Within the NFL wage hierarchy, cornerbacks historically rank forward of safeties. That is not the case anymore, no less than briefly with the highest of those respective markets. A security is the NFL’s highest-paid defensive again for the primary time in the course of the wage cap period, which started in 1994.
The NFL’s highest-paid defensive again is Tampa Bay Buccaneers security Antoine Winfield Jr. The Buccaneers signed Winfield, who was designated as a franchise participant for $17.123 million, to a four-year, $84.1 million contract averaging $21.025 million per 12 months in Could. Winfield changed cornerback Jaire Alexander, who obtained a four-year, $84 million contract extension averaging $21 million per 12 months from the Inexperienced Bay Packers in 2022, on the high of the defensive again wage totem pole.
Cornerback market stagnation and regular development within the security market are chargeable for this unprecedented growth. The highest of the cornerback market has solely elevated by 5% since Jalen Ramsey grew to become the NFL’s first $20 million-per-year defensive again proper earlier than the 2020 common season began. Ramsey signed a five-year, $100 million extension value as much as $105 million by way of wage escalators with the Los Angeles Rams.
The $15 million-per-year security did not exist at the moment. Because the 2020 common season ended, the highest of the protection market has elevated by 42.54%.
There’s nonetheless a discrepancy within the ensures with high-end cornerback and safeties contracts. Ramsey set data for cornerbacks with $43.703 million absolutely assured at signing and $71.203 million in whole ensures. Denzel Ward was the primary cornerback to eclipse each of Ramsey’s marks in 2022. He signed a five-year, $100.5 million extension averaging $20.1 million per 12 months containing $71.25 million in ensures, of which $44.5 million was absolutely assured at signing, with the Cleveland Browns. Winfield’s $45 million in ensures and absolutely assured at signing are essentially the most ever for a security. Alexander and Ward each barely moved the needle for cornerbacks two years in the past. Ward’s $20.1 million per 12 months was a 0.5% improve over Ramsey’s deal. Alexander bettered Ward by 4.48%.
The ball began getting dropped with cornerbacks final 12 months. Trevon Diggs was considered a candidate to reset the cornerback market. He earned first-team All-Professional honors in 2021 when he led the NFL with 11 interceptions. Diggs was the primary participant in 40 years to select off that many passes. His interception whole dropped to a few in 2022, however the variety of massive performs he gave up decreased as nicely. Improved consistency resulted in a second straight Professional Bowl berth in 2022.
The five-year, $97 million extension with $42.304 million of ensures the place $33.304 million was absolutely assured at signing Diggs obtained from the Dallas Cowboys in 2023 was underwhelming. Diggs’ $19.4 million per 12 months put him on par with Marshon Lattimore’s five-year extension from the New Orleans Saints in 2021 shortly earlier than the common season started. The distinction is Lattimore obtained $68,346,588 in ensures, of which $44,346,588 was absolutely assured at signing.
The $19 million-per-year deal Jaylon Johnson signed with the Chicago Bears in March a few days earlier than the 2024 league 12 months started — though he had been given a $19.802 million franchise tag — was extra puzzling. Twelve of the 38 gamers receiving franchise tags beneath the 2020 NFL Collective Bargaining Settlement earlier than this 12 months signed long-term offers. Not one of the 12 signed multi-year contracts averaging lower than their respective franchise tag values like Johnson did.
Johnson was coming off a 2023 season the place he put himself within the shutdown cornerback dialog. Opposing quarterbacks solely accomplished 46.3% of passes (25 of 54 makes an attempt) for a 31.0 passer ranking when concentrating on Johnson, in line with Professional Soccer Focus. He additionally had a career-high 4 interceptions.
Johnson did not even crack the highest 5 for cornerbacks together with his four-year, $76 million contract. The $19 million per 12 months is identical that Derwin James obtained from the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022 when he grew to become the league’s highest-paid security on a four-year, $76 million extension.
The $19.802 million franchise tag, in addition to stellar play in 2023, ought to have given Johnson sufficient ammunition to exchange Alexander because the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. There’s a faculty of thought that the common of two straight franchise tags can be utilized as a street map for a long-term deal. A second franchise tag for Johnson in 2025 at a CBA mandated 20% improve over his 2024 quantity would have been $23,762,400. The typical of franchising Johnson twice in a row was going to be a little bit greater than $21.75 million per 12 months.
Johnson used the 2 franchise tags to set the worth of the money by way of the primary two years of his deal. He would have made $43,564,400 going year-to-year by enjoying on two straight franchise tags. The distinction between this quantity and the $44 million of money within the first two years (2024 and 2025) of Johnson’s deal is negligible. Johnson had $43.8 million absolutely assured at signing and $54.4 million in general ensures in his deal.
Locking within the approximate worth of two franchise tags at signing wasn’t sufficient of a commerce off to surrender further two years in 2026 and 2027 for $32 million. Barring a serious regression or an harm diminishing Johnson’s expertise, that are authentic dangers, he ought to have been capable of command greater than the $32.5 million wanted within the first two years of a brand new deal in 2026 as a 27 12 months previous to primarily break even together with his $76 million over 4 years.
L’Jarius Sneed was the opposite cornerback to be designated as a franchise participant this 12 months. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs positioned a franchise tag on Sneed with the intent of buying and selling him. Sneed clamped down on a number of opposing No. 1 extensive receivers in 2023, together with Davante Adams, A.J. Brown, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Opposing quarterbacks accomplished 51.9% of passes (42 of 81 makes an attempt) for a 55.9 passer ranking, in line with PFF, when concentrating on Sneed final season. Primarily based on PFF knowledge, Sneed did not permit a landing in 600 common season protection snaps.
Sneed was both constrained by Johnson or the aim was to beat his deal because it was the newest knowledge level within the cornerback market. Sneed got here in proper above Johnson at $19.1 million per 12 months when he was acquired by the Tennessee Titans on the finish of March for a 2025 third-round choose. The groups additionally swapped 2024 seventh-round picks. Sneed’s four-year, $76.4 million contract has $55 million in ensures the place $44 million was absolutely assured at signing.
Six gamers have been franchised this 12 months along with Johnson and Sneed. Solely Cincinnati Bengals extensive receiver Tee Higgins hasn’t signed long run. Not one of the different 5 have long-term offers averaging lower than their respective franchise tags.
Persistence may have been Johnson’s finest good friend no matter Sneed’s contract. If Johnson hadn’t been in such a rush to do a deal as a franchise participant, he doubtless would have benefitted from Winfield’s contract given the historic dynamic with cornerback and security salaries.
The Bears would have had a tough time justifying to Johnson why he ought to take lower than any security within the league. Because the July 15 deadline for franchise gamers to signal long-term offers approached, the Bears might need felt compelled to supply Johnson no less than $84.2 million over 4 years, which might have put him forward of Winfield at $21.05 million per 12 months.
The market anomaly of a security being the NFL’s highest-paid defensive again ought to get corrected subsequent 12 months with Patrick Surtain II and/or Sauce Gardner. The Denver Broncos picked up a totally assured $19.802 million fifth-year choice for Surtain in 2025. Gardner, who was 2022’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the 12 months, turns into eligible to signal a contract extension as soon as the 2024 common season ends on Jan. 5.