New York Jets – Justin Fields, QB, $20m per year
I’m sorry, but it’s 2025, so we can stop with the ‘Justin Fields is going to breakout’ nonsense. He’s now on his third team in as many seasons, a career-losing quarterback, and a below-average passer who holds onto the ball for too long and takes too many sacks. I get that this is essentially a one-year deal for Fields, but $20 million per season for backup-caliber QB play is just nasty.
My guess is that GM Darren Mougey kind of panicked and recognized that the Jets really didn’t have much of a path to find a QB this offseason, so he overpaid for Fields to at least get some small level of competence in the building.
Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Hurts, QB, $51m per year
You might come at me for this, as I have been critical of Jalen Hurts for years, but there is a reason why Howie Roseman is also fielding a top-3 offensive line, elite WR duo, and elite running back; he’s got no other choice, as Jalen Hurts is an extremely limited QB who just so happens to have ‘aura’ which seems to make folks thing he’s a top QB.
He’s not. Hurts has never thrown for 4,000 yards or hit the 25 passing touchdown mark in a season. He, like Justin Fields, holds onto the ball for too long and isn’t always someone you can trust to play on time. The Eagles are lucky that Howie Roseman is such a great GM, as if not, this team wouldn’t have gotten to where they are today.
Pittsburgh Steelers – DK Metcalf, WR, $32.99m per year
While I am higher on DK Metcalf than a lot of people, it just feels like he’s outside that top tier of wide receivers in the NFL. Some have called out Metcalf over the years for getting lazy with his route-running at times. Despite that, he has still been quite productive, but his current contract is paying him $33 million per year, which is a bit rich in the eyes of many.
Aaron Rodgers is going to throw a ton of passes Metcalf’s way, and he’s surely going to have a productive season, but I am not alone in thinking that the contract he got from the Pittsburgh Steelers was a bit rich.
San Francisco 49ers – Bryce Huff, DE, $17.03m per year
Bryce Huff was signed to this deal by Howie Roseman, so it’s not necessarily the fault of the 49ers that he’s their worst contract, but the Niners did make the trade and clearly think they can get some value from him. The former Jets and Eagles pass rusher was a total non-factor in 2024 for the Eagles, but he’s still got youth on his side, so there could be a breakout season on the horizon.
