05-22-2023, 03:10 PM
(05-22-2023, 02:17 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: of course contracts can go both up and down depending if you front load them or back load them or whatever other different ways teams move around them. I was speaking about the cost per year average throughout the contract. If the Bengals sign Burrow at a 53 million per year average his hit to the cap over the lifetime of the contract is going to be less than paying him 22%-23% where it will do nothing but rise unless you think the NFLs salary cap is going to fall below its current level. You would be paying Burrow at the top level right now at an average of 51-52 million per year and then raising that average every year. 22%-23% is a horrible idea.
What about a lower percentage, but 100% guaranteed? If you make your quarterback the highest paid player in the game based on this type of contract, then somewhere down the road, you may end up overpaying or hamstringing the team.
DeSean Watson set the market, and obviously, the Browns went too high with him. From this point, maybe teams start slowing down the increases to QBs and give more consideration to other players. Right now, it's a quarterbacks league, but somewhere down the line, someone is going to win the Super Bowl with a game manager like Brad Johnson or Trent Dilfer and spend money on the overall roster and not just the QB - the model is going to change.
What could keep the model of having a stud QB going is if Pro Bowlers at non-premium positions take less money to join a roster with a stud QB. A team with someone like Gino Smith, Jared Goff, or Mac Jones will need to get some superstar talent spread out over the roster to compete for the SB. If you have Jared Goff, you can upgrade at 4-5 other positions to create an overall roster to compete. Players may not want to hitch their saddle to a team with Jaret Goff at QB, unless money is their top priority.