Jaylen Waddle and Nico Collins sign contract extensions, and I think there are some other teams that are extremely nervous right now. The wide receiver market is exploding, and arguably the four best players at the position want new deals.
Waddle is the latest to sign; he agreed to a three-year extension that averages $28.25 million. Collins signed a three-year extension averaging $24.25 (which actually looks low to me).
Earlier, among other deals around the league, A.J. Brown signed an extension averaging $32 million and DeVonta Smith signed a deal averaging $25 million. Amon-Ra St. Brown signed an extension averaging $30 million.
With those deals in place, how much will it take to secure the receivers who are a lot better than all of those guys. Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb are both entering the final year of their rookie contracts; they’re looking for new deals. Ja’Marr Chase is a year behind those guys but is eligible for a new deal (and wants one). I don’t think any of those receivers will sign a contract that’s less than a market-setting deal. And none of those receivers will be signing a deal that’s just a couple bucks higher than A.J. Brown (Brown is very good, but these guys are all younger and better).
With Waddle having just signed with Miami, Tyreek Hill is making it known that he needs a new deal. He’s looking underpaid nowadays, with a 2024 base salary of only $19.8 million. With Hill being 30, he needs to get his contract re-worked to avoid having the Dolphins use him for another year before discarding him. (Miami signed Odell Beckham a few weeks back, and he looks like a notable bargaining chip – somebody to plug into the lineup in the event things with Hill go totally sideways).
Brandon Aiyuk isn’t quite on the level of those Big Four, but he’s also a high-level receiver looking for a new contract. Aiyuk was a little underused last year, but he was insanely efficient (I think there are many – maybe most – teams that would take Aiyuk before A.J. Brown).
Tee Higgins is in this contract group. He’s been protected with a franchise tag, but he hasn’t signed it and has been staying away from workouts.
It’s going to be a crazy summer. I would guess that there will be a major move with one of these receivers this summer.
In the chart below, you’re looking at the top 60 wide receivers from last year. Guys in bold are looking for new contracts. Guys with dollar signs have already got them.
| WIDE RECEIVERS -- 2023 PRODUCTION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Yr | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | PPR | Rk |
| CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 4 | 135 | 1,749 | 13.0 | 12 | 407.2 | 1 |
| Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 8 | 119 | 1,799 | 15.1 | 13 | 378.4 | 2 |
| $ Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 3 | 119 | 1,515 | 12.7 | 10 | 332.9 | 3 |
| Puka Nacua, LAR | 1 | 105 | 1,486 | 14.2 | 6 | 298.5 | 4 |
| $ A.J. Brown, Phil. | 5 | 106 | 1,456 | 13.7 | 7 | 293.6 | 5 |
| DJ Moore, Chi. | 6 | 96 | 1,364 | 14.2 | 8 | 288.5 | 6 |
| $ Mike Evans, T.B. | 10 | 79 | 1,255 | 15.9 | 13 | 282.5 | 7 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 11 | 108 | 1,243 | 11.5 | 7 | 281.4 | 8 |
| $ Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 9 | 107 | 1,183 | 11.1 | 8 | 275.8 | 9 |
| Davante Adams, L.V. | 10 | 103 | 1,144 | 11.1 | 8 | 265.4 | 10 |
| JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 3 | 100 | 1,216 | 12.2 | 7 | 262.7 | 11 |
| $ Nico Collins, Hou. | 3 | 80 | 1,297 | 16.2 | 8 | 260.4 | 12 |
| $ Michael Pittman, Ind. | 4 | 109 | 1,152 | 10.6 | 4 | 252.2 | 13 |
| Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 4 | 75 | 1,342 | 17.9 | 7 | 251.2 | 14 |
| Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 5 | 60 | 892 | 14.9 | 7 | 243.7 | 15 |
| Chris Olave, N.O. | 2 | 87 | 1,123 | 12.9 | 5 | 231.3 | 16 |
| Adam Thielen, Car. | 10 | 103 | 1,014 | 9.8 | 4 | 231.0 | 17 |
| $ Calvin Ridley, Jac. | 6 | 76 | 1,016 | 13.4 | 8 | 229.9 | 18 |
| $ DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 3 | 81 | 1,066 | 13.2 | 7 | 229.6 | 19 |
| Amari Cooper, Cle. | 9 | 72 | 1,250 | 17.4 | 5 | 229.0 | 20 |
| DK Metcalf, Sea. | 5 | 66 | 1,114 | 16.9 | 8 | 225.4 | 21 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Ten. | 11 | 75 | 1,057 | 14.1 | 7 | 223.6 | 22 |
| Jordan Addison, Min. | 1 | 70 | 911 | 13.0 | 10 | 221.3 | 23 |
| Jakobi Meyers, L.V. | 5 | 71 | 807 | 11.4 | 8 | 218.7 | 24 |
| Jayden Reed, G.B. | 1 | 64 | 793 | 12.4 | 8 | 217.2 | 25 |
| Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 2 | 95 | 1,042 | 11.0 | 3 | 217.2 | 26 |
| Rashee Rice, K.C. | 1 | 79 | 938 | 11.9 | 7 | 214.5 | 27 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 7 | 83 | 1,024 | 12.3 | 2 | 209.2 | 28 |
| Terry McLaurin, Was. | 5 | 79 | 1,002 | 12.7 | 4 | 209.2 | 29 |
| George Pickens, Pitt. | 2 | 63 | 1,140 | 18.1 | 5 | 208.8 | 30 |
| Zay Flowers, Balt. | 1 | 77 | 858 | 11.1 | 5 | 206.4 | 31 |
| Justin Jefferson, Min. | 4 | 68 | 1,074 | 15.8 | 5 | 204.2 | 32 |
| Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 9 | 79 | 894 | 11.3 | 5 | 202.4 | 33 |
| $ Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 3 | 72 | 1,014 | 14.1 | 4 | 198.6 | 34 |
| Courtland Sutton, Den. | 6 | 59 | 772 | 13.1 | 10 | 196.2 | 35 |
| Drake London, Atl. | 2 | 69 | 905 | 13.1 | 2 | 174.6 | 36 |
| Romeo Doubs, G.B. | 2 | 59 | 674 | 11.4 | 8 | 174.4 | 37 |
| Brandin Cooks, Dall. | 10 | 54 | 657 | 12.2 | 8 | 173.2 | 38 |
| Tank Dell, Hou. | 1 | 47 | 709 | 15.1 | 7 | 165.0 | 39 |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 7 | 59 | 737 | 12.5 | 5 | 164.4 | 40 |
| $ Gabe Davis, Buff. | 4 | 45 | 746 | 16.6 | 7 | 163.4 | 41 |
| Rashid Shaheed, N.O. | 2 | 46 | 719 | 15.6 | 5 | 157.6 | 42 |
| $ Curtis Samuel, Was. | 7 | 62 | 613 | 9.9 | 4 | 157.2 | 43 |
| Josh Downs, Ind. | 1 | 68 | 771 | 11.3 | 2 | 157.1 | 44 |
| Christian Kirk, Jac. | 6 | 57 | 787 | 13.8 | 3 | 154.3 | 45 |
| Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 5 | 51 | 717 | 14.1 | 5 | 152.7 | 46 |
| Darius Slayton, NYG | 5 | 50 | 770 | 15.4 | 4 | 151.0 | 47 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sea. | 1 | 63 | 628 | 10.0 | 4 | 149.8 | 48 |
| $ Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 8 | 67 | 667 | 10.0 | 2 | 146.8 | 49 |
| $ Jerry Jeudy, Den. | 4 | 54 | 758 | 14.0 | 2 | 141.8 | 50 |
| Tee Higgins, Cin. | 4 | 42 | 656 | 15.6 | 5 | 137.6 | 51 |
| Elijah Moore, Cle. | 3 | 59 | 640 | 10.9 | 2 | 136.1 | 52 |
| $ Marquise Brown, Ari. | 5 | 51 | 574 | 11.3 | 4 | 134.7 | 53 |
| Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG | 2 | 60 | 525 | 8.8 | 1 | 133.2 | 54 |
| $ Josh Reynolds, Det. | 7 | 40 | 608 | 15.2 | 5 | 130.8 | 55 |
| Jahan Dotson, Was. | 2 | 49 | 518 | 10.6 | 4 | 124.8 | 56 |
| Dontayvion Wicks, G.B. | 1 | 39 | 581 | 14.9 | 4 | 121.9 | 57 |
| $ K.J. Osborn, Min. | 4 | 48 | 540 | 11.3 | 3 | 120.0 | 58 |
| $ DJ Chark, Car. | 6 | 35 | 525 | 15.0 | 5 | 117.5 | 59 |
| Michael Wilson, Ari. | 1 | 38 | 565 | 14.9 | 3 | 114.5 | 60 |
—Ian Allan