Former Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Johnson made some noise on social media this morning. This came after Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey received a contract extension that made him the new highest-paid CB in the NFL.
After that announcement, Chad Johnson chimed in on what he thinks the cornerback market will look like going forward. Who does he think will be paid next? Read below to find out.
Former Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Johnson Predicts Next CBs to “Reset Market”
Earlier today, Chad Johnson posted a reaction tweet to Ramsey getting a contract extension. That tweet discussed the cornerbacks who he felt would reset the CB market in the near future. Johnson went on to say the following:
“Derek Stingley & Sauce will reset the market with Woolen & Horn as well” -Chad Johnson
Reviewing the Predicted CBs
With the exception of Jaycee Horn (2021), each of these cornerbacks was drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. That means all four CBs are due for a contract extension soon and each has found their own success in the NFL. So, can any of these cornerbacks top Ramsey’s current annual value? Well, with how each cornerback is playing and the salary cap trends, it is certainly possible.
Let’s start with Sauce Gardner. He is arguably one of the biggest young defensive stars in the NFL. He has 31 passes deflected, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in the first two years of his NFL career.
Derek Stingley has even more interceptions in his brief career. He has six interceptions in just 20 career games. Jaycee Horn has four interceptions in his career and Tariq Woolen has eight interceptions so far.
What do these cornerbacks have in common? They have all currently played three or fewer seasons in the NFL and each is expected to receive a large contract the next time around. It is just a matter of how much their current teams are willing to spend on them compared to rivals.
Moving Forward
The cornerback market is certainly heading in the right direction. With Surtain and Ramsey each receiving contracts greater than $24 million annually less than a week before the regular season begins, young cornerbacks should be optimistic about the future. Ramsey and Surtain have currently reset the cornerback market and set a new benchmark. However, it is inevitable that somebody ends up surpassing them.
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