Last month, we took a look at the candidates to be the first player to reach $60 million per year in new-money average.
This week, three names exited the list.
Matthew Stafford, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jordan Love resolved their contract issues. The highest-paid of the trio — Love — fell $5 million short.
So who’s next to get paid, and will he become The Six Million Dollar Man, times ten?
The most obvious candidate continues to be Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have no way of keeping him from the open market in 2025. Prescott has no qualms about holding firm for what he wants. The question remains whether Jerry Jones, who constantly praises Prescott when the audience consists of those who would buy tickets to games, has to decide whether to put his money where his mouth is, when it comes to the player.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy becomes eligible for a new contract after the 2024 regular season ends. While he could get to $55.1 million (leapfrogging a three-year tie at $55 million), $60 million will be a bridge too far — even if he wins a Super Bowl this year.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is two seasons away from eligibility for a new deal. Given that none of this year’s new deals have beaten the high-water mark set by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow last year, it very well could be that no one will get to $60 million before Stroud signs his second deal.
Then we have the guys who have already gotten paid who might be closing in on another bite at the apple — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Mahomes, at $45 million per year, received a bump in his cash flow last year. He’ll likely get another before he signs a new contract, given that it runs into the next decade. Allen, as previously mentioned, is due to get paid again.
And Jackson, who should have had his second contract two years earlier than he got it, might be thinking about accelerating the timetable for his third, especially since the two-time league MVP has now seen six quarterbacks jump his $52 million per year. And, between them, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Lions quarterback Jared Goff ($53 million), Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1 million), and Burrow, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and Packers quarterback Jordan Love ($55 million), have zero NFL MVP wins.
So who’s next? And who gets to $60 million first? Prescott or Purdy will be next. Prescott or Stroud are likely to get to $60 million — unless Mahomes, Allen, or Jackson successfully force the issue.