Which NFL stars will cash in next? 13 candidates for massive contract extensions
Which NFL stars will cash in next? 13 candidates for massive contract extensions
Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYWed, March 18, 2026 at 7:47 PM UTC
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The most expensive part of 2026 NFL free agency is now in the books, and the league's 32 teams doled out nearly $4 billion in total contract obligations in an effort to improve their rosters, per OverTheCap.com.
Even so, there figures to be plenty more money to spend before the 2026 NFL season begins in September. Some of that will be allotted to the numerous quality players that were overlooked in the first wave of NFL free agency.
But more of it will go toward lucrative, long-term extensions for star players seeking new contracts.
1 / 02026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades
OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)
First-round picks from the 2023 NFL Draft will become extension-eligible during the 2026 offseason. That will position players like C.J. Stroud, Bijan Robinson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, among others, to cash in on big-money contracts.
Meanwhile, several other players are set to play on various, one-year tenders for the 2026 NFL season, making them prime candidates to receive longer-term deals.
Who could end up being some of the next NFL players to sign market-setting deals? Here's a look at the most notable extension candidates for the 2026 offseason.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua has blossomed into one of the NFL's most productive receivers since being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Last season, the 24-year-old posted an NFL-best 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns while serving as NFL MVP Matthew Stafford's most reliable target.
Nacua is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2026, and the Rams may be eager to lock in the 2025 All-Pro first-teamer long-term during the offseason. The BYU product will likely command a top-dollar deal and could potentially eclipse the current record $40.25 million in average annual value (AAV) Ja'Marr Chase received on his 2025 extension with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Nacua isn't the only All-Pro receiver who is extension-eligible this offseason. Smith-Njigba will be as well, fresh off a season that saw him emerge as Seattle's No. 1 receiver in the post-DK Metcalf era and log a league-best 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 119 receptions.
Smith-Njigba turned 24 less than a week after Seattle's Super Bowl 60 win and, like Nacua, should command a lucrative extension. It will be interesting to see which of the duo signs first and whether that impacts which will end up being the higher.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
London has been in the NFL a year longer than Nacua and Smith-Njigba, but he is the same age as his counterparts. The 24-year-old hasn't yet gotten a long-term extension from the Falcons but will be due one after averaging a career-best 13.5 yards per reception and 76.6 receiving yards per game in Atlanta last season.
London will play on his fifth-year option in 2026, so the Falcons may have some urgency to lock him in beyond that before the season begins.
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Pickens represents another young receiver who could soon be in for a hefty payday. The Cowboys slapped him with the franchise tag after he posted a career-best 93 catches, 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns during his first season in Dallas, but the two parties could continue to work on a lucrative, long-term deal.
Pickens may not command the same type of contract as Nacua or Smith-Njigba, but USA TODAY Sports still projects him to become one of the 10 highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
Brandon Aubrey, K, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys will also have to give Aubrey a lucrative extension. The 30-year-old figures to become the NFL's highest-paid kicker after making a whopping 35 of 44 kicks (79.5%) from 50-plus yards and six field goals of more than 60 yards over the first three seasons of his career.
The question is less about whether Aubrey will reset the kicker market and more about by how much. Ka'imi Fairbairn currently makes the most among kickers in AAV ($6.5 million) but Aubrey reportedly wants closer to $10 million.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Officially, Stroud is extension-eligible during the 2026 NFL offseason. But will the Texans move to secure the 24-year-old quarterback to a long-term deal? Stroud's struggles during the 2025 NFL playoffs – where he completed just 51.9% of his passes for 462 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions while fumbling five times – could give Houston pause as it mulls a decision.
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The Texans can still have Stroud under team control for two more seasons if they exercise his fifth-year option for 2027. Doing so and assessing Stroud's ability to bounce back in 2026 after his late-season struggles seems like Houston's more likely path, even if an extension can't categorically be ruled out.
Will Anderson Jr., edge, Houston Texans
Inking Anderson to an extension will likely be Houston's larger priority. The No. 3 overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft was named an All-Pro first teamer in 2025 after generating 85 pressures – good for second-most in the NFL behind only Aidan Hutchinson, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats – and a career-best 12 sacks.
Anderson, 24, has proven to be one of the NFL's best and most consistent pass rushers across his three seasons to date. He was a catalyst for the Texans' top-ranked defense, so the team will likely do everything in its power to lock him in as its long-term franchise cornerstone. Perhaps a deal similar to the four-year, $180 million pact Hutchinson inked with the Lions in 2025 could be enough to make that happen.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots
The Patriots' defense carried them to a surprise Super Bowl appearance in 2025 and finished ninth in defensive EPA per play for the season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats. Gonzalez was a major part of that success, as the Pro Bowl cornerback allowed just a 64.4 passer rating while grading as Pro Football Focus' 14th overall cornerback among 112 qualifiers for the season.
Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf will want to keep Gonzalez around, so expect the 2023 first-round pick – who won't turn 24 until June – to soon become one of the NFL's highest-paid cornerbacks.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson is one of the many high-end running backs who are extension-eligible for the first time during the 2026 NFL offseason. The 24-year-old's candidacy comes at an ideal time, as he logged a career-high 2,298 scrimmage yards in 2025 and earned an All-Pro first team nod while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
The Falcons will continue to lean on Robinson – a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft – as their offensive workhorse. They could wait a season to extend the Texas product, knowing he will play on a fifth-year option in 2027, but it could behoove Atlanta to get an extension done now and lock in his unique, dual-threat ability as the team continues its search for a franchise quarterback.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Like Robinson, Gibbs was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has blossomed into a quality running back. He has generated 49 total touchdowns during his career and has averaged 1,884 scrimmage yards over the last two seasons despite splitting time at the running back position with David Montgomery.
Gibbs' explosiveness has been key to Detroit's offensive success, and his importance has only increased after the team traded Montgomery to the Texans during the offseason. That could lead the Lions to pursue a long-term extension with Gibbs more aggressively, despite him being under contract through the 2027 season.
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have ripped apart their offensive foundation during the 2026 NFL offseason, parting with Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill while trying to reshape their organization under new coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Could Achane be next? The latest rumors suggest the Dolphins would like to keep the Texas A&M product, which could lead them to extend him as he enters a contract year.
Achane had a career-high 1,350 rushing yards in 2025 and led the Dolphins with 67 receptions. His dual-threat ability and breakaway speed would make him an intriguing partner for Miami's new, hyper-mobile quarterback, Malik Willis.
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Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
The Jets placed the franchise tag on Hall to ensure he would remain with the team for the 2026 NFL season. To keep him beyond that, New York will need to extend the 24-year-old, who is coming off his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season.
Hall has averaged 1,260 scrimmage yards per season with the Jets and will provide key support for whichever young quarterback New York taps to be its eventual successor to Geno Smith.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts is the third key member of the Falcons offense who may need a big-money extension this offseason. The 2021 first-round pick broke out at the end of the 2025 season, posting a career-best 88 catches to go with 928 yards and five touchdowns and developing into a mismatch nightmare.
Atlanta slapped Pitts with the franchise tag to ensure he would stay another season with the team. Now, the Falcons will have to decide whether to extend him or first see if he can replicate his late-season success during Kevin Stefanski's first season with the club.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL contract extension candidates: Which players could cash in next?
Source: “AOL Sports”
