The stretch between free agency and training camp has become extension season, with multiple teams re-signing key contributors rather than hunting new players. According to ESPN, recent deals this offseason include extensions for Drake London and Jack Campbell, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Trent McDuffie each became the highest-paid players at their positions when they signed new contracts.
Quarterbacks remain the dominant financial tier. According to ESPN, Patrick Mahomes signed the largest contract in NFL history, becoming the first player to agree to a deal worth more than $500 million and posting a $63.4 million average annual value.
The quarterback market’s influence is clear: ESPN notes the 10 highest-paid players in football are all quarterbacks. The Colts gave Daniel Jones a two-year, $88 million deal that produced a higher average annual salary than all but two non-quarterbacks, while the Cowboys’ agreement with Dak Prescott averaged $60 million per season and included no-tag and no-trade provisions. ESPN also reports Josh Allen’s six-year, $330 million extension effectively restarted his contract from scratch, and Brock Purdy’s extension averaged $53 million per year. C.J. Stroud had not reached agreement with the Texans after a difficult end to the 2025 season, according to ESPN.
ESPN says the analysis uses adjusted average value (AAV) to judge the top of each market. The piece notes that AAV is not perfect — guarantees and contract structure matter — and that cash earned over the first three years can be a more realistic indicator of what a player will take home, even though the largest AAV typically defines the market leader.
With teams balancing guarantees, new-money considerations and timing, ESPN frames the period leading up to training camp as prime time for extensions and market-setting deals across positions.
