There are a couple of flashpoint moments on the NFL calendar when player contract activity surges: late February/early March, before the start of free agency; and late August/early September, before the start of the season. The time we just witnessed the last two weeks is when the front office delivers the team to the coaches, when “me time” of individual negotiations turns to “we time” on the field.
Despite the uncertainty of playing through a pandemic and the reality of a diminished 2021 salary cap, business was booming in the days before the 2020 season. After a quiet offseason with only a handful of player contract extensions, it almost seemed as if teams and agents looked at each other and said: “Well I guess we’re doing this!