NEWSLETTER
Everyone’s getting an extension these days.
Well, except the one guy Bears fans have been clamoring to keep since the league year started.
Allen Robinson remains without a contract extension. Meanwhile, fellow wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins cashed in by negotiating his own deal:
Sources: The #AZCardinals are making star WR DeAndre Hopkins the highest paid non-QB ever, giving him a 2-year contract extension worth $54.5M in new money — $27.25M per year. Hopkins, who did the deal himself, gets $42.75M guaranteed at signing.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2020
Hopkins gets $54.5 million in new money and $42.75 million guaranteed at signing. That’s a hefty payday for the 28-year-old three-time first-team All-Pro. And once you tack it on to the remaining years on his current deal, Hopkins is set to make $94 million over five years while with the Cardinals. I suppose this sets up Hopkins to cash in with another deal after his age 32 season. And that the deal includes a no-trade provision and no-Franchise Tag clause is also a win for the player.
But how this could impact a potential Allen Robinson extension cuts multiple ways.
Looking only at the new money misses the context of the overall deal. A five-year deal worth $94 million puts Hopkins’ AAV at $18.8 million. That’s not nothing, but it’s below the $20 million threshold set by Julio Jones and Amari Cooper. And it’s less than what Michael Thomas ($19.25M AAV) got on his recent deal. So in essence, if you’re viewing this “new deal” all together, Allen Robinson’s asking price on an extension could start in the $18 million range.
Then again … seeing that $27.25 million AAV on the new money part of the extension could push the conversation into $20 million being the per-year average. Especially when Hopkins is getting $42.75 million in additional new money guaranteed three years out. Sure, there’s a good discussion to be had about the relative value and anticipated production of the players, but this is how contracts work at these positions. The last deal moves the next deal.
In any case, Hopkins’ deal likely helps keep moving the price tag north for Robinson, though the length of any such deal – and the guarantee – are big questions where there is still a lot of play.
Maybe. You know. If anything ever happens.
Sigh. These are the conversations we’re forced to have when a team isn’t proactive earlier in the offseason when trying to retain its best offensive player.
