The bulk of free agency is behind us, but many of 2015’s biggest contracts could still be on the way. There are a number of players who have one or two years left on their contracts whose teams will want to lock them up before they’re eligible for free agency, and many of them will sign extensions over the next few weeks and months. New deals for players like Ryan Tannehill, Cam Newton, and Cameron Jordan, have already helped kick off 2015’s prime contract extension period.
At Pro Football Rumors, we’ll look to cast a spotlight on several of the players who could re-up with their teams in the coming months, writing pieces that focus on many of the more notable extension candidates out there. These players won’t necessarily ink new deals before the regular season gets underway, or even before they hit free agency, but their clubs will probably want to at least discuss the idea, and we’ll examine what sort of contracts they might be in line for.
Our Extension Candidate series is already underway, and we’ll be adding many more installments to it in the near future. You can find this index at any time on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features” to follow the latest. Here’s the list so far:
- Sam Bradford, QB (Eagles)
- Marcell Dareus, DT (Bills): Extended
- Nick Foles, QB (Rams): Extended
- Cordy Glenn, T (Bills)
- Malik Jackson, DL (Broncos)
- Julio Jones, WR (Falcons): Extended
- Ryan Kerrigan, OLB (Washington): Extended
- Josh Norman, CB (Panthers)
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DL (Jets)
- Kelechi Osemele/Marshal Yanda, G (Ravens): Yanda extended
- Bobby Wagner, LB (Seahawks): Extended
- Blair Walsh, K (Vikings): Extended
- Andrew Whitworth, T (Bengals): Extended
You guys are missing key Patriots who are in dire need of extensions… Chandler Jones, Donta Hightower and Jamie Collins, who should be at the top of the Pats priority list this offseason
Yeah, most of these pieces were written last spring and summer, which is why the focus is almost exclusively on guys who will be (or would have been) free agents in 2016. When we start writing about this year’s extension candidates (probably after the free agent rush), those Patriots players will be among the top candidates, if they haven’t already signed new deals by then.