Here's what experts are saying about the NFL's latest round of contract extensions
A barrage of NFL stars just inked or are about to ink shiny new contract extensions. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott signed a six-year, $90 million extension, while his teammate, offensive tackle La'El Collins, re-upped with Dallas for five more years. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff cashed in on his NFC Championship run with a four-year, $134 million deal to stay in Southern California, and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is reportedly close to a new contract, as well.
The extensions for Collins and Jones feel like no-brainers, but the deals for Elliott and Goff raised some eyebrows. Elliott is one of the best running backs in the league, but he runs behind Collins and four other supremely talented lineman. So the thinking is that Dallas could plug a cheaper option into the backfield and still achieve good results on the ground. Plus, Elliott has handled a massive workload in his short career, which has people worried he'll eventually run out of gas. Still, as long as he stays healthy, Dallas probably won't regret the deal.
The following can all be true:
- Zeke is better than an average RB
- The difference between Zeke and an average RB behind the Dallas line isn't worth the difference in salary
- Zeke will probably be productive enough for the Cowboys to be happy with this extension— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 4, 2019
As for Goff, the former no. 1 draft pick has been successful so far in his three-year career, which includes a Super Bowl appearance. But not everyone is sold on whether he's good enough to get paid like a top-flight signal-caller. Others aren't concerned at all.
The record-breaking contract the #Rams gave Jared Goff confirms what they know they have in him - even while others stubbornly cling to lazy narratives: Goff is a franchise quarterback. And as I wrote for @TheAthleticLA he’s clearly earned the distinction https://t.co/FGMVvTxbyV
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) September 4, 2019
One thing appears to be certain, though. Both Elliott and Goff have altered the NFL market for years to come.