The NFL Award Winners, Financially

Michael Ginnitti
Michael Ginnitti, Managing Editor & NFL/MLB ExpertFebruary 09, 2024
Share
#joe flacco #cameron heyward #lamar jackson #myles garrett #christian mccaffrey
© USA TODAY Sports

The NFL handed out 2023 honors Thursday night, focusing a spotlight on Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, & a few young Texans. Our look at how each major award winner stands going forward, financially speaking.

LEAGUE MVP

Lamar Jackson (QB, Ravens)

Remaining Contract: 4 years, $180M, $128M practically guaranteed

Lamar rolls into 2024 on a tenable $32.4M cap figure, set to earn $32.5M cash for the upcoming season. If the Ravens (who currently project to around -$1M of cap space) feel the need, they can convert Jackson’s $14.25M base salary into signing bonus, freeing up another $10.5M for March. Otherwise, this contract is locked and loaded for 3 more seasons.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Christian McCaffrey (RB, 49ers)

Remaining Contract: 2 years, $24.2M, $0M practically guaranteed

McCaffrey will enter his age-28 season on a $14.14M cap hit, 4th most among active RBs for 2024. There’s a very real world where San Francisco offers to rip up the final two years and start fresh with a CMC contract, but for simplified purposes, a base salary conversion can free up $8.4M of cap space for March. The Niners basically stand at cap-zero right now.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Myles Garrett (DE, Browns)

Remaining Contract: 3 years, $65M, $20M practically guaranteed

Garrett enters Year 5 of a 7 year contract in Cleveland, set to earn just north of $20M cash for 2024 against a $20.1M cap hit. All $20M becomes fully guaranteed on March 15th. Expect the Browns to keep this contract as is for the upcoming season, with a multi-year restructured extension almost certain to come in March of 2025.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

C.J. Stroud (QB, Texans)

Remaining Contract: 3 years, $12.1M + 2027 option, $12.1M fully guaranteed

Stroud quieted plenty of doubters early, and maintained an historic level of success for a Year 1 QB, leading Houston to a division title & Wild Card win in his first NFL season. His contract can’t be touched until after the 2025 campaign, so the Texans have a few years to bolster a roster around him. They head toward March with $65M of projected cap space, & two 1st round picks in the upcoming draft.

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Will Anderson (DE, Texans)

Remaining Contract: 3 years, $11.8M + 2027 option, $11.8M fully guaranteed

Houston is just showing off at this point. The Texans already have three absolute home runs from their 2023 draft in Stroud (#2), Anderson (#3), & Tank Dell (#69). The DROY amassed 7 sacks and 45 tackles in just under 60% of Houston’s defensive snaps this season. Look for the Texans’ to bookend him with another stud this spring.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Joe Flacco (QB, Browns)

Pending Free Agent

Flacco was signed off of the couch on November 20th, starting 5 regular season games plus the Wild Card matchup in Houston. He posted a decade-best 90.24 rating, while averaging a career-best 323 passing yards per game. Cleveland paid him $1.1M for his efforts, including $400,000 of bonus stemming from his regular season victories. A reunion on a healthy backup contract makes an awful lot of sense here.

WALTER PAYTON AWARD

Cameron Heyward (DL, Saints)

Remaining Contract: 1 year, $16M, $0 practically guaranteed

There are early rumors of retirement stirring in Pittsburgh, as the 35-year-old battled through his lowest production season in over a decade. Heyward holds a $22.4M cap figure for 2024, and the Steelers currently project to carry around -$15M of cap space heading toward March. 

 


#joe flacco #cameron heyward #lamar jackson #myles garrett #christian mccaffrey
Top