Agent's Take: Why early extensions for NFL first-round picks are becoming the new normal
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- Ten NFL first-round picks received contract extensions after three seasons in 2026 — a record — and the number could rise to 11 if Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots finalize their negotiations.
- Seven of the 10 became the highest-paid player at their position, including Will Anderson Jr. ($50M/year, the NFL's first non-quarterback to reach that mark), Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($168M over four years, topping the WR market), Devon Witherspoon ($33M/year, new cornerback standard), and Jalen Carter ($152M/4yr, new interior defensive lineman record).
- Bijan Robinson set a new running back salary bar with a $66.75M, three-year extension from the Atlanta Falcons, only to be topped days later when Jahmyr Gibbs signed a $67.5M, three-year extension with the Detroit Lions — $250,000 more per year.
- The 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement changed fifth-year options to be fully guaranteed upon exercise rather than injury-only, a shift the source identifies as a likely accelerant for the early-extension trend.
- Quarterbacks account for 9 of the 53 early extensions across 13 draft classes, though none of the 10 deals in 2026 are quarterbacks; offensive players have received 35 early extensions to 18 for defensive players.
- The Detroit Lions lead the league with five early extensions over the past three years (Jared Goff-excluded deals to Campbell, Gibbs, Aidan Hutchinson, Penei Sewell, and Jameson Williams).
- The 2024 quarterback class — Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Caleb Williams — becomes extension-eligible in 2027, and the source says at least one should reset the NFL's quarterback pay scale.
Why it matters: Teams are now choosing to lock up proven first-round talent before their fourth season rather than absorb fully guaranteed fifth-year option salaries under the post-2020 CBA. That dynamic is reshaping the non-quarterback market — Will Anderson's $50M/year and Smith's $168M extension set price tags that ripple across every positional negotiation — and the 2027 wave of 2024 QB deals will likely reset the top of the pay scale.
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