Lamar Jackson Could Top $60 Million as 6 NFL Stars Eye Market-Resetting 2026 Deals
Updated
Updated · Bleacher Report · May 24
Lamar Jackson Could Top $60 Million as 6 NFL Stars Eye Market-Resetting 2026 Deals
8 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · May 24
$60 million is the quarterback benchmark Lamar Jackson could surpass, with Baltimore under pressure to rework his deal before his 2027 cap hit jumps to $84.3 million.
Jackson is signed through 2027 at $52 million annually, but his no-tag clause and absence from early OTAs could push the Ravens to move sooner; the report projects a three-year, $181 million extension.
Running back deals could move next, with Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs projected at three years and $69 million and Atlanta's Bijan Robinson at four years and $89 million, both above Saquon Barkley's $20.6 million annual mark.
Atlanta's Kyle Pitts could also lift the tight end ceiling after being tagged at just over $15 million, with a projected four-year, $80 million pact potentially narrowing the pay gap with wide receivers.
Cornerback is another pressure point: Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon are both projected near $125 million after Trent McDuffie's four-year, $124 million deal reset the defensive back market.
With multiple positions getting record contracts, how long until the NFL's new $300M salary cap feels restrictive?
Can Kyle Pitts' new contract finally close the massive pay gap between elite tight ends and top wide receivers?
Are record-breaking running back deals a smart investment or a repeat of past front-office mistakes?