What is a quarterback worth in 2018? It’s nearly impossible to answer, especially when you consider that 10 quarterbacks will make more money this season than Tom Brady. There are a few ways to look at how much money NFL players make in a given season, but let’s take a look at the cap hits each player will account for in 2018, via Spotrac.
Tom Brady is NFL’s 11th highest paid quarterback
What is an NFL quarterback worth in 2018? Thursday’s Rise ‘n Grind takes a look at what the top quarterbacks are making and how that compares to Brady.
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Jimmy Garoppolo, you know, Brady’s former backup who was traded away to the 49ers, is making the most money of any player in the NFL in 2018. He’s set to account for a $37 million cap hit this season. Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, Joe Flacco, Andrew Luck, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning round out the top 10 highest paid QBs. All of them will make more than $22 million this season, though Stafford, whose cap hit is the second highest among quarterbacks, has a significantly lower cap hit than Garoppolo.
Is it worth having a top signal caller who you have to pay that much money to retain? And how can Brady be making just $22 million this season. “Just $22 million” sounds a bit silly as that’s an enormous amount of money. But there certainly aren’t 10 guys who deserve more money than Brady. There might not even be one.
Think about it this way. Brady is making just $5.7 million more than Andy Dalton and $6 million more than Tyrod Taylor this season.
Let’s say Brady, Dalton, and Taylor replicate their 2017 stats in 2018. That would mean, Brady is getting paid $687,500 per touchdown for his 34 touchdowns, while Dalton makes $652,000 for his 25 TDs, and Taylor makