Cooper Kupp enjoys a $26.7MM AAV and also secured a WR-record $75MM in total guarantees when he signed his extension…
At the conclusion of the previous month, we were informed that Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions’ standout wideout, would start working on an extension at the Scouting Combine. Contract talks are in fact begun, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano (subscription needed).
According to Graziano, St. Brown’s new contract may have an average yearly worth of $26MM to $28MM, placing the former fourth-round pick in the middle of the current wide receiver market. Tyreek Hill, a receiver with the Dolphins, currently has the highest average salary of any wide receiver in the NFL at $30MM. However, this figure is exaggerated because to an outrageous ~$44MM contract that Hill will most likely never get in 2026. With a $28MM AAV, Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is next on the list.
While Cooper Kupp of the Rams signed an agreement with Los Angeles in June 2022, he secured a WR-record $75MM in total guarantees in addition to enjoying a $26.7MM AAV.
Entering his 25th season, St. Brown has a strong case to be the most paid player of his position. Over his first three years in the league, the USC product has upped his output, and in 2023 he scored an incredible 119/1,1515/10 slash line. With those totals, he was named to the First Team All-Pro and received his second Pro Bowl invitation of his young career. He has also been a major contributor to Detroit’s incredibly successful rebuild.
In addition, St. Brown does not have a fifth-year option remaining on his rookie contract as a non-first-round draft choice in 2021, making him eligible for free agency in 2025. If a multiyear agreement cannot be reached between now and then, the Lions have the option to use the franchise tag the following offseason (h/t OverTheCap.com). However, there are other contracts that need to be addressed in addition to St. Brown’s. Moreover, GM Brad Holmes might want to look into contract extensions for OT Penei Sewell and DT Alim McNeill. Quarterback Jared Goff is also approaching the end of his current contract and is ready for a sizable raise of his own.
