The Rams have a lot to think about when it comes to their future contract negotiations, as their rival, the Arizona Cardinals, just made Trey McBride the highest paid tight end in NFL history.
"McBride's deal is a four-year extension worth up to $76 million, per multiple reports. The contract, which reportedly includes $43 million guaranteed, makes McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL." Wrote Yahoo Sports' Kari Anderson.
"With the new contract, McBride will average $19 million per year, out-earning some of the top tight ends in the league. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who previously was the highest earner in the position, earns around $17.1 million per year under the deal he signed last April."
"Other top-paid tight ends include Minnesota Vikings' T.J. Hockenson ($16.5 million per year) and San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle ($15 million per year), per Over the Cap. New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, who earned $17 million per year under his contract, was also high on that list until his retirement last summer."
McBride was the number one target for the Cardinals last season. He put up 111 receptions, 1,146 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
I spoke to the team beat writer for the Arizona Cardinals On SI Donnie Druin about the move.
"It’s well deserved. McBride has consistently improved and molded himself into a premier weapon for the Cardinals since arriving as a second-round pick." Said Druin. "It was incredibly smart for Arizona to take care of business right away and not let this linger into the offseason. Every penny of that contract is deserved and McBride only looks to get better."
While this move doesn't impact the Rams right now, it could down the road. The Rams have been linked with Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. At the current rate, if the Rams want to re-sign Loveland in five or so seasons, we could be seeing him make over $25 million per season.
The other thing is, how will this move impact contract negotiations for Puka Nacua? While they play different positions, receivers have always gotten significantly more money than tight ends. When tight end pay bumps up, so do receivers. We'll just have to see the long-term impacts of the move.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams Rival Spends Big Bucks, Impacting Future Negotiations.