Agent’s Take: 2024 Contract Awards, starring Saquon Barkley and NFL’s other best and worst signings

The NFL’s financial landscape is being assessed through awards for the 12th straight year on CBSSports.com now that the Super Bowl LIX matchup is set. These awards differ from the traditional NFL honors because they are from an economic perspective emphasizing 2024 veteran acquisitions. 

Players acquired by trades or in free agency can have a tremendous impact on an NFL team’s fortunes. Rookies weren’t given any consideration because their salaries are a function of draft position and the rookie wage scale. The same applies to players who signed restricted free agent tenders since the amounts are set by the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. A runner-up is named when warranted.

Most Valuable Acquisition

The Eagles gave Barkley the type of long-term deal he had been seeking from the New York Giants before playing the 2023 season under a $10.091 million franchise tag. Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract, averaging $12,583,333 per year. The deal is worth as much as $46.75 million through incentives and salary escalators. There are $26 million in guarantees, of which $24.5 million was fully guaranteed at signing.

Barkley has been worth every penny and then some. He led the NFL with 2,005 yards rushing on 345 carries. His 5.8 yards per carry were fourth in the league. Barkley added 278 yards on 33 receptions to lead the NFL with 2,283 yards from scrimmage (combined rushing and receiving yards). His 15 total touchdowns (13 rushing and two receiving) were tied for seventh in the league.

Barkley earned his third Pro Bowl berth and was named a First Team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He is a finalist for both NFL MVP and NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Barkley has been even more spectacular in the postseason. His 442 yards rushing on 67 carries with five touchdowns are the driving offensive force in the Eagles advancing from the NFC to Super Bowl LIX. Barkley’s 147.3 yards rushing per game and 6.7 yards per carry are better than his regular-season marks of 125.3 yards rushing for per game and 5.8 yards per carry.

Runner-up: QB Sam Darnold, Vikings

Least Valuable Acquisition

The Falcons signed Cousins to four-year, $180 million contract, averaging $45 million per year with $100 million in guarantees where $90 million was fully guaranteed at signing, in March. The expectation was Cousins would lead the Falcons to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Because the Cousins signing suggested the Falcons were in win-now mode, it was a surprise that the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was used to take quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

The Falcons appeared to be in control of the NFC South with a 6-3 record and essentially a three-game lead over the 4-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers nine weeks into the season because of a sweep of two games played between them. Things changed with a horrible five-game stretch by Cousins in which the Falcons only won one game to drop behind the Buccaneers with a 7-7 record. Cousins was benched for Penix after completing 62.7% of his passes (99 of 158 pass attempts) for 1,180 yards with only one touchdown and nine interceptions to post a 63.8 passer rating in those five games. He tied for the league lead with 16 interceptions despite Penix replacing him for the final three games.

Although Falcons head coach Raheem Morris claims he is comfortable with Cousins as Penix’s backup next season, conventional wisdom suggests that Cousins will be released with a post-June 1 designation before his injury guaranteed $10 million fifth day of the 2026 league year roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed March 16 on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. Cousins’ contract contains a no-trade clause that he may not be willing to waive because the Falcons weren’t forthcoming about potentially selecting a quarterback in the first round. His play that led to the benching likely diminished his trade value anyway. 

The Falcons will be on the hook for the $27.5 million Cousins is making in 2025 if he is released because this money is already fully guaranteed. There will be $65 million of dead money, a salary cap charge for a player no longer on a team’s roster, consisting of the $37.5 million in signing bonus proration from Cousins’ 2025 through 2027 contract years and his fully guaranteed $27.5 million 2025 base salary. The $65 million would be taken over two years with use of a post-June 1 designation where the Falcons would have a $40 million cap charge relating to Cousins in 2025 and a $25 million cap hit in 2026. The Falcons will have paid Cousins $90 million for just one season by releasing him in March.

Runners-up: Edge Bryce Huff, Eagles; Edge Haason Reddick, Jets

Offensive Signing of the Year

Barkley has had a historic debut season for the Eagles. He became the ninth player in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. If the Eagles hadn’t rested Barkley in the regular-season finale against the New York Giants, he would have had a legitimate chance at breaking Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old, single-season record of 2,105 yards rushing.

Barkley is on the verge of setting an NFL record for the most rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs. He needs 30 yards rushing in Super Bowl LIX to surpass Hall of Famer Terrell Davis’ 2,476 yards with the Denver Broncos during the 1998 season.

Barkley is threat to score any time he touches the football. He is the only player in NFL history with more than four touchdown runs of at least 60 yards in a season (regular season and playoffs). Barkley has three such runs in the playoffs, which are a postseason record, to go with four in the regular season to give him a total of seven.

Runners-up: QB Sam Darnold, Vikings; RB Derrick Henry, Ravens

Defensive Signing of the Year

Baun signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal worth a maximum of $4.5 million through incentives in free agency after spending the first four years of his NFL career as a reserve edge rushing outside linebacker and special teams standout on the New Orleans Saints. His transition to inside linebacker went better than anyone could have possibly imagined. In addition to tying for sixth in the NFL with 151 tackles, he excelled in coverage. Baun’s five forced fumbles were the NFL’s second most. He is the only player to ever have at least 150 tackles and five or more forced fumbles in an NFL season.

Baun was named to the Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors both for the first time his career because of his efforts. He is also a finalist for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Runner-up: S Xavier McKinney, Packers

Biggest Steal

The Steelers got a veteran starting quarterback for as cheap as possible after the Broncos released Wilson last March. Wilson was willing to take a one-year deal for only his league-minimum $1.21 million salary because his $39 million 2024 base salary in the five-year, $245 million contract extension he received from the Broncos during the 2022 preseason was fully guaranteed at signing.

Wilson, who missed the first six contests of the regular season with a calf injury, connected on 63.7% of his passes (214 of 336 pass attempts) for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions to post a 95.6 passer rating in 11 games. Steelers owner Art Rooney II has indicated that he is open to Wilson returning as starting quarterback in 2025 and possibly beyond under the right circumstances.

Best Use of a Contract Year

Darnold took advantage of 2024’s 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy being lost for the year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. The plan was for there to be a transition to McCarthy from Darnold, who signed to a one-year, $10 million deal to be a bridge quarterback, at some point this season. 

Darnold’s surprising career year unexpectedly had the Vikings playing for the NFC North title with the conference’s No. 1 seed and a wild-card bye on the line in Week 18’s regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. He connected on 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to post a 102.5 passer rating. Darnold ranked fifth in the NFL in both passing yards and touchdown passes in addition to having the league’s sixth-best passer rating. He also secured his first Pro Bowl berth.

Darnold changed his career trajectory after failed attempts starting at quarterback with the New York Jets as 2018’s third overall pick and the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Unfortunately, Darnold played his worst football of the season when the stakes were highest. He was awful in the Week 18 31-9 loss to the Lions and the season-ending 27-9 wild-card playoff game loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold’s completion percentage dropped to 53.1% while throwing for 411 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 66.4 passer rating. He took 11 sacks in the two games, including a playoff-record-tying nine sacks versus the Rams.

Nonetheless, the team-friendly three-year, $100 million contract, averaging $33,333,333 per year worth a maximum of $115 million through incentives, Baker Mayfield signed last March to remain with the Buccaneers should be Darnold’s reasonable worst-case scenario whether with the Vikings or someone else. Darnold surely has his sights set higher than Mayfield’s deal. The average salary for starting quarterbacks in 2024, excluding those on rookie contracts, was $40,887,398 per year, according to NFLPA data. Overall, Darnold was much better than average this season.

A franchise tag is still a possibility despite Darnold ending the season on a sour note. The non-exclusive quarterback franchise tag projects to 14.413% of the 2025 salary cap. This percentage is down from 14.997% of the 2024 salary cap. Teams reportedly have been planning for a 2025 salary cap in the $265 million to $275 million range on internal projections. The quarterback tag number should be $39.637 million with a $275 million 2025 salary cap. 

The Vikings will able to accommodate a Darnold franchise tag. Depending upon where the 2025 salary cap is set, the Vikings could have upward to $60 million of cap room before factoring a decision on him into the equation. There’s a chance that the Vikings wouldn’t get a 2026 compensatory draft pick by letting Darnold walk in free agency. It would depend on how aggressive the Vikings are in signing free agents. 

Because of this, using a franchise tag to trade Darnold isn’t out of the question either. The last time it happened with a quarterback was Matt Cassel in 2009. The New England Patriots traded Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2009 second-round pick (34th overall). 

Runner-up: LB Zack Baun, Eagles

Worst Use of a Contract Year

Johnson bounced around during the 2024 season. The Steelers traded Johnson and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round pick last March after a drama-filled 2023 season. Johnson, who voiced his frustration with being on an uncompetitive one-win Panthers team, was dealt along with a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Ravens for a 2025 fifth-round pick eight games into the season. He was Carolina’s leading pass catcher at the time with 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns in the seven games he played with the Panthers. 

Johnson had a shorter stint in Baltimore. He was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team after refusing to play in a Week 13 game against the Eagles. The Ravens excused him from team activities in Week 15 (following the bye week) before releasing him several days later. Johnson had one catch for 6 yards in four games with the Ravens. The Houston Texans claimed Johnson off waivers after wide receiver Tank Dell’s Week 16 season-ending knee injury. Johnson quickly wore out his welcome in Houston. Reportedly causing a scene after receiving limited playing time in the Texans’ wild-card playoff game win over the Los Angeles Chargers prompted Johnson’s release. Although Johnson has an expiring contract, the Ravens claimed him off waivers since he will factor into the 2026 compensatory draft pick formula as a departing free agent.

Had Johnson handled the season in a more professional manner, he may have been in line for a deal in the same neighborhood as his expiring two-year, $36.71 million contract extension, averaging $18.355 million per year. Instead, Johnson’s baggage makes him a buyer-beware proposition in free agency where he is likely looking at a one-year “prove- it” deal in the best situation he can find. The top wide receiver one-year deal in 2024 free agency was the $10 million with an additional $5 million in incentives Mike Williams received from the New York Jets. Next was the $7 million worth up to $11 million through incentives the Kansas City Chiefs gave Marquise Brown. 

Best Contract Extension (for a team)

The Browns acquired Jeudy from the Broncos last March for 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks. A three-year, $52.5 million extension, averaging $17.5 million per year with $28.013 million fully guaranteed was quickly signed after the trade. Incentives make the deal worth as much as $57.75 million.

Amari Cooper’s trade to the Buffalo Bills in the middle of October opened the door for Jeudy to become Cleveland’s clear-cut primary receiving option. Jeudy was up to the task. He had a career year with 90 receptions for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. Jeudy would have been a prime candidate to be designated as a franchise player if he had played the 2024 season under his $12.987 million fifth-year option rather than signing the new deal. The non-exclusive wide receiver franchise tag projects to 8.581% of the 2025 salary cap. The number should be $23.599 million with a $275 million 2025 salary cap. 

As a No. 1 wide receiver, Jeudy likely would have been looking to eclipse the NFL’s best No. 2 wide receiver deal. That belongs to Jaylen Waddle, who signed a three-year, $84.75 million extension, averaging $28.25 million per year, at the end of last May. Waddle’s deal has $76 million in guarantees where $35,978,546 was fully guaranteed at signing.

Worst Contract Extension (for a team)

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dragged his feet on a Dak Prescott extension. Prescott’s four-year, $240 million extension, averaging $60 million per year, to make him the NFL’s highest-paid player wasn’t done until hours before Dallas’ regular-season opener. The deal has an NFL-record $231 million in guarantees where $129 million was fully guaranteed at signing. The $129 million includes a $78,453,333 signing bonus, which is the largest ever.

The Cowboys picked up $10,516,667 of 2024 salary cap room with the Prescott deal that could have come in handy with a more timely extension. Instead, the Cowboys sat on the sidelines during the first wave of free agency when the major signings of players on the open market occurred. 

Given the actual timing of the deal, Jones would have been better served having Prescott play out his contract with a $51,141,467 2024 cap number to preserve his options. Outside of winning Super Bowl LIX, Prescott’s contract leverage wouldn’t have been any greater by waiting. 

Prescott already held all of the cards in the negotiations because of the nature of the four-year, $160 million deal, averaging $40 million per year, he signed in March 2021. The 2021 deal had a no-trade clause and a provision preventing Dallas from designating Prescott as a franchise or transition player in 2025 if he played out his contract. Thanks to four different contract restructures strictly to create cap space since signing the deal, the Cowboys were going to have a $40.46 million 2025 salary cap charge (i.e.; dead money) if Prescott’s contract expired.

Prescott struggled in 2024 before being sidelined for the rest of the season after eight games with a torn right hamstring that required surgery. He completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,978 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions for an 86.0 passer rating. The Cowboys only won three of Prescott’s eight games.

It probably would have been harder for Prescott to command the $60 million-per-year deal he signed from Jones or on the open market with two subpar seasons surrounding a 2023 NFL MVP runner-up campaign. Considering the Cowboys missed the playoffs with a 7-10 record and just hired Brian Schottenheimer, a career assistant, as head coach, having $40.46 million in 2025 dead money could have become a more viable alternative.

Prescott has 2025’s largest salary cap number at $89,896,666. The expectation is up to $37.196 million of 2025 cap room will be created by converting as much as $46.495 million of Prescott’s $47.75 million 2025 base salary into signing bonus. 

Prescott couldn’t be traded even the Cowboys wanted to, which they don’t. Assuming Prescott waived his no-trade clause, Dallas would have $103,226,667 of dead money. That’s $13,330,001 more than his current 2025 cap figure.