NFL mega paydays have become a year-round thing just like the draft process.
Thank the combination of free agency and extensions. An offseason ago in free agency, four players checked in above the $80 million mark on their new deals (Trey Flowers, Nick Foles, C.J. Mosley, Landon Collins). And over the course of the year, Russell Wilson ($140 million), Michael Thomas ($96 million) and Ezekiel Elliott ($90 million) put ink to paper on big extensions.
This year's free-agent pool and extension forecast promise another escalation of numbers across the notable positions, ranging from quarterbacks to big-play artists and pass-rushers, premium chips that typically make more than other positions.