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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/guest_from_Europe on 2025-09-01 11:26:02+00:00.
This offseason Chase, Garrett, Watt, Parsons signed gigantic contracts. All are over 14% of the salary cap at the time of signing. So i looked at how similar contracts for non-QBs worked out in the past. There weren’t many players with such % of team salary cap, no LBs, OTs, TEs, only 1 DB in the salary cap era.
Windows of opportunity in NFL are short, teams sign players and after the guaranteed 2-3 years may extend or release that player or anything in between.
Here is a short list of players that signed for over 14% of team cap, with their age, how contract ended, what they did individually in the first 3 seasons from the signing, what succes did their team have, what happened after 3 seasons.
| player, age, team | player first 3 seasons | team first 3 seasons | rest of player’s career | contract fate | team after 3 seasons with that player |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strahan, 28, Giants | 1 DPOY, 1 AP-1, 2xPB, 12.5 sacks, 17.7 TFL/season | 1 SB loss, 2x miss playoffs | 1 AP-1, 2x AP-2, 9.5 sacks, 13 TFL/season | signed a smaller extension after 3 years, played 9 total years | 1 SB win, 3x wild card loss, 2x miss playoffs |
| T. J. Watt, 27, Steelers | 1 DPOY, 2x AP-1, 15.7 sacks, 16 TFL/season | 2x wild card loss | 1 season, AP-2, 11.5 sacks, 19 TFL | signs a giant extension after 4 years | 1 wild card loss |
| N. Bosa, 26, 49ers | 2x PB, 9.75 sacks, 15.5 TFL/season | 1 SB loss, 1x miss playoffs | active | ||
| Donald, 31, Rams | 1x AP-1, 2xPB, 6.5 sacks/season | 1 divisional, 1 wild card loss | retired | retired after 2 years | |
| D. Sanders, 32, Cowboys | 1x AP-2, 3.5 INT/season | 1 wild card loss | retired | cut afer 1 season, retired after 2 years | |
| T.Hill, 28, Dolphins | 2x AP-1, close to OPOY, 1490 yards/season | 2x wild card loss | extension after 2 years, active | TBD | |
| J. Rice, 34, 49ers | 1x AP-1, 2x PB, 1 injury, 1205 yards/season | 1 conference loss, 2x divisional | 1 AP-2 for Raiders | extended after 2 years | 2 losing seasons |
| B. Sanders, 29, Lions | 1 MVP, 1 AP-1, 1 AP-2, 1772 yards/season | 1 wild card loss | retired | retired after 2 years | |
| T. Davis, 26, Broncos | 1 MVP, 1 AP-1, 2000 yards, later injured | 1 SB win, 1 wild card loss, 1 miss playoffs | 700 yards in 1 season | cut after 4 years | 1 8-8 season |
| E. Smith, 27, Cowboys | 1x PB, 1203 yards/season | 1 divisional, 1 wild card loss, 1 losing season | 1 PB, 1150/season for Cowboys | cut after 7 years | 1 wild card loss, 3 losing seasons |
| M. Faulk, 26, Rams | 3x MVP-level, 3x AP-1, 3x OPOY | 1 SB win, 1 SB loss, 1 wild card loss | 1x PB | extended after 3 years | 2x divisional loss, 2 losing seasons |
These players are HOFers, played very well, but didn’t last long. Only Strahan , Rice, Faulk, E. Smith stayed with that team more than 3 seasons. Now Watt & T. Hill. It will be really difficult for current players to play up to this standard, it’s practically AP-1 level with some DPOY, OPOY, MVP.
Team success varied from wild card also rans, losing seasons to Super Bowls.
Next on the contract-list for WRs would be Hopkins for Cardinals, Moss for Vikings in 2001, Adams for Raiders in 2022, Calvin Johnson in 2012 Lions, Fitzgerald for Cardinals in 2011, and then Lamb active for Cowboys. For pass rushers it would be Joey Bosa for Chargers, Mario Williams for Bills, 2009 Peppers for Panthers, Mack for Bears, then active Crosby, Hunter. They were paid 13-14% of cap at the time.
| player, age, team | player first 3 seasons | team first 3 seasons | rest of player’s career | contract fate | team after 3 seasons with that player |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopkins, 28, Cardinals | 1 AP-2, 900 yards/season | 1 wild card | 833 yards/season, 2 teams | cut after 3 years | |
| Moss, 24, Vikings | 1 AP-1, 2x PB, 1492 yards/season | losing seasons | 1 AP-1, many teams | traded after 4 years | 1 season: 8-8, lost divisional |
| Adams, 30, Raiders | 1 AP-1, 1330 yards/season | losing seasons | 1060 yards, active | traded after 2 years | |
| Megatron, 27, Lions | 2x AP-1, 3x PB, 1511 yards/season | 1 wild card, 2 losing seasons | 1 season, PB, 1214 yards | retired after 4 years | 1 losing season |
| Fitzgerald, 28, Cardinals | 1 AP-2, 3xPB, 1054 yards/season | miss playoffs, best season 10-6 | 3x PB, 875 yards/season 7 more years | extended after 4 years | 1 conference loss, 1 wild card loss, 5x miss playoffs |
| J. Bosa, 25, Chargers | 2x PB, 9 sacks,10 TFL/season in 2 seasons, later injured | 1 wild card loss | 1 PB, 5.8 sacks, 5.5 TFL/season | pay cut after 4 years | 1 wild card loss |
| Mario Williams, 27, Bills | 1x AP-1, 1xAP-2, 2x PB, 12.7 sacks, 15.3 TFL/season | no playoffs | 6.5 sacks total in 2 seasons | cut after 4 years | 1 8-8 season |
| Peppers, 29, Panthers | 1 season AP-2, 10.5 sacks, 10 TFL | 8-8, no playoffs | 1 AP-1, 1 AP-2, 4-PB, 8.7 sacks, 9.3 TFL/season | free agent | |
| Mack, 27, Bears | 1x AP-1, 1xAP-2, 3x PB, 10 sacks, 9.7 TFL/season | 1 wild card loss | 3x PB, 10.3 sacks, 13 TFL/season for Chargers | traded after 4 years | 1 losing season |
These players played well, but teams mostly missed playoffs or lost in the wild card round. A sentence that describes what Chase, Garrett, Watt, Parsons have done lately.
We’ll see what they will do in the future. They can hope to have a long career like Fitzgerald, Strahan, Peppers, and not like Joey Bosa.