The Price is RightThe Price is Right
Football

The Price is Right

McCaffrey Makes History
Christian McCaffrey earned a four-year, $64-million extension from Carolina, which includes $38.2 million in total guaranteed money and makes him the highest-paid tailback in the NFL. A two-time first-team All-American at Stanford who was picked eighth overall by the Panthers in 2017, McCaffrey holds the single-season (3,864) and single-game (461) program records for all-purpose yards while his 6,987 career all-purpose yards, in just three seasons, rank second to only Darrin Nelson's 7,120 in program history.

McCaffrey joined Hall of Famers Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk as the only players in history with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season to go with a league-leading 19 touchdowns in 2019. His 2,392 yards from scrimmage were the third-most in history behind Chris Johnson (2,509) and Faulk (2,429), while his 116 receptions broke his own NFL record for a running back and helped earn him two first-team All-Pro berths at running back and flex.

Needless to say, there is no other offensive weapon in the league like McCaffrey, the only player in NFL history to register 2,500 rushing yards and 2,500 receiving yards over his first three seasons. His $16 million average annual salary is the highest in the NFL while his $38.2 million in practical guarantees ranks second at the position to Ezekiel Elliot ($50.1 million).  


Peat's Payday
New Orleans made Andrus Peat one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL, dishing out a five-year, $57.5 million deal, which includes $33.9 million in guarantees. The 2014 Morris Trophy winner as a member of the Cardinal was picked 13th overall in the 2015 draft by the Saints.

Originally drafted as a tackle, Peat transitioned to left guard early in his career, which includes two Pro Bowl appearances (2018-19) and 60 starts across 65 total appearances in five seasons. Peat's contract is the fourth-biggest among 2020 free agents and includes the third-most guaranteed money, behind only the deals signed by Byron Jones ($54.4 million) and Tom Brady ($50 million).

The contract is also the third-highest in total money with the second-most guaranteed money among active guard contracts. Peat and  former Cardinal David DeCastro (five years, $50 million) account for two of the eight biggest active contracts among guards – Notre Dame is the only other program with two active contracts in the top 25 (Zack Martin, Quenton Nelson).

Hooper's Haul
Austin Hooper parlayed back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances into a mammoth four-year, $42 million contract with Cleveland, which includes $23 million guaranteed. The tight end earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2015 and was selected 81st overall in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Atlanta.

The tight end collected 2,244 yards and 16 touchdowns on 214 catches over four seasons in Atlanta, catching a touchdown in Super Bowl LI as the Falcons came up just short of the Lombardi Trophy. Hooper caught 146 passes over his last two seasons, 41 of which resulted in a first down in 2019 alone. Last season, he ranked fifth among tight ends in receptions (75), sixth in receiving yards (787) and tied for fourth in touchdowns (6) in 13 games.

Hooper's $10.5 million yearly average is second only to that of Hunter Henry ($10.6 million), who is currently under the Los Angeles Chargers' franchise tag. The contracts of Hooper and former Cardinal Zach Ertz ($21 million) are the two highest in total guaranteed money among active tight ends. Those deals also rank top-four in total money at the position. The Big Apple Farm
Three former Cardinal signed free-agent deals with the New York Giants – linebacker Blake Martinez, tight end Levine Toilolo and offensive tackle Cameron Fleming.

Martinez inked a three-year, $30.75 million contract with the New York Giants, including $19 million guaranteed. Selected 131st overall in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Martinez led Stanford with 141 tackles as a senior in 2015, earning All-America status while the Cardinal finished No. 3 in the AP poll, its highest final ranking in 75 years.

Martinez finished second in the league with 155 tackles in 2019, giving him an NFL-high 441 tackles since 2017. Since his rookie season (2016), Martinez's 522 tackles rank second only to five-time All-Pro Bobby Wagner. He also registered 10.0 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 17 passes defensed, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, making 57 starts and missing only three games in four seasons with Green Bay. Toilolo, picked 133rd overall in the fourth round by Atlanta in 2013, signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal which includes $3.23 million in guaranteed money. In 108 regular-season games over seven seasons, Toilolo has 97 receptions for 996 yards and eight touchdowns, twice appearing in the Super Bowl with Atlanta (LI) and last season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers (LIV).

The 140th overall selection in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by New England, Fleming also brings a plethora of Super Bowl experience to the Meadowlands. Fleming appeared in three Super Bowls over four seasons with the Patriots, winning a pair of rings before spending the last two terms in Dallas. He has made 26 starts in 75 regular-season games along with 11 postseason appearances.

Headed Home
Safety Michael Thomas inked a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the Houston Texans following two successful seasons with the New York Giants. An undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2012, Thomas established himself as one of the NFL's premier special teamers over five seasons in Miami prior to his stint in New York. The Houston native was a 2018 Pro Bowl selection who served as special teams captain for the Giants during the last two seasons, totaling 297 combined tackles in 88 career games – Thomas has missed just three regular-season games since the start of the 2015 season.

A Change of Scenery
Joshua Garnett signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Detroit less than 24 hours after his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, lost in Super Bowl LIV. In 2015, the offensive guard was a unanimous All-American en route to garnering both the Morris Trophy and the Outland Trophy, the latter of which is annually awarded to college football's best interior lineman. Garnett started 11 games in 22 total appearances in San Francisco before being released in August of 2019.

Richards Returns

Jordan Richards re-signed with Baltimore on a one-year, $935,000 contract after appearing in 12 games as a member of the Ravens in 2019. Richards was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior and was picked 64th overall in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft by New England, with whom he won Super Bowl LI. He totaled seven tackles and one special teams touchdown in 2019 and has 95 combined tackles across 68 appearances in six seasons.

Back in the Big Easy
Johnson Bademosi re-signed with New Orleans, where he featured in six games before being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 16, 2019. An undrafted free agent in 2012 with the Cleveland Browns, the first of six teams he has played for. In eight seasons, Bademosi has amassed 141 tackles, one interception, two fumble recoveries and nine pass breakups in 120 games as a core special teamer.


*All contract details according to www.Spotrac.com