Player contracts are accelerating at an Xavier Worthy-esque pace this offseason. The past six months have triggered an avalanche of market-topping deals, from a quarterback making $64 million per year (Patrick Mahomes) to an edge rusher earning an annual average of $50 million (Will Anderson Jr.). Five players have become positional cash kings this summer alone, with several more setting high marks back in the spring. Since June, five defensive tackles have earned deals worth at least $30 million per year. Some teams privately grumble over ballooning salaries and the inherent challenges of building a competitive team around star players who eat up much of their salary cap. But the soaring costs simply parallel a 44.7% increase in the NFL's cap over the past four years, from $208.2 million in 2022 to $301.2 million now. The previous four-year spike was 17.4%, from $177.2 million in 2018 to the 2022 number, and while the pandemic stalled progress, nothing is slowing down what's happening now. But many elite players still need new deals with Week 1 just days away. Some will get to the finish line before kickoff; some won't.

ESPN made calls around the league to provide the latest information on many of the key contract extension candidates: Who gets paid and who will strategically wait things out until the offseason? Jump to a topic: Lamar Jackson | C.J. Stroud Christian Gonzalez | Joey Porter Jr. DJ Turner | Quenton Nelson Tucker Kraft | Detroit duo Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens Jackson, to his credit, is fiercely private about his negotiations. And as his own agent, he has proved to be a shrewd negotiator. Just look back at 2023, when Jackson remained patient, requested a trade after being franchise-tagged and finally landed a five-year, $260 million deal. It's no surprise this negotiation is void of many details. But the league sentiment is this: Jackson has massive leverage and appears ready to use it, which means the chances of him playing out 2026 without an extension could grow by the day. He is owed $52 million in cash in each of the next two seasons with an $84.3 million cap hit in 2027, which might as well be a poison pill. He has a no-franchise-tag provision and a no-trade clause. If he wants to entertain a new home outside of Baltimore in future years, he has full control of where it is -- especially if he has another banner season. Perhaps Baltimore gives Jackson an offer he can't refuse soon. But he can sit tight and let the market do the work for him next offseason, when several star quarterbacks from the 2024 draft class will be eligible for extensions. Perhaps then Jackson will become the NFL's first player to earn $70 million per year.

C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans Several people with knowledge of the situation believe Stroud is prepared to play out this season without a new deal, despite Houston making what it considered a competitive offer. There's still time before kickoff to reach a deal -- and the Texans' front office is aggressive in re-signing core players -- but the current sentiment is Stroud will most likely not end up with a new deal. My understanding is Houston is prepared to put Stroud in what it feels is a strong place among the 12 quarterbacks in the $50 million club. But like Jackson, Stroud can let an exploding quarterback market do the work for him if he waits an additional six to eight months. By all accounts, Stroud had a strong training camp and believes he can rebound from last season's struggles. Houston is squarely in the Super Bowl discussion based on its talent level and elite defense. There's a lot for Stroud to g...