The Detroit Lions handed Amon-Ra St. Brown an extension two years ago. It looked like a great deal at the time, and general manager Brad Holmes continues to be proven right.
St. Brown briefly reset the wide receiver market, but now, his deal looks like an absolute bargain for the Lions. Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the latest to land a massive new contract, reportedly signing a four-year, $168.6 million extension, including over $120 million fully guaranteed. The deal averages $42.15 million annually.
Compare that to St. Brown's four-year, $120 million contract, which included $77 million in guarantees and averaged $30 million per year. The wide receiver market has skyrocketed, and Smith-Njigba is getting paid quarterback money. The Lions smartly got in early and signed St. Brown to a deal that now looks like a bargain.
Amon-Ra St. Brown's contract looks like an even bigger bargain after Jaxon Smith-Njigba's record extension
There's some luck involved with timing, of course. This offseason was the Seahawks' first opportunity to extend Smith-Njigba, whom they selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
But Holmes and the Lions still made a smart move when they extended St. Brown's deal.
While St. Brown briefly became the highest-paid receiver in football, his record salary was soon eclipsed by several others, including Justin Jefferson, who signed a $140 million extension just weeks after St. Brown's. CeeDee Lamb landed a massive deal later that summer, and Ja'Marr Chase followed the following offseason.
According to Over The Cap, St. Brown's $30 million salary currently ranks eighth among wide receivers in the NFL. DK Metcalf, Garrett Wilson, and A.J. Brown are among the other receivers earning more.
And the gap will only widen. St. Brown remains under contract through the 2028 season, giving the Lions three more years and plenty of time to worry about another new deal.
Smith-Njigba might not be the record holder for long. The Dallas Cowboys will need to pay George Pickens this summer, and he will undoubtedly push for a deal in the $42 million-plus range.
Every time a wide receiver resets the market, the Lions' deal with St. Brown looks like an even bigger bargain.