The Raiders handed out a ton of money this offseason, paying players like Derek Carr, Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams and Chandler Jones. They even signed Hunter Renfrow to a reasonable contract extension this offseason, as well. But what current contract on their books is among the best in the NFL?
In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about the top 32 veteran contracts in the NFL heading into the 2022 season. Coming in at No. 3 was the contract extension for Darren Waller, which will pay him $14 million over the next two seasons.
Here is a small snippet of Spielberger’s thoughts on that deal and why it’s so team-friendly for the Raiders:
“The top of the position market has failed to grow beyond George Kittle’s $15 million per year average, but a second-tier continues to flourish, with the most recent addition being Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku on a four-year, $54.75 million extension.
Waller has more receiving yards over his past 27 regular-season games than Njoku has in 65 career contests, but the Raider now earns about half as much annually. That should change in the near future.”
Since Waller became the team’s starting tight end at the start of the 2019 season, he’s averaged an incredible 70 receiving yards per game. That trails only Travis Kelce and George Kittle during that timespan. Not only is he one of the most dynamic receiving tight ends in the league, but he is also one of the most consistent from game to game.
As long as Waller can stay healthy, he should have another monster season for the Raiders. And with the addition of Davante Adams and the emergence of Hunter Renfrow, this could be his best season yet in terms of efficiency and production.
The Raiders know that Waller has outplayed his contract, so expect them to figure something out before the season begins. Regardless, it’s hard to argue that there are many better contracts in the entire league than the current deal with Waller and the Raiders.