott, obviously, but whether or not Prescott has a new contract in the next month, he’ll be at training camp. The same cannot be said for Lamb. Jerry Jones said in April that he wanted to “see more leaves fall” regarding contract negotiations with their top players. There’s no bigger leaf at the wide receiver position than Jefferson. And with Jefferson resetting the market at $35 million per season last month, there’s not much guesswork needed to figure out what Lamb is worth. It might be a little less, but it’s in that ballpark. Lamb’s deal should be done in the next month. If not, don’t expect to see him in California for training camp. Zack Martin held out last year during camp and ultimately got what he wanted. The same could happen with Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver. — Jon Machota
Courtland Sutton, wide receiver
The veteran trained away from the team during OTAs, rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery while expressing frustration about contract talks with the Broncos he says have reached a stalemate. The 28-year-old has two years and $26.5 million remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2021, but he only has $2 million left in guarantees. After catching a career-best 10 touchdown passes in 2023, Sutton believes he is due a raise — or at least more guaranteed security. But the Broncos haven’t been in a rush to rework any deals since handing Russell Wilson an ill-fated five-year, $242.5 million extension before the 2022 season, and Sutton has surpassed 830 yards receiving in only one of his six seasons (2019). Asked whether he’d hold out during training camp to iterate his push for a new deal, Sutton said, “We’ll see.” — Nick Kosmider
Alim McNeill, defensive tackle
The Lions just dished out $444 million to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Jared Goff this offseason, but there’s another extension candidate worth watching. That would be McNeill, a fourth-year defensive tackle coming off his best season. McNeill turned 24 in May and his best football is ahead of him, entering the final year of his rookie deal. He was a disruptive force against the run and as a pass rusher when healthy, and the signing of space-eating nose tackle DJ Reader should bring out the best in McNeill. McNeill will be due a big payday if it all comes together in Year 4. How much he ultimately gets could determine what’s available for other free agents like Taylor Decker and Carlton Davis III, to name a few. — Colton Pouncy
Jordan Love, quarterback
This could be the next big quarterback domino to fall after Trevor Lawrence recently tied Joe Burrow for the highest average annual salary in the sport. Love could become the highest-paid player in NFL history by that metric, if only because of where the market is and what the Packers and his representation project him to become over the next few years. Love is entering a contract year, and general manager Brian Gutekunst told local radio station The Game that he wants to get a deal done before training camp opens July 22. Love also said that based on what he’s heard, he’s optimistic a deal could get done before then, too. This isn’t a matter of if a deal gets done but of when and for how much. — Matt Schneidman
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Stefon Diggs, wide receiver
The Texans made a splash by trading for Diggs, but upon his acquisition, Houston voided the final three seasons of his contract. He will play the 2024 season on a one-year deal worth $22.5 million, so this is an experimental year. Diggs could garner an extension if he fits well with the Texans and remains highly productive. It’ll be interesting to see if Houston works to reach a new deal at some point this season or wait until the offseason to assess the situation. — Mike Jones
Mo Alie-Cox, tight end
Alie-Cox, 30, is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2022. The veteran tight end is due $5.9 million in 2024, but the Colts could cut him before the season and free up that total in cap space. Indy signed Alie-Cox as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and he’s become a mainstay in the tight end room over the years. However, the Colts still lack a true No. 1 option at that position. With Jelani Woods returning to form, as well as Kylen Granson, Will Mallory and Drew Ogletree all being in the mix, it’s fair to wonder if Indy will lean toward a younger and cheaper player to assume Alie-Cox’s role in the offense. — James Boyd
Andre Cisco, safety
The Jaguars already have the big ones out of the way with Lawrence and linebacker Josh Allen, so Cisco is one to watch. Just 24 years old, Cisco is an ascending player who could be on the verge of a true breakout in his contract year. Now, after a tough offseason for the safety market, there’s added intrigue with how teams will choose to pay their safeties, which adds mystery to Cisco’s situation. — Jeff Howe
Trey Smith, guard
The Chiefs have one of the best trios of interior offensive linemen in the league with center Creed Humphrey, All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney and Smith. But this upcoming season could be their final season together. Smith is entering the last year of his rookie contract. The Chiefs, understandably, could prioritize retaining Humphrey and linebacker Nick Bolton over Smith, similar to the team re-signing pass rusher Chris Jones over cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. If Smith excels this season, with consistent production while limiting his penalties, he could be the top free agent at his position next season, potentially earning an annual average of more than $20 million. — Nate Taylor
Davante Adams, wide receiver
