PHOTO USA Today Sports Images The old adage goes that receivers are more often divas than any other position group in sports.
The next few weeks will do nothing to destroy this stereotype.
The Minnesota Vikings made Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a four-year, $140 million contract extension this summer. Star receivers from California to Texas to Florida are ready to get their pay raises and are willing to wait until training camp if necessary.
As the release dates for the camp reports quickly approach, here are eight cases of resistance or potential resistance worth watching. Let’s rank them in ascending order, from the most obvious (some are already underway) to the most speculative possibilities.
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb
Most Americans aren’t fans of America’s Team, so we’ll happily laugh at Jerry Jones’ (clumsy) practice of sitting back and letting market values rise while his No. 1 quarterback, receiver and defensive end all need new contracts. Lamb skipped mandatory minicamp and reports indicate he won’t report to training camp without a new deal. That could get ugly (or funny, for Dallas haters). The Cowboys are also dealing with a quarterback whose contract is expiring. Dak Prescott is in the final year of a four-year, $140 million contract.
49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk
February 7, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) during a press conference prior to Super Bowl LVIII at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Deebo Samuel was once the Niners’ biggest disgruntled man.
This summer, Aiyuk publicly floated his contract situation while making eyes at Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, his former college teammate, suggesting he would like a trade to Washington. An extension and a trade appear to be the only two possible outcomes, and Aiyuk will clearly not be a passive participant in the negotiations.
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) smiles after completing a deep pass in the first quarter of the Week 15 NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings at PayCor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK Chase’s teammate Tee Higgins will no longer be a threat to the resistance now that he signed his franchise offerHe will either get a long-term contract before the July 15 deadline or play for the national team.
But the Bengals’ management must move toward an even bigger deal, for an even bigger priority: their true star, whose price tag increased when Jefferson was paid. Chase could be a candidate to keep.
Jets EDGE Haason Reddick
April 4, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Jets linebacker Haason Reddick sits on the sideline during the fourth quarter between the New York Knicks and the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports If the Cowboys are the easiest team to ridicule, second on that list is the Jets, whose latest misstep was trading for Reddick seemingly without a plan to give him the long-term contract he wanted from Philadelphia. It wasn’t a brilliant moment for coach Robert Saleh when he admitted last month that he had not even spoken to the double-digit construction managerwho has not yet reported to the team.
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill leaves the field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. source: Getty Images Hill’s four-year, $120 million contract in 2022 made him the highest-paid receiver at the time. In fact, he has the biggest salary cap hit of anyone at the position. This year! But once again, that pesky market has reset, and Hill is openly seeking a new contract with Miami.
Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper
December 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Yet another proven player who didn’t participate in mandatory minicamp. Cooper, the first player in Cleveland history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, is entering the final year of his contract. He watched the Browns immediately extend Jerry Jeudy when they acquired him, although he was younger than Cooper, who was 30 years old.
Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton
November 19, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) catches a touchdown from Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (5) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Sutton’s accomplishments so far pale in comparison to players like Hill, Chase and Lamb.
Still, he’s the No. 1 receiver on a bad Denver team; he caught 10 touchdowns last year and knows he deserves more money. After participating in mandatory minicamp, he only said, “We’ll see” when asked if he’d hold up in training camp.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa at the Pro Bowl Games. source: Getty Images A refractory quarterback? In this economic climate?
People like NFL analyst Ryan Clark has advocated Tagovailoa stays off the practice field until he gets paid. The going rate for young franchise quarterbacks (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and, somewhat more controversially, Trevor Lawrence) is $55 million per year, and Tagovailoa has publicly stated that “the market is the market.” Hmm.
