The NFL wide receiver market has been one of the wildest aspects of the league offseason, and it now appears to be having a trickle-down effect on some of the league’s rising stars at the position.
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown and Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin are all eyeing new contracts in advance of the new NFL season, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter notes that in the cases of Samuel and Brown, neither player is expected to participate in their respective on-field offseason workout programs. Tennessee’s program begins on Monday and San Francisco’s on Tuesday.
Washington begins its program in a couple of weeks, but McLaurin is expected to report while seeking a new deal, per Schefter.
The trio of 2019 draft picks each received four-year rookie deals after entering the league. With each entering the final year of their initial NFL contract, they will be seeking new compensation after a wild offseason in the league’s wide receiver market.
New Raiders receiver Davante Adams and new Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill reset the market earlier this offseason after being traded to their new teams and earning lucrative contract extensions.
Adams signed a five-year, $141.25 million contract that included $67.5 million guaranteed from Las Vegas after his trade from Green Bay in March. Hill received a four-year extension from the Dolphins that pays him $120 million and $72.2 million guaranteed.
As Samuel, Brown and McLaurin continue to grow into their roles in the NFL and emerge as key receivers for their respective franchises, each expects to be paid like the star receivers they are becoming. For the 49ers, Titans and Commanders, this means ponying up for their top targets or seeking a trade to cut bait and move on without them.
This has been one of the wildest offseasons in recent memory, and it sounds like the madness will continue in advance of training camp later this summer.
