On the eve of the regular season there was talk of the New England Patriots going 19-0, and there is still talk of the New York Jets tanking, Kirk Cousins in unprecedented territory with his contract, and Harry Kane pondering a future in American football.
The NFL is back!
In the NFL, the standard for large contracts is to forgo long-term security in exchange for huge signing bonuses up front. As a result, many of the players who will earn the most money this year signed new contracts since the end of the 2016 season.
The players who will make the most money this year include ten quarterbacks, four cornerbacks, and no Mannings.
Here are the 30 players who will make at least $16.7 million this season.
30. Trumaine Johnson — $16,742,400
Team: Los Angeles Rams
Position: Cornerback
2016 earnings breakdown: $16,742,400 million salary
One thing to know: Johnson, a third-round pick in 2012, is in his sixth NFL season and his second straight season under the NFL's franchise tag. The Rams will need to work out a long-term deal with Johnson soon or they risk losing him for nothing. They could use the franchise tag again in 2018, but it would come with a salary of $24.1 million.
29. Corey Davis — $17,073,864
Team: Tennessee Titans
Position: Wide Receiver
2016 earnings breakdown: $465,000 salary, $16.6 million signing bonus
One thing to know: Davis is the first of five rookies on this year's list. The fifth pick in the draft received 65% of his four-year, $25.4 million contract before he ever played a down in the NFL.
28. Riley Reiff — $17,300,000
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Position: Left Tackle
2016 earnings breakdown: $6.2 million salary, $11.0 million signing bonus, and $100,000 in other bonuses.
One thing to know: Reiff signed with the Vikings this offseason after five years with the Detroit Lions. Reiff is part of a $90 million overhaul of the Vikings' offensive tackles. In addition to his $59 million contract, the Vikings also gave a $30 million contract to Mike Remmers to be the right tackle.
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