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USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Christian D'Andrea

The 20 biggest salary cap hits entering the 2024 NFL offseason, starring Deshaun Watson

The Los Angeles Chargers have plenty of work to do this offseason.

Stealing Jim Harbaugh away from the University of Michigan to succeed the often baffling Brandon Staley at head coach was merely the start of an overhaul. Harbaugh’s first season at the helm will be the backdrop to plenty of roster moves. Though some of these decisions will be aimed at improving a 5-12 team, many others will attempt to untangle a roster that’s currently an estimated $35.5 million over the 2024 NFL salary cap.

How did a five-win team with a relatively inexpensive quarterback wind up here? Former general manager Tom Telesco doled out contracts and made trades that left the Chargers with four of the top 20 largest salary cap hits scheduled for the upcoming season.

Los Angeles isn’t the only team that will have to navigate massive icebergs as it plots a course toward contention. The Kansas City Chiefs owe Patrick Mahomes the third largest cap hit in the league this season — a price they’d happily pay after three Super Bowl parades in western Missouri. The two quarterbacks ahead of him, however, have three total playoff wins between them in 14 combined seasons in the league.

So who is set to soak up the most salary cap space as the 2024 offseason prepares to drop into gear? Here are the 20 most expensive players to wedge onto a roster for the upcoming season.

All contract data comes from Spotrac.

20
QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $31,200,000

19
WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $31,323,750

18
LT Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $31,524,638

17
QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

USA Today Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $31,650,064

16
QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $32,400,000

15
WR Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $32,460,000

14
DT Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $34,166,666

13
WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Jeff Bottari

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $34,717,500

12
QB Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $35,400,000

11
QB Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $35,700,000

10
EDGE Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $36,611,666

9
EDGE Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $38,517,500

8
LT David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers

Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $39,994,925

7
QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

USA Today Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $47,056,281

6
QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $47,105,000

5
QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $49,500,000

4
QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $51,857,000

3
QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $58,608,269

2
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $59,455,000

1
QB Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Scheduled 2024 cap hit: $63,977,000

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