Agent’s Take: How a safety became the NFL’s highest-paid DB for the first time in the salary cap era

In the NFL salary hierarchy, cornerbacks traditionally rank ahead of safeties. That isn’t the case anymore, at least temporarily with the top of these respective markets. A safety is the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back for the first time during the salary cap era, which began in 1994.

The NFL’s highest-paid defensive back is Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The Buccaneers signed Winfield, who was designated as a franchise player for $17.123 million, to a four-year, $84.1 million contract averaging $21.025 million per year in May. Winfield replaced cornerback Jaire Alexander, who received a four-year, $84 million contract extension averaging $21 million per year from the Green Bay Packers in 2022, at the top of the defensive back salary totem pole.

Cornerback market stagnation and steady growth in the safety market are responsible for this unprecedented development. The top of the cornerback market has only increased by 5% since Jalen Ramsey became the NFL’s first $20 million-per-year defensive back right before the 2020 regular season started. Ramsey signed a…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/agents-take-how-a-safety-became-the-nfls-highest-paid-db-for-the-first-time-in-the-salary-cap-era/

Author : Joel Corry

Publish date : 2024-07-03 17:56:57

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