Several players who would have been highly sought after in free agency or franchise tag candidates get taken off the market each year with contract extensions. The most notable signing leading up to the regular season was by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After quarterback Baker Mayfield cut off contract discussions once training camp started during the latter part of July, the Buccaneers made Mayfield an offer he couldn't refuse.
Mayfield signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension, averaging $55 million with $100 million of new guarantees. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams and running back Jonathan Taylor were also a part of the flurry of contract-year signings that took place from the beginning of July until the early part of September when the regular season began. Williams received a three-year, $90 million extension, averaging $30 million per year with $54 million in guarantees, from the Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks.
Taylor joined the exclusive $20 million-per-year running back club. He signed a two-year, $44 million extension, averaging $22 million per year, with the Indianapolis Colts. Fifteen players in a contract year are being highlighted below.
Nacua would probably already be the league's highest-paid wide receiver ahead of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who received a four-year, $168.6 million extension, averaging $42.15 million per year with a wide receiver-record $120,067,996 in overall guarantees from the Seahawks in March, without off-the-field issues. The 2023 fifth-round pick tried to sneak live streamers into the Rams practice facility against head coach Sean McVay's wishes late last season. During the livestream, Nacua performed a suggested touchdown dance with a gesture considered antisemitic, for which he apologized.
A lawsuit was filed against Nacua in March alleging he bit a woman while intoxicated and made antisemitic statements on New Year's Eve. Nacua spent time during the offseason in a holistic care facility to focus on personal growth and overall behavioral improvement. Discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy remains a possibility.
Nacua is off to one of the most productive starts to an NFL career for a wide receiver. He had 313 receptions for 4,191 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns in the 44 games he played during his first three NFL seasons. Nacua's 313 receptions are the fourth most ever in this span behind Justin Jefferson (324), Michael Thomas (321) and Amon-Ra St.
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