Penny Pinchers: Commanders 3 Best Contracts

Washington has players who are outperforming their rookie deals

The Washington Commanders are a team that is stuck in the middle of the pack in the NFC. On any given day, their defense can light it up and force multiple turnovers. The next day, they spent all 60 minutes trailing.

Those are the growing pains of a team that is infused with young football players and a regime that is still making their mark on the program. Team president Jason Wright and head coach Ron Rivera have started to churn the Commanders into the right direction and have used the salary cap to their advantage. Here are three players who have outperformed their current salary.

Antonio Gibson, RB

Gibson, the 66th overall pick in the 2020 draft, is still on his rookie contract and thus, is exceeding his paygrade. His 18 touchdowns since 2020 are good for 8th in the entire NFL.

According to OverTheCap, Gibson has a cap hit of $1.3 million, ranking 53rd in the entire league. OTC also ranks his overall contract 61st for the players at his position. 

Gibson is set to make $1.5 million in 2023 before he becomes a free agent.

For a running back entering his third season and has already amassed 1,800 yards on the ground, the Commanders have one of the league’s most dynamic players in their backfield for a fraction of what he is worth.

Benjamin St-Juste, CB

St-Juste is another third round selection by Washington, this time being taken in the 2021 draft. While he doesn’t have the statistics that Gibson has, he played in nine games his rookie season and was a player who contributed in both nickel and dime defenses.

St-Juste carries a cap hit of $1.1 million as he enters his sophomore campaign. That number is good for 106th throughout the entire NFL and if the Minnesota alum can take a step forward in 2022, the Commanders will be happy with his production on a smaller pay scale.

St-Juste has three years left on his contract, where he is set to make just over $4.1 million.

Kamren Curl, S

Curl is one of the better players on this Commanders roster, but is being paid like what he was coming into 2020; a 7th round pick who had to fight to make the Week 1 roster.

Not only did he make the team, he exploded onto the scene, racking up 80+ tackles in his first two seasons and snagging three interceptions as well.

His rookie contract gives Curl a cap hit of $923,000, a number that puts him 116th among players at his position. For the quality of play that Curl has given this Washington squad, paying him under $1 million annually is something out of a video game.

Curl still has two years left on his deal, and he'll hold a cap hit of just over $1 million before receiving a massive raise after the 2023 season.

These three players, all outperforming their rookie deals, have been able to give the Commanders some youth out of the gate. If the team continues their trend of drafting quality starters, these bargain contracts are going to start becoming more common.