First it was Jimmy Garoppolo who held the title as the NFL’s highest-paid player. That lasted all of a few weeks before the Minnesota Vikings signed Kirk Cousins to the richest contract in league history.
Cousins held that title for a few weeks. And now, it reportedly belongs to Atlanta Falcons quarterback and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan.
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Falcons have signed Ryan to a five-year contract with $100 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $30-plus million.
Matt Ryan has agreed to a 5 year extension with @AtlantaFalcons that makes him first $30 mill per year QB w $100 mill guaranteed, per league and team sources.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) May 3, 2018
A Ryan extension had been expected for some time. He was entering the final year of his contract and something needed to be worked out prior to the start of the 2018 campaign.
It’s also not a shock that Ryan takes over the title of the league’s highest-paid player. That was also expected.
Though, it’s highly likely that Green Bay Packers signal caller Aaron Rodgers will soon surpass Ryan’s contract. The two sides are said to be working on a long-term extension.
It’s just the latest example of a quarterback market that continues to be reset on a nearly monthly basis during the offseason. Remember, Derek Carr held the title last spring before Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford signed his new extension. They’re now No. 4 and No. 5 on the pecking order, respectively.