The price for wide receivers and cornerbacks is going up.
The Arizona Cardinals have one expensive contract extension coming this offseason with tight end Trey McBride. But that isn’t the only large extension on the horizon for the Cardinals and their young players.
They could be looking at cornerback Garrett Williams next offseason and then receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be eligible for a contract extension after 2026.
Those contracts could get very expensive.
With the news that Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase got a four-year, $161 million extension, there are now seven receivers with contracts averaging at least $30 million per year — Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brownm Brandon Aiyuk and Tyreek Hill.
Harrison is not at that level yet, but if he puts together a pair of 1,000-yard seasons in 2025 and 2026, that is the sort of contract the Cardinals could be looking at.
As for cornerbacks, the Houston Texans just gave Derek Stingley a deal averaging $30 million.
Williams is not at the same level of notoriety and Stingley or some of the other great young corners, but he is on the verge of greatness.
He will be eligible for an extension next offseason.
This is a good problem to have. It means they have good, young players. Of course, it does lead to tough decisions down the road.
That isn’t something to be too worried about now, but fans should know that those extensions will be costly when they are up.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
