Ranking 10 Most Team-Friendly Contracts in NFL Ahead of 2023 Season
Thanks to the salary cap, NFL general managers must engage in a tough balancing act to field a competitive roster. Stack too many highly paid stars in the lineup and glaring holes will appear due to an inability to spend at other positions. Fail to pay a premium for elite talents and you won't have the quality of players needed to win regularly against top-flight competition.
Harmony lies in the middle for most organizations, with stars being augmented by players on team-friendly contracts who perform at a better level than their salary indicates.
Discounting rookie contracts—many of which are incredible values due to the locked-in, draft position-based pay scale—here is a ranked list of the 10 most team-friendly deals in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season. Factors like production, age, and projected contributions were all considered in these rankings.
All contract data courtesy of Spotrac
10. Bud Dupree, Edge, Atlanta Falcons
1 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $3 million
Bud Dupree was once considered one of the top edge defenders in the league and was paid as such during the 2021 offseason. After an impressive six-season run with the Pittsburgh Steelers to start his career, Dupree inked a blockbuster five-year, $85.5 million contract to reinforce the Tennessee Titans' defense.
The Kentucky product failed to live up to expectations with the Titans, however, playing just two years with the organization before being released this offseason. The 30-year-old will now have a chance to show he's not washed up after catching on with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons deserve credit for rolling the dice on Dupree with almost no risk involved. The team only doled out a one-year, $3 million "prove-it" deal to the pass-rusher and could see an immense return on that investment. While Dupree only recorded seven sacks during his stint in the Music City, he's not too far removed a two-year stretch in which he racked up 19.5 sacks over his final two seasons with the Steelers.
9. Desmond King II, CB, Houston Texans
2 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $3.5 million
The Houston Texans had a rough year defensively, but they at least know they have one corner they can depend on in Desmond King II. Although Houston rated as the third-worst defense in football, the veteran had a strong individual season, recording 89 tackles, eight pass defenses and a pair of interceptions in 17 games.
King landed in Houston ahead of the 2021 season and extended his contract last year through the upcoming campaign last year. The 2018 All-Pro shook off a tough first season with the Texans to notch a 73.2 PFF grade in 2022. Making just $3.5 million in the final year of his deal, King should be a reliable piece for this rebuilding defense in 2023.
8. Carl Granderson, Edge, New Orleans Saints
3 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $4.1 million
After entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Carl Granderson has steadily improved while becoming a key part of the New Orleans Saints' edge-rushing rotation. He first broke through as a sophomore in 2020—notching five sacks and a pair of forced fumbles—but had his best year as a pro in 2022.
Granderson is coming off a campaign in which he played 45 percent of both the team's defensive and special teams snaps while recording a career-high 5.5 sacks to go along with 53 tackles—including nine for a loss—a forced fumble and fumble recovery. The 26-year-old earned a spectacular 80.4 PFF grade for his efforts during the breakout season.
If he can keep continue improving at the same rate, his salary will be considered one of the best bargains in the league in 2023.
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7. Taylor Rapp, S, Buffalo Bills
4 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $1.8 million
The Buffalo Bills made one of the thriftiest signings of the offseason when they nabbed safety Taylor Rapp on a one-year deal for less than $2 million. Rapp is a reliable veteran who started for the Super Bowl winning Los Angeles Rams two years ago, establishing himself as an integral piece of an elite defense for much of his tenure with that organization.
The 25-year-old has started 48 of the 57 games he has appeared in while recording 330 tackles, 23 pass defenses and nine interceptions in those contests. He projects as a great fit in Buffalo's scheme, working as a third safety who can augment the two elite starters the team already has in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. While Rapp may not start for the club barring an injury, the Bills often deploy an extra safety in their defensive looks and will be happy to have him on the field in that role.
A strong year could see Rapp earn a long-term contract in Buffalo, potentially replacing one of their aging current starters for the 2024 season and beyond.
6. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $14.5 million
Mike Evans is one of the top wideouts of his generation. The veteran has made immense contributions to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization not only for his play on the field, but also via the team-friendly contract he has signed.
While Evans has tallied up an eye-popping 10,425 yards and 81 touchdowns on 683 receptions since the Bucs drafted him in the first round back in 2014,. he's only cashed a single big contract. That came in 2018, when he agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million extension that made him the second-highest paid receiver in the league at the time.
With Evans reaching the end of that deal while still playing at a high level, it looks like Tampa got a major bargain on that deal. It's one of the key reasons the team was able to load up on enough talent to raise the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2020 campaign. That may not be the case for long, however, as Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds recently reported that Evans and the Bucs are ironing out an extension that could go into effect as early as this summer.
5. Jermaine Eluemunor, OT, Las Vegas Raiders
6 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $3 million
Jermaine Eluemunor quietly emerged as one of the few reliable pieces on a volatile Las Vegas Raiders squad last year and will fortunately be sticking around to protect new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2023. After bringing him in on a bargain-bin, $1.25 million deal for the 2022 campaign, the organization retained the journeyman offensive tackle for the upcoming season for more than double that price.
Despite the raise, Eluemunor still represents one of the best deals for a starting right tackle in the NFL. The 29-year-old had bounced around the league since he was drafted in the fifth round back in 2017. He spent two years apiece with the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots before having a cup of coffee with both the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2021 offseason.
Eluemunor caught on with the Raiders right before the 2021 season kicked off, ultimately starting three games for the team that year. He emerged as a starter at right tackle last year, playing nearly 1,000 snaps while allowing just three sacks and earning a highly respectable 75.3 PFF grade for his efforts.
It's been an unexpected rise for a player who seemed on his way out of the league after being cut twice in the span of a week less than two years ago. If he can continue his current trajectory, Eluemunor might even earn a big contract extension next spring.
4. Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
7 of 10
Remaining contract: 3 years, $75 million
Geno Smith's re-emergence was one of the most surprising storylines of the 2022 NFL season. Even after Seattle shipped off star quarterback Russell Wilson without an heir-apparent on the roster and Smith beat out Drew Lock for the job, few could have predicted what would come next for the longtime veteran.
Smith got off to a hot start and stayed consistent throughout the year, ultimately finishing as the most accurate passer in the league on his way to a Pro Bowl appearance. The Seahawks rewarded Smith with an extension and much-deserved raise this spring, although it's still a team-friendly deal that won't hinder Seattle's ability to remain competitive in the coming seasons.
The 32-year-old's three-year, $75 million contract has a potential out after this season, allowing the organization to move on easily if Smith ends up being a one-year wonder. If he continues playing at the same level, $25 million annually is still a great price for a top-end quarterback.
3. Frankie Luvu, OLB, Carolina Panthers
8 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $4 million
The Carolina Panthers unearthed a diamond in the rough last season in the form of Frankie Luvu. The undrafted free agent hadn't done too much of note during his initial four years in the NFL—spending the first three with the New York Jets before signing a small contract with the Panthers in 2021—but he stepped into a starting role last year and thrived.
Luvu finished his career-best season with 111 tackles—including 19 for a loss—seven sacks, four pass defenses and a forced fumble while starting 14 of the 15 games he appeared in. It was a noticeable improvement over his first season in Carolina, a year in which he only notched 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 16 contests.
PFF dished out a commendable 74.8 grade to Luvu, who enters 2023 with a chance to earn his first Pro Bowl nod if he can continue playing at a high level. Should he can accomplish that, the 26-year-old will be in line to earn a huge raise when he hits the open market next year.
2. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
9 of 10
Remaining contract: 1 year, $6.3 million
The Los Angeles Chargers are getting plenty of mileage out of Austin Ekeler's contract. The star running back has been a force for the organization, working as a capable main option who contributes heavily as both a rusher and pass-catcher.
Ekeler has vastly outperformed expectations after signing a modest four-year, $24.5 million extension in 2020. He's been especially dominant over the last two seasons, racking up nearly 3,200 yards from scrimmage while scoring 38 touchdowns in that span.
Unfortunately for the Bolts, this could be Ekeler's swan song with the organization. Near the start of the new league year, the back made it clear he wasn't happy with his current contract. While he walked back a trade request and eventually earned an additional $1.75 million in incentives, Ekeler will soon be seeking higher compensation as one of 2024's marquee free agents.
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
10 of 10
Remaining contract: Nine years, $415 million
Patrick Mahomes set a still-standing record for the largest contract in NFL history when he signed a 10-year, $450 million extension in 2020, an agreement that will keep him playing for the Kansas City Chiefs at least through the 2031 campaign. At the time of the signing, current New York Giants and then Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale claimed that Mahomes would still have been underpaid had he earned a billion dollars in that deal.
Martindale is right. Despite being handsomely rewarded for his services, Mahomes' contract is the best value in the league. The quarterback has made borderline priceless contributions to the Chiefs, ones that have directly resulted in a run of unparalleled success over the last half-decade. He's been the catalyst for two Super Bowl championships in the last four years and has turned this organization into a dynasty following nearly five decades of disappointment.
While Mahomes earned a historic contract in terms of total value, he is only the seventh-highest paid quarterback in terms of average annual pay right now. He could fall further down the list after imminent extensions for top signal-callers like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are finalized. That downward trend will only continue in the coming years when Trevor Lawrence and other up-and-coming stars ink their extensions as well.
The Chiefs will likely up Mahomes' salary at some point, but as long as he keeps playing at his current level, the team would have to tack on a few zero's to have his pay become be commensurate with his contributions.
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