Puka Nacua and other top-tier veterans are next in line for NFL’s newest contract wave, CBS projects

The NFL contract cycle is again taking its shape around the league’s most expensive skill and trench positions, with CBS Sports projecting that a new group of stars could be next to reset their market value. The piece frames the current moment as a continuation of an extension-heavy summer, where teams appear willing to move quickly to secure difference-makers before the next round of negotiations reshapes the baseline salary expectations.

CBS Sports’ list highlights how quickly the receiver market has been re-priced. It notes that Super Bowl champion Jaxon Smith-Njigba has already become, at least by the numbers described in the report, the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history after signing a deal that averages $42.15 million per season. That figure is used as an example of how top-tier routes, separation skills, and red-zone production now carry truly franchise-altering price tags.

The same market pressure, CBS suggests, could soon extend to quarterbacks, pass rushers, and elite offensive line talent. It points to Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. as a player set to make $50 million per year, placing another edge rusher at the center of the league’s “show me the money” logic. While the report is forward-looking, the underlying premise is that teams are increasingly paying for impact that shows up both on stat sheets and in game-plan leverage.

On the offensive side, the report also elevates Atlanta Falcons receiver Drake London, saying his extension is worth $141 million and places him in the top three of highest-paid wide receivers. For Chicago, CBS names Bears right tackle Darnell Wright as the new highest-paid right tackle of all time, pointing to how the most durable, technically reliable linemen are now being valued at levels that would have looked improbable only a few years earlier.

CBS additionally includes Rams receiver Puka Nacua and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs among the next wave of players who, in the report’s view, could be poised to “reset” their position markets as the offseason winds down. In that framing, the goal is not just to pay production, but to preempt scarcity. As the league spends more on a narrower set of players who carry offense by themselves, the negotiating leverage shifts toward those who have proven they can win repeatedly against NFL defenses.

It is important to treat CBS Sports’ reasoning as projection, not a confirmed list of impending signatures. The report’s descriptions indicate where the market could go, but contract movement still depends on each team’s internal valuation, cap structure, and willingness to prioritize a deal in a specific offseason window. Even when the numbers are tempting, the final outcome always comes down to what both sides can agree to.

For fans and teams, the practical question now becomes what baseline those examples establish for the next set of negotiations. If top receivers keep climbing, it could tighten the pay ceiling for every mid-to-elite counterpart at the position. If edge and tackle numbers keep leaping, it may also alter how quickly teams lock in pass rush performance and protect their quarterbacks. The near-term watch list is straightforward: who addresses the market first, and whether the next wave of negotiations pushes new “position top” benchmarks higher.