3 Packers Make PFF’s List for Top Contracts in NFL
By Paul Bretl
In today’s salary cap league, NFL teams simply can’t go out and pay top-dollar for all of the best available players—that’s just not feasible. So when it comes to the Green Bay Packers — or any team for that matter — when it comes to team building and success, it’s vital that a few key players play above their contract values.
In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of PFF ($$), he set out on the daunting task of trying to identify the top-32 contracts in the NFL right now. And of the 32 players listed, three of them are current Packers.
As Brad notes, there are a number of factors one can look at when trying to find the most valuable contracts. But in this case, he looked at two key factors: the value provided by the player since signing their current deal and the value at signing compared to expectations from past performance.
Now, let’s take a look at which Green Bay Packers made it and why.
4. Davante Adams
Contract: 4 years – $58 million
Davante Adams being high on this list should have been a no-brainer, and Brad mentions that the only reason he isn’t No. 1 is because this is the final year of his contract.
Adams has become one of, if not the best wide receiver in football and is coming off a career year where he led the NFL in touchdowns with 18, he led the league in yards per game with 98.1, and finished with 1,374 receiving yards while missing two games.
With an average annual value (AAV) of $14.5 million per year, Adams is the 18th highest-paid receiver in football—an absolute steal of a contract for the Green Bay Packers. Although, that could all change very quickly if Adams is given a contract extension before the season begins. But as of now, this is one of the best contracts, in terms of value for the team, that’s out there.
8. Adrian Amos
Contract: 4 years – $36 million
Perhaps it’s because Adrian Amos doesn’t make a ton of flashy plays or post gaudy interception totals, but he is certainly one of the more underrated players in the game—which is why he is ranked so high on this list.
By AAV, Amos’ $9 million per year makes him the 16th highest-paid safety in football, according to Over the Cap, but by PFF’s grading system, he was the second-best safety during the 2020 season.
Amos can play down in the box, line up in the slot, or as a free safety. He’s a willing tackler in the run game and posted three interceptions, seven pass breakups, and allowed a passer rating of just 79.0 when targeted in coverage.
It doesn’t get talked about much — or at all — but Amos is someone who is a contract extension candidate as he enters the final year of his current deal.
12. Aaron Rodgers
Contract: 4 years – $134 million
By average annual value, Rodgers is the sixth highest-paid quarterback entering the 2021 season and is coming off an MVP year—that alone makes this a very valuable contract for the Packers.
But as Brad points out, the fact that there is $0 in guarantees remaining on the deal adds another level when it comes to team value. Green Bay has the reigning MVP on their team but can get out of the contract at any time and save significant cap dollars in the process.
I also imagine that this is a big reason behind Rodgers’ frustrations with the team. He knows that they can move on from him at any point and that lack of commitment and control over his own future is certainly a factor in all of this.
For the time being, we will continue playing the waiting game with Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, but as it’s currently constructed, this is a very team-friendly contract.