Hollywood Doesn't Have Glitter of New Contract Yet

Cardinals wide receiver Hollywood Brown has seen several pass-catchers selected after him in the 2019 draft receive huge contracts this year.

It’s been a busy offseason for six wide receivers selected in the 2019 draft.

Two were traded: Marquise (Hollywood) Brown from the Ravens to the Cardinals and A.J. Brown from the Titans to the Eagles.

Five, including the Eagles’ Brown, have signed lucrative new contracts. Arizona’s Brown has not. The five that did were all drafted in the second or third round, while Hollywood Brown was a first-round pick (25th overall).

For now, at least, Hollywood Brown is locked into a deal that includes a fifth-year option worth $13.413 million. His total pay for this year is a base salary of $2,102,364 with $1.905 million of that guaranteed.

Even including his 2023 pay, it pales in comparison to the deals signed by the other five players. In order of selection:

Deebo Samuels, 49ers (second round, 36th overall)

Three years, $71.55 million, $58.1 million guaranteed/$41 million fully guaranteed at signing/$24.035 million signing bonus.

A.J. Brown, Eagles (second round, 51st overall)

Four years, $100 million, $57.22 guaranteed/$40 million fully guaranteed at signing/$23.234 million signing bonus.

DK Metcalf, Seahawks (second round, 64th overall)

Three years, $72 million, $58.2 million/$31 million fully guaranteed at signing/$30 million signing bonus

Diontae Johnson, Steelers (third round, 66th overall)

Two years, $36.71 million, $27 million guaranteed/$19 million fully guaranteed at signing/$17.5 million signing bonus.

Terry McLaurin, Commanders (third round, 76th overall)

Three years, $68.36 million, $53.154 million guaranteed/$34.6 million fully guaranteed at signing/$28 million signing bonus

Consider that the four receivers aside from Johnson have a total of $226.674 million ($56.669 million per player) in guarantees, $146.6 million ($36.65 million per player) fully guaranteed and $105.269 million ($26.32 million per player) in signing bonuses.

Including Johnson, the totals are $253.674 million guaranteed, $165.6 million fully guaranteed and $122.769 million in signing bonuses.

Johnson’s signing bonus of $17.5 million is more than Hollywood Brown will earn over the next two seasons if there is no new contract forthcoming.

When Brown met with the media the day after the trade was consummated in April, he said he wasn’t concerned about his contract.

Since then, of course, he reported to training camp with a hamstring issue and was then clocked at 126 m.p.h. on a Phoenix-area highway during camp.

Wednesday morning, he talked to the reporters for the first time this summer, and was asked whether he thinks about the deals that others in his draft class have received.

Brown answered the smartest way he could, saying, “When I got drafted, I knew those guys would get those before me because they went in later rounds than me. Those are my friends, so I'm excited to see them get that and help out their families. It just gives me motivation that I just got to keep working. It comes when it comes.”

If Brown plays at the level he is capable, the deal will come. He also realizes there’s more he has to do.

When asked what his message is to fans after the criminal speeding arrest, he said, “Just learn from it. Not be a guy to get in trouble. Just put it in my past and make sure I’m always doing the right things at all times.”