Adams is under contract through 2026, but the Raiders have a decision to make next offseason. His 2025 cap hit of $44.1 million is untenable and needs to be worked down via a contract restructure or extension to provide the team with cap relief. On the other hand, there’s an off-ramp if things take a turn for the worst between Adams and the Raiders. If they traded him next offseason, they would free up $28.4 million in cap space. Either way, 2025 marks an inflection point between Adams and the Raiders. — Tashan Reed
Rashawn Slater, offensive tackle
Slater became eligible for an extension at the end of last season. The Chargers picked up his fifth-year option in May, meaning he is under contract through 2025. Slater is an elite tackle, and the price for that position is only going up. Lions right tackle Penei Sewell, drafted six spots ahead of Slater in the first round in 2021, signed for $28 million in average annual value earlier this offseason. The smart approach is always signing good players early. Will the Chargers wait to see Slater play in the new offense under Jim Harbaugh before committing long-term? — Daniel Popper
Ernest Jones, linebacker
The ongoing contract dispute between the Rams and Matthew Stafford looms over the beginning of training camp and the regular season, of course. But another contract situation to watch as training camp begins concerns Jones, who enters the final year of his rookie deal and has solidified himself as a multiyear starter and leader on a defense now minus Aaron Donald. General manager Les Snead said in March that the Rams would have Jones play on his final year instead of extending him early. But knowing this team, that always could change. There is little depth behind Jones, who missed the football part of OTAs with what Sean McVay said was leg soreness but was physically present for the rest of the offseason work. — Jourdan Rodrigue
Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback
“The market is the market,” said Tagovailoa, preparing to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option. Translation: “If the Dolphins want me, they will have to pay me $50 million-plus per year.” That is now the going rate for quarterbacks of Tagovailoa’s caliber — as recently re-signed QBs Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence can attest. Tagovailoa’s numbers are as good or better than those players; he’s still young (26), proved he could stay healthy for an entire season and is a great fit for coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. Those are the arguments Tagovailoa’s agents surely are making, and there’s (at least) one more: If the Dolphins don’t want to pay him, there undoubtedly will be other teams who’d jump at the chance to upgrade at quarterback. — Jim Ayello
Christian Darrisaw, offensive tackle
Darrisaw is eligible for an extension, and the Vikings certainly want to keep him around for the long haul. The question is: Can the two sides find common ground with two seasons still remaining on Darrisaw’s rookie contract? General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has explained that extensions after three seasons of a rookie contract are hard to come by. The team and player must work through old money, new money and overall length. There is no rush here, like there was no rush with the Vikings in their extension for Jefferson. However, Darrisaw is now represented by superagent Drew Rosenhaus, who has an exceptional relationship with the Vikings. — Alec Lewis
Matthew Judon, edge
Judon has felt underpaid as an arguably top-10 pass rusher for over a year. Last year, he had a hold-in of sorts during training camp, sitting out drills until the team moved money around to guarantee more of his contract. (That was prescient after he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4). Now, it seems Judon wants another tweak to his contract set to expire at the end of this season. He’ll be 32 this season and is coming off a serious injury. But he’s also easily one of the best players on a rebuilding team, so it’ll be interesting to see how new general manager Eliot Wolf handles the situation. — Chad Graff
Alvin Kamara, running back
There’s no denying the Saints’ tailback will go down as one of the best players in team history. But we could be nearing the end of the line with his deal set up to make it easier to release him after the 2024 season. Kamara knows that and is obviously looking for more security. Hence, he walked out of the team facility before the final mandatory minicamp practice session because of his unhappiness with his current deal. His contract only ranked below Christian McCaffrey’s at the time of the deal in 2020. Fast forward to now, Kamara isn’t McCaffrey and won’t come close to a deal like that one. So, realistically, where do we go from here? — Larry Holder
Daniel Jones, quarterback
With tight end Darren Waller retiring and wide receiver Darius Slayton reporting for the offseason program after getting a slightly revised deal, there aren’t any pressing contract decisions for the Giants. This shifts the focus to Jones, who is entering the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract. Jones’ play this season will determine if the Giants keep him for the third year of his contract, which carries a $41.6 million cap hit. The Giants could cut Jones after the season to recoup $19.4 million in cap savings while eating $22.2 million in dead money in 2025. — Dan Duggan
Haason Reddick, defensive end
Before the Jets traded for Reddick, they made it clear to him and his representatives that they would not rush to sign him to a new deal. Reddick — who was unhappy with his contract before the Eagles traded him — seemed to be OK with that. Things changed shortly after Reddick actually became a Jet, especially after they lost Bryce Huff and eventually traded John Franklin-Myers. So, Reddick held out the entire offseason program seeking a new deal. He’s in the last year of his deal, set to earn a $14.25 million — significantly below his market value as one of the NFL’s best pass rushers. The Jets still are unlikely to give Reddick an extension, but perhaps they’d be amenable to guaranteeing his salary and adding incentives to his contract so Reddick isn’t a distraction once training camp begins. — Zack Rosenblatt
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Josh Sweat, edge
General manager Howie Roseman began the offseason by essentially placing both Sweat and former edge rusher Reddick on the trading block, an apparent effort to reset the position group in terms of both age and salary cap. The Eagles traded Reddick to the Jets and restructured Sweat’s contract to spread out his cap hit with $10 million guaranteed. The deal kept Sweat in Philly for an age-27, contract year. Can he perform well enough to earn a major contract with another franchise? Or can he prove himself too valuable for the Eagles to let walk? The Eagles drafted Nolan Smith No. 30 overall in 2023, then spent a third-round pick this year on Jalyx Hunt. But with Brandon Graham entering a final “farewell tour,” how much will the Eagles be willing to retain Sweat? — Brooks Kubena
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is entering the final year of a deal he signed in 2020. (Philip G. Pavely / USA Today)
Cam Heyward, defensive tackle
The veteran Heyward is entering the final year of his deal. If he doesn’t sign by the organization’s self-imposed Sept. 8 deadline, the most tenured Steeler on the roster will hit free agency for the first time in his storied 14-year career. The Steelers would love to keep Heyward, but being 35 and coming off an injury-plagued year, they would much rather address it in the offseason. Heyward wants more security — he has said he wants to play for three more years, thus the impasse. Heyward didn’t show up for a portion of the offseason workouts but did return for the final week of OTAs and minicamp. He’s not optimistic, at this point, that a deal will get done, but he’s been in a similar position before eventually signing before the season. It’s a complicated issue with Heyward being the face of the franchise, but he is coming off two groin surgeries over five months and is a shell of himself. At 35, not many comps are around for his position, further complicating the issue. — Mark Kaboly
Brandon Aiyuk, wide receiver
Aiyuk was a no-show for OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be on hand for training camp next month without an extension. No one thinks Aiyuk deserves the $35 million per year average Jefferson got from the Vikings. But finding the right price for the tier just below Jefferson has been tricky. The team reportedly offered Aiyuk a deal worth $26 million a season, which seemed to halt negotiations and make Aiyuk doubt whether the 49ers are serious about retaining him. It’ll take more than that — perhaps closer to the $30 million APY Amon-Ra St. Brown got from the Lions — to lure Brock Purdy’s favorite receiver into camp. — Matt Barrows
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Darrell Taylor, linebacker
Seattle enters this season without high-profile players in line for new deals or contract revisions. Veterans Dre’Mont Jones and Tyler Lockett already reworked their deals, while Leonard Williams signed an extension. Taylor, a second-round pick in 2020, stands out because his $3.1 million salary for 2024 is not guaranteed, and it’s unclear how much the new coaching staff will value him. He has flashed ability (21 1/2 sacks in three seasons) without showing consistency (13 career starts, shaky run defense). — Mike Sando
Tristan Wirfs, offensive tackle
Wirfs is entering the option year of his rookie contract on an $18.2 million salary. After moving to left tackle from right last year, Wirfs undoubtedly is anticipating a contract that will make him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in football, with an average yearly salary of $25 million-plus. Wirfs did not participate in OTAs or team drills during minicamp. The Bucs could wait to try to sign him until after the season, as they did with some of their free agents this year. — Dan Pompei
DeAndre Hopkins, WR
Hopkins is entering the second of a two-year, $26 million deal that he made look like a bargain with his bounce-back 2023 season — made all the more impressive by the bad offense he was operating in, with shoddy protection and a banged-up veteran QB making way for a rookie. In the spring, he did what many players often do, removing pictures and affiliations featuring team logos from his social media accounts. But he was around and joined Will Levis and other receivers on a tropical trip to work and have fun. The question for the Titans is whether it’s worth getting out in front and trying to extend Hopkins before the season. Is that wise for a 32-year-old receiver? If they don’t do it, will they lose him just as he and Levis and this Brian Callahan offense start to click? — Joe Rexrode
Jonathan Allen, defensive tackle
Right guard/2025 free agent Sam Cosmi is arguably a more immediate matter since Allen, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has two years remaining on a four-year, $72 million extension signed in 2021. The remaining seasons include zero guaranteed dollars. There’s a potentially incompatible $23 million salary-cap hit in 2025 with only $6 million in dead cap. The other starter, Daron Payne, isn’t a realistic cap casualty until 2026 at the earliest. Washington drafted DT Johnny Newton in the second round, meaning there’s a potential Allen replacement on the roster should another contract extension or a restructure not be in the cards before next season. — Ben Standig
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos of Ja’Marr Chase, Brandon Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb: Cooper Neill, Robin Alam and Michael Owens / Getty Images/ ISI Photos)
