Eagles O-Line Setting Bar for Positional Contracts

Every year, new contracts seek to expand the wealth earned at each NFL position group. This year, two offensive line position groups are looking to Philadelphia Eagles Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson as benchmarks for their new deals.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a passionate fan base that spends hard-earned money on tickets, merchandise, and bar food and drinks just for the purposes of watching them play. 

On the other side of those transactions are many people whose role in football is financially rewarded, including Eagles players themselves. 

While the football romantic in all of us would like to believe some or even most NFL players would do it all for the love of the game if forced to forfeit their paychecks, they wouldn’t. 

Nor should they be expected to. 

No, the contracts and the compensation packages are big parts of why everything happens, and for offensive linemen looking to reset the market in the coming year they’re looking to Philadelphia veterans Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson as players whose salary bars they’d like to clear.

“Jason Kelce incrementally reset the market in consecutive offseasons as the organization convinces one of its great leaders not to retire,”  Pro Football Focus writes.

The Eagles couldn't avoid the Kansas City Chiefs in another offseason conversation, as KC's Creed Humphrey is being identified with having an upcoming deal that's one of the most important in the NFL.

“If Humphrey has another season like his first two ... he should blow the doors off the current center market … we’re talking a jump from $14 million per year up into the $17 million range, if not a little more," PFF writes.

Humphrey may get to take the top off the center market, but Kelce loosened it, and in the process reminded everyone just how important having the league’s best center can be.

Likewise, as Tristan Wirfs looks to push the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a new high-mark for tackle contracts, he has Johnson to thank for setting the bar at $20 million for a right tackle while Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil leads that group at $25 million per year. 

Wirfs has proven to be an All-Pro caliber player on the right. If he does so on the left as well, he’ll be in for a big payday.

Of course, Kelce and Johnson had those that came before them who help set the stage for their big deals. 

And now these two Philadelphia greats get to usher in the next wave of top contracts for their position mates while inspiring other Eagles players on the roster to reach for the contractual heights of their own groups.

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