In the NFL, one lucrative contract extension tends to lead to another. As one veteran adjusts the market, after all, the rest of the league gets a fresh template for negotiating deals of their own. Patrick Surtain II became the latest notable name to cash in on Wednesday, landing a $96 million deal with the Denver Broncos. So who could follow his lead and strike a mega extension in the coming weeks?
Here are three candidates:
The Chargers just spent a first-round pick on offensive tackle Joe Alt, but Slater has been Justin Herbert's top blind-side blocker for three years. An injury wiped out almost his entire 2022 season, but he was an All-Pro as a rookie and a 17-game mainstay in 2023. A fifth-year option currently has him tied to Los Angeles through 2025, but the Bolts don't figure to shy away from the trenches under Jim Harbaugh's watch.
The two-time Pro Bowler is due top-shelf money in each of the next two seasons, but it's not unusual for teams with truly elite wideouts to get well ahead of the curve (see: the Philadelphia Eagles with A.J. Brown). It helps that Metcalf is still just 26, and has been durable for much of his career. Seattle obviously has to figure out quarterback, too, but securing Metcalf for the longer haul shouldn't be too prohibitive.
The former sixth-round pick isn't necessarily on the national radar, but Vikings fans know this man as the Swiss Army knife of Minnesota's defense. Forever shifting between roles on the back end, be it safety or nickel corner or even linebacker, Metellus was always around the ball (116 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, five pass breakups) for Brian Flores in 2023, and Harrison Smith won't be around forever.
