The NFL offseason is still in swing, but lately, there’s been a lot of activity. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson, and Christian McCaffrey are just three players who’ve gone to the bank and made a lot of money this offseason. CMC made headlines on Tuesday by signing a new two-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers.
That extension announcement and similar announcements for St. Brown and, recently, Jefferson makes us wonder: Who’s next to receive that kind of fortune? Who are the players we’re watching to cash in on new contracts soon?
Here are five possibilities across the NFL.
Brandon Aiyuk
There’s perhaps no one more relevant to this discussion right now than Brandon Aiyuk. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 NFL season. Rumors have been running amok about his status with the Niners and whether or not the team will re-up his deal. As recently as Tuesday, it sounds like the team won’t be in any rush to sign him to a new deal. San Francisco has been sluggish in that department, but they have paid their top talent. While they’ll have some decisions to make, it’s still very likely that Aiyuk will cash out one way or another. It depends on whether he does it in a 49ers uniform.
Dak Prescott
All eyes are going to be on Dallas and what decision they’ll make on quarterback Dak Prescott. Since 2016, Prescott has been under center for the Cowboys. While the team has achieved near-perennial success in the regular season, getting over the hump in the postseason remains an issue. It hasn’t mattered what quarterback is under center, leaving Prescott in a conundrum. It’s true that he’s played like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since he debuted. But if the team continues not to get it done, no matter who’s under center, where’s the incentive to keep him? Still, the quarterback market is the quarterback market. Dak is absolutely getting paid. Jerry Jones will pay up, or someone else surely will.
Micah Parsons
While all the attention might be on Prescott, let’s not leave Micah Parsons out of this equation either. The Cowboys’ star pass rusher has had a remarkable start to his career. He’s already become one of the most feared defensive players in the league and one of its most productive. Parsons has recorded three straight 10.0+ sack seasons, and it just keeps getting higher each year. He debuted with a 13.0 sack season, followed it up with 13.5, and recorded 14.0 sacks in 2023. But he’s also coming due after the 2025 season. All of this is to say that Parsons will command top dollar on the EDGE market. The Cowboys have a major decision to make on Dak, but might have an even more pivotal one to make on their young defensive superstar soon too.
T.J. Watt
Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt has two years remaining on a supersized deal he signed in 2021. What’s he done since then? Well, he led the NFL in sacks in 2021 with 22.5, and then after playing just ten games in 2022, he bounced back with a league-leading 19.0 sacks in 2023. He’s led the NFL in sacks in three of the last four seasons. The former Wisconsin standout will be 31 after the 2025 season when he becomes a free agent. That is unless Pittsburgh decides to pay him yet another fortune. He certainly keeps pushing the price up himself.
Tee Higgins
In perhaps one of our most imminent possibilities, we have Tee Higgins. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver plays alongside fellow star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Many have contemplated how the Bengals will be able to pay Higgins, Chase, and star quarterback Joe Burrow. Well, favor hasn’t leaned Higgins’ way in terms of getting paid yet. So it’s possible that he will get paid… just not with the Bengals. There’ll likely be a pretty decent line of suitors for the former Clemson receiver, and for Tee’s sake, he walks into a good situation with a new pile of money.
