Amon-Ra St. Brown’s contract extension, which would make him one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, is on the Detroit Lions’ offseason agenda. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported last week at the NFL Combine that the two sides were scheduled to meet.
On Tuesday morning, Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) claimed that the Lions and St. Brown are nearing an agreement.
“In Detroit, WR Amon St. Brown and the Lions are nearing an agreement to keep the young standout receiver there. He is likely to earn between $26 and $28 million each season, putting the 24-year-old wide receiver near the top of the market for his position. Tyreek Hill earns the position-best average of $30 million each year.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano claimed that the price of St. Brown’s contract extension is estimated to be “in the range of $26-$28 million per year” in his combine notes. However, Russini’s statement that a deal is close is fresh.
Will Amon-Ra St. Brown’s transaction be completed this week?
St. Brown’s rookie deal expires in 2024, and he is expected to earn around $3.3 million in basic salary. A new contract would undoubtedly increase his earnings this year and raise his $3.5 million cap charge to some extent.
It is not necessarily critical for the Lions to complete a contract with St. Brown before free agency begins next week. However, in order to reward him for what he has done over his first three seasons by increasing his salary for this year and extending him for what is likely to be four more years, they may want to lock in his cap charge for this year sooner rather than later.
The upcoming deals for Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase are also expected to boost the absolute top of the wide receiver market to $30 million per year.
With the momentum that has been building over the previous week and Russini’s new report, it may only be a matter of days before St. Brown’s contract extension is completed.
