The cornerback market already got a jolt this offseason, but it may not stay put for long.
The Los Angeles Rams reset the bar when they signed Trent McDuffie to a four-year, $124 million extension after acquiring him in a trade. That deal pushed the top of the cornerback market to $31 million per year, and there’s a real chance the next wave of contracts blows past it again.
At the center of it all are three members of the 2023 NFL Draft class: the New England Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr., and the Seattle Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon. All three are in extension talks with their teams, and each is reportedly prepared to hold in during training camp if it comes to that.
That setup has created a high-stakes race. The first player to land his new deal will establish the next number.
The second one will push it higher. By the time the third agreement gets done, the last man standing could end up with the richest contract of the bunch.
Each of these corners has made a strong case for a top-of-the-market payday. Porter has grown into the Steelers’ best cornerback in years and has become one of the league’s premier press corners.
Witherspoon has been a versatile defensive weapon for Seattle, the kind of player who can move around and tilt a game plan. Gonzalez, meanwhile, has arguably become the NFL’s best all-around cornerback.
The timing matters just as much as the talent. Training camps are approaching, and with every passing day, the pressure to close these deals only grows.
Teams would prefer to lock up their franchise corners now, before the price climbs even further. The agents, though, know exactly what kind of leverage they have with three elite young players negotiating at once.
This isn’t really about whether the deals get done. It’s about when.
Cornerback is one of the toughest positions to fill in the NFL, and one of the most punishing. These three are asked every season to chase some of the best receivers in football.
Porter regularly lines up against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Witherspoon sees Puka Nacua twice a year.
Until this offseason, Gonzalez was also dealing with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle twice each season.
So the question hanging over the market is simple: which one of these young stars will set the next number, and who will finish with the biggest contract when the dust settles?
In Other News...
Rams Fans Wont Love This New Backup QB Update
Matthew Stafford is still expected to open the season as the Rams starting quarterback, but the teams depth chart behind him has become a little more interesting after an offseason that included moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo and using a first-round pick on Ty Simpson. For a club leaning on a veteran starter, the backup plan is never just a footnote, especially with Stafford entering the season at 38 and the usual durability questions that come with that territory.
Reports now indicate Stetson Bennett is the one sitting in the better position to back up Stafford, with Simpson currently listed behind him. The update is a notable one for a Rams team that just invested premium draft capital in a quarterback, and it leaves at least one obvious question hanging over the depth chart as camp and the preseason sort out how much of the pecking order is already settled. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rams Lineman Just Landed The Kind Of Deal Fans Notice
David Edwards is on the move again, and this time the former Rams and Bills offensive guard is headed to New Orleans on a four-year contract. After seven seasons in the NFL, Edwards gives the Saints a veteran presence with plenty of starting experience, and his arrival is part of a broader effort to shore up the interior of the offensive line.
For Rams fans, the connection is easy to spot: Edwards was once part of the group helping stabilize Los Angeles up front, and now he is being brought in to help anchor the Saints protection unit. New Orleans is counting on him to fit alongside Kelvin Banks Jr. and Erik McCoy, and the size of the deal says plenty about how much the Saints value what he can bring. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Docuseries Just Exposed The Real Stakes Of This Roster Reset
The Rams have turned their offseason into a public study session with Behind the Grind, a documentary series that pulls back the curtain on how Les Snead and the front office are reshaping the roster. The footage gives fans a clearer look at the kind of moves that define this stage of the rebuild, from bringing back familiar veterans to adding new pieces on both sides of the ball.
What makes the series interesting is not just the transactions themselves, but the sense that every decision is being made with a larger reset in mind. Re-signings, trades and draft choices all point to a roster being built with purpose, even as the full scope of what the Rams are trying to accomplish is still unfolding on screen. [Read more 🡒]