Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Christian Gonzalez and Ascending NFL Stars Poised to Reset the Market

Heading into NFL free agency, we have an idea, based on past contracts, of how much some of the top players might command in 2026. However, it's important to remember player market value isn't static.

The next-man-up nature of NFL contracts and the league's lack of any veteran contract limits mean the going rate for each position is constantly on the rise.

Whenever a star becomes the new highest-paid player at his position it raises the price point for second- and third-tier contracts at the same position. As the positional ceiling rises, so does the range of what can be considered a bargain.

This offseason, several young stars could reset their positional markets with league-leading deals. The list includes Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and newly crowned Super Bowl champion Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has already expressed his desire to be the NFL's highest-paid wideout.

Here, we'll examine some of the NFL's top rising stars, how their contracts could look, and why those deals may get done sooner rather than later.

Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Contract Projection: Four Years, $180 Million

The pass-rusher market exploded last offseason with Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and T.J. Watt all receiving extensions. That was before the Green Bay Packers traded for and then extended Micah Parsons and before the Detroit Lions extended Aidan Hutchinson in-season.

Parsons now leads the market with a deal worth $46.5 million annually. Hutchinson didn't top Parsons' contract, but his $45 million-per-year deal came close.

Houston Texans pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. is extension eligible this offseason and should be at the negotiation table early. The two-time Pro Bowler, who has 30 sacks and 97 quarterback pressures in three seasons, is a bona fide star. The Texans should want to lock him up for the foreseeable future and shouldn't wait for the market to rise further before doing so.

Anderson's deal might not surpass that of Parsons, who is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. However, it should come close and will likely solidify $45 million as the new going rate for top-tier sack artists.

Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Contract Projection: Four Years, $108 Million

In three seasons, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter has established himself as one of the game's most disruptive defenders. The two-time Pro Bowler hasn't even turned 25 yet, either.

Expect the Eagles to lock up Carter early. General manager Howie Roseman has a long history of negotiating early extensions, and Carter figures to be a centerpiece player in the mold of Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and Cam Jurgens.

Carter may not become the league's highest-paid interior defender because Chris Jones leads the position group by a large margin. The Kansas City Chiefs star has a contract worth $31.8 million annually, more than $5 million more than any other defensive lineman.

However, Carter may top the free-agent contract that former Eagle Milton Williams signed last offseason. Williams signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the New England Patriots, making him the league's highest-paid interior defender not named Jones.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Contract Projection: Three Years, $62 Million

Though the NFL has seen a bit of a running-back resurgence over the last couple of years, the position is still undervalued compared to other marquee position groups.

The Dallas Cowboys, for example, recently extended Javonte Williams on a deal worth just $8 million annually over three years.

Detroit Lions standout Jahmyr Gibbs, though, should earn significantly more than Williams. The 23-year-old is one of the NFL's best young offensive playmakers and is a dangerous dual-threat in the mold of Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey.

Barkley, by the way, leads the running-back market with a deal worth $20.6 million annually.

Gibbs may also get his second contract in the not-too-distant future. Like the Eagles, the Lions have a recent history of extending players early. Detroit may also want to beat the Atlanta Falcons and Bijan Robinson to the negotiating table.

Whoever gets paid last between Gibbs and Robinson is likely to get paid more.

Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Steve Luciano

Contract Projection: Four Years, $121 Million

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is in a situation similar to that of Gibbs and Robinson. The 23-year-old was taken in the first round of the 2023 draft, 12 spots after Seahawks standout corner Devon Witherspoon.

There's a non-zero chance that whichever franchise signs its cornerback first will get the more "team-friendly" deal. That's how things played out with cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner, who were the third and fourth overall picks, respectively, in the 2022 draft.

Stingley agreed to an extension in March of last year that was worth $30 million annually. Gardner then signed a deal worth $30.1 million per year in July.

Gonzalez can also make a case for topping the contracts of Stingley and Gardner. The 23-year-old has been a top-tier cover corner, when healthy, since entering the league. He has allowed an opposing passer rating below 80.0 in coverage in each of the past two seasons, and he played a massive role in New England's latest Super Bowl run.

Tyler Linderbaum, C, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Contract Projection: Four Years, $73 Million

The Baltimore Ravens declined Tyler Linderbaum's fifth-year option last offseason, meaning he's slated to be a free agent in March. However, this wasn't because Baltimore didn't view him as deserving of a new deal.

The NFL's values for the franchise tag and the fifth-year option are the same for all offensive-line positions. Exercising Linderbaum's fifth-year option would have meant giving him a one-year deal worth over $5 million more than Creed Humphrey's market-leading $18 million-per-year salary.

Linderbaum may not be worth $23 million-plus, but he stands a good chance of surpassing Humphrey's contract.

The Ravens have some "underlying medical concerns" with Linderbaum, according to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. However, the 25-year-old has started 66 of a possible 68 games over the past four years and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three.

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Contract Projection: Four Years, $153 Million

Despite being a widely overlooked fifth-round draft pick in 2023, Puka Nacua has quickly become one of the league's top pass-catchers. No one should be surprised if he threatens to supplant Chase as the NFL's highest-paid receiver within the next couple of years.

While Nacua missed six games due to injury in 2024, he still managed to amass 4,191 receiving yards over his first three seasons. That's more yards than Chase had over his first three campaigns and only 634 yards fewer than Jefferson had in his first three seasons—in six fewer games.

Nacua's career 17-game average (1,619 yards) is higher than that of both Chase (1,490) and Jefferson (1,534).

While Nacua isn't slated to reach free agency until next offseason, the Los Angeles Rams are likely to extend him early for two reasons. For one, they'll want to avoid the potential headache of a contract standoff. Secondly, they won't want the rival Seahawks to raise Nacua's price point by extending Smith-Njigba first.

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Contract Projection: Three Years, $61 Million

Financially, Gibbs and Robinson are likely to be tied together, at least as it pertains to their second contracts. Both were taken within the top 12 picks of the 2023 draft, and both have shown themselves to be special NFL backs.

Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards this past season. He's every bit as valuable to Atlanta as Barkley and McCaffrey are to their respective teams, and he'll be paid accordingly.

The big question is whether Robinson will get paid before Gibbs. The answer to that may determine which back becomes the NFL's highest-paid. We saw a similar situation unfold when wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase were both extension-eligible.

Chase, who was drafted a year after Jefferson, signed roughly a year after Jefferson did and topped his market-leading contract by more than $5 million annually.

Gibbs and Robinson, though, should sign their extensions closer together and at very similar price points.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Ben VanHouten

Contract Projection: Four Years, $152 Million

As mentioned, Chase and Jefferson are the NFL's two highest-paid receivers in terms of annual salary. As we also noted, Smith-Njigba believes he should top their contracts.

"So, whenever that may come, we'll be ready for it, and I think I believe I deserve to be the highest paid in my position," Smith-Njigba told Jonah Javad of WFAA (h/t NFL.com's Bobby Kownack).

Smith-Njigba can certainly make that argument. The 24-year-old is arguably the league's best route-runner, he led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards in 2025, and he helped unlock Sam Darnold as a Super Bowl quarterback.

Those 1,793 yards give Smith-Njigba the eighth-most prolific receiving season in NFL history. His 2025 total fell 16 yards short of Jefferson's career-best season and above Chase's best campaign (1,708 yards in 2024).

Smith-Njigba might not actually supplant Chase—a team with an open Super Bowl window can't really afford to overpay a handful of stars while ignoring other areas of the roster. However, no one should be surprised if he moves into the No. 2 spot just before or shortly after Nacua gets his extension.

Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Stew Milne

Contract Projection: Four Years, $124 Million

Whether he signs before or after Gonzalez, Witherspoon is likely to be the league's highest-paid cornerback whenever he inks his second contract.

The 25-year-old has made the Pro Bowl in all three of his NFL campaigns and was one of the best players on the field, at any position, in Super Bowl LX.

Witherspoon's timely blitzes were one of the keys to Seattle's defensive dominance against New England in the big game. His ability to play inside or on the perimeter while filling a variety of roles has provided Seattle a lot of valuable defensive flexibility leading up to the Super Bowl, too.

"He's part of the engine that makes the whole thing go," head coach Mike Macdonald said in December, per John Boyle of the team's official website. "He's probably the sparkplug behind the whole thing."

While Witherspoon has only recorded two interceptions in his three seasons, he's logged an impressive 32 passes defended during that span. Like Smith-Njigba, he should be viewed as an integral piece the Seahawks want for the bulk of his career.

*Contract information from Spotrac.