Here's what experts are saying about the NFL's latest round of contract extensions


A barrage of NFL stars just inked or are about to ink shiny new contract extensions. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott signed a six-year, $90 million extension, while his teammate, offensive tackle La'El Collins, re-upped with Dallas for five more years. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff cashed in on his NFC Championship run with a four-year, $134 million deal to stay in Southern California, and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is reportedly close to a new contract, as well.
The extensions for Collins and Jones feel like no-brainers, but the deals for Elliott and Goff raised some eyebrows. Elliott is one of the best running backs in the league, but he runs behind Collins and four other supremely talented lineman. So the thinking is that Dallas could plug a cheaper option into the backfield and still achieve good results on the ground. Plus, Elliott has handled a massive workload in his short career, which has people worried he'll eventually run out of gas. Still, as long as he stays healthy, Dallas probably won't regret the deal.
As for Goff, the former no. 1 draft pick has been successful so far in his three-year career, which includes a Super Bowl appearance. But not everyone is sold on whether he's good enough to get paid like a top-flight signal-caller. Others aren't concerned at all.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One thing appears to be certain, though. Both Elliott and Goff have altered the NFL market for years to come.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect