Fortunes can be made in a contract year. It is especially the case when the postseason validates or exceeds performance in the regular season. The Super Bowl is an opportunity to make a strong closing statement.
Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed clamped down on several opposing No. 1 wide receivers in 2023, including Davante Adams, A.J. Brown, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He only allowed two catches for 23 yards in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime Super Bowl LVIII victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Chiefs placed a $19.802 million franchise tag on Sneed last March with the intention of trading him. Sneed was dealt to the Tennessee Titans at the end of March for a 2025 third-round pick with the teams also swapping 2024 seventh-round picks. The Titans gave Sneed a four-year, $76.4 million contract — averaging $19.1 million per year with $55 million in guarantees where $44 million was fully guaranteed — at signing.
Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown probably has the most to gain from a great Super Bowl performance. A left shoulder injury suffered in the preseason kept Brown out of Kansas City’s first 14 regular-season games. He has gotten the second most playing time among Chiefs wide receivers in the postseason at 65.81%.
Brown came to Kansas City on a one-year, $7 million deal worth up to $11 million through incentives. Absent a strong Super Bowl, he may be best served by another one-year “prove-it” deal for the 2025 season in the best situation he can find.
Here are several Super Bowl participants with expiring contracts who could reap the benefit financially when free agency begins on March 12.
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Pete Prisco
Kansas City Chiefs
Smith is the NFL’s top offensive lineman with an expiring contract. The Chiefs prioritized a Creed Humphrey contract extension over one for Smith since he is the NFL’s best center. Humphrey reset the center market on a four year, $72 million extension, averaging $18 million per year, during the preseason. His $50.315 million in guarantees and $35 million fully guaranteed at signing are the most ever for a center.
The Chiefs already have made big financial commitments on the offensive line. In addition to Humphrey’s deal, there’s the regrettable four-year, $80 million contract with $60 million in guarantees where $40 million was fully guaranteed at signing right tackle Jawaan Taylor received in 2023 free agency. Joe Thuney, who is playing left tackle out of necessity, has one year remaining on the five-year, $80 million contract, containing $46.89 million of guarantees he signed in 2021 free agency to become the NFL’s highest-paid offensive guard at $16 million per year.
Interior offensive linemen are rarely given franchise tags. This is because there isn’t a differentiation between the three main positions (center, guard and tackle).
The Washington Commanders used franchise tags on offensive guard Brandon Scherff in both 2020 and 2021. The New England Patriots also placed a franchise designation on Thuney in 2020. Prior to those two, the last offensive guard to receive a franchise tag was Logan Mankins by the Patriots in 2011.
The non-exclusive offensive lineman tag projects to 8.382% of the 2025 salary cap. Teams reportedly have been planning for a 2025 salary cap in the $265 million to $275 million range on internal projections. This number should be $23.049 million with a $275 million 2025 salary cap, which is higher than offensive guard market.
It wouldn’t be surprising for Smith’s deal to put him at the top of the offensive guard salary hierarchy. That distinction currently belongs to Landon Dickerson. He signed a four-year, $84 million extension, averaging $21 million per year, with the Philadelphia Eagles last March. Salary escalators make Dickerson’s deal worth as much as $87 million.
Bolton is Kansas City’s leading tackler (106 tackles). He also had a team-leading 11 tackles for loss. Bolton, who turns 25 in March, could be on the move because of price with 2022 third-round pick Leo Chenal waiting in the wings. The most recent relevant off-ball linebacker data point is the three-year, $37.5 million extension, averaging $12.5 million per year (worth up to $39 million through incentives), Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah signed with the Cleveland Browns during the preseason. There are $25 million in guarantees, of which $20 million was fully guaranteed at signing in Owusu-Koramoah’s contract. A three-year deal would best position Bolton for the opportunity to sign a second lucrative veteran contract, which is a rarity for off-ball linebackers, in either 2027 or 2028.
Reid joined the Chiefs in 2022 free agency on a three-year, $31.5 million contract with $20.485 million fully guaranteed. The Chiefs seemingly planned for Reid’s departure by drafting Jaden Hicks in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Hicks’ playtime increased dramatically as the season progressed.
Reid surely took note of the three-year, $54 million extension, averaging $18 million per year, Budda Baker signed with the Arizona Cardinals in December. That’s likely more than Reid can command on the open market. Nonetheless, Reid should get a pay raise. The salary cap was $208.2 million when Reid signed in 2022. Reid’s expiring contract adjusted for salary cap inflation is in the $13.5 million-per-year range.
Philadelphia Eagles
Baun has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season after signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal worth a maximum of $4.5 million through incentives in free agency. His transition to inside linebacker from a reserve edge-rushing outside linebacker and special teams standout on the New Orleans Saints during the first four years of his NFL career went better than anyone could have possibly imagined.
Baun tied for sixth in the league with 151 tackles. His five forced fumbles were the NFL’s second most. Baun is the only player to ever have at least 150 tackles and five or more forced fumbles in an NFL season. He is a complete linebacker as he also excelled in coverage.
Baun was named to the Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors both for the first time his career this season. He is also a finalist for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Eagles making a major investment in an off-ball linebacker would be uncharacteristic as T.J. Edwards, Alex Singleton and Kyzir White were allowed to leave via free agency in recent years. A franchise tag seems out of the question. An off-ball linebacker hasn’t been designated as a franchise player since David Harris by the New York Jets in 2011.
Baun would be justified in seeking a deal in the same neighborhood as Tremaine Edmunds in 2023 free agency given the type of season he’s had. Edmunds received a four-year, $72 million contract — averaging $18 million per year with $50 million in guarantees where $41.8 million was fully guaranteed at signing — from the Chicago Bears. The top off-ball linebacker contract in 2024 free agency went to Patrick Queen. He signed a three-year, $41 million deal, averaging $13,666,667 per year, with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sweat took a $6 million pay cut from the three-year, $40 million extension, averaging $13,333,333 per year, he signed in 2021. Scheduled to make $16 million in 2024, Sweat lowered his salary to $10 million where $9.5 million was fully guaranteed with the opportunity to earn as much as $13 million total through incentives.
Sweat led the Eagles with eight sacks this season. It’s surely going to take more than the three-year, $51.1 million deal, averaging $17,033,333 per year and worth a maximum of $57.1 million thanks to incentives and salary escalators, the Eagles gave edge rusher Bryce Huff last March as a free agent to keep Sweat in Philadelphia. Huff was largely invisible before having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist 10 games into the season. He has remained invisible since his return in Week 17.
Williams had five sacks and a career-high 40 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, this season in an Eagles interior defensive line rotation with Pro Bowler Jalen Carter and 2022 first-round pick Jordan Davis. His 47.8% defensive playtime was also a career high.
The 40 pressures were four more than Williams had in the previous two seasons combined. Williams ranked fourth among NFL interior defensive linemen in PFF’s pass rush win rate metric (17.5%).
Williams shouldn’t have a problem landing a contract in the same neighborhood as the three-year, $53.13 million deal, averaging $17,176,667 per year with $30 million in guarantees, Dre’Mont Jones received from the Seattle Seahawks in 2023 free agency. There are currently 14 interior defensive linemen with contracts averaging $20 million per year or more. Getting to this territory is a possibility.
Becton took a one-year, $2.75 million deal worth up to $5.5 million through incentives after four injury-plagued and disappointing seasons with the New York Jets. The 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft resurrected his career by moving from left tackle to right guard, a position he had never played. Becton’s reversal of fortune is somewhat reminiscent of Kevin Dotson’s in 2023 when he thrived moving from left guard to right guard after a preseason trade to the Los Angeles Rams from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were probably going to release him during roster cutdown.
Dotson remained with the Rams in free agency on a three-year, $48 million contract, averaging $16 million per year with $32 million in guarantees where $15 million was fully guaranteed at signing. Becton’s salary floor shouldn’t be less than the three-year, $30 million deal, averaging $10 million per year with $17 million fully guaranteed, Jon Runyan Jr. received from the New York Giants last March in free agency.
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