The Detroit Lions were busy on NFL Draft eve, signing offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to massive contract extensions.
For general manager Brad Holmes and the defending NFC runner-ups, locking up two of their core young pieces made a ton of sense.
As it relates to Sewell’s extension, he’s now the highest-paid offensive lineman in the history of the National Football League. The numbers are staggering.
The $28 million per season surpasses Laremy Tunsil of the Miami Dolphins as the highest rate among offensive tackles in the NFL by a whopping $3 million. The $85 million in practical guarantees is $18 million more than Andrew Thomas of the New York Giants.
As we’re seeing with market dynamics at pretty much every position around the NFL, things are changing rapidly. The growing salary cap coupled with record television/streaming revenue will make this the name of the game moving forward.
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Sewell, 23, was the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He joined his other classmates in being eligible for an extension for the first time in his career. There are others who are now likely looking at massive contract extensions from the 2021 draft.
Not only will the contract extension Penei Sewell signed with Detroit impact his classmates, but others are also going to now want to get paid big time. Such is the nature of the beast in today’s NFL.
Tristan Wirfs is set to enter the fifth-year of his rookie contract after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made him a first-round pick in the in the 2020 NFL Draft. All he’s done in four seasons is earn three Pro Bowl nods and make two All-Pro teams. If there is a player that will surpass Sewell at this position during the 2024 offseason, it’s Wirfs.
We also wouldn’t be surprised if future Hall of Famers Trent Williams (San Francisco 49ers) and Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles) ink new contracts with their teams. Williams ($23.01 million) and Johnson ($20.19) million are now being paid well below market value.
Looking forward to the 2025 NFL free agent class, the likes of Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars), Garett Bolles (Denver Broncos) and Taylor Decker (Detroit Lions) could be looking at larger-than-expected pay days. That will all be dictated by what we see above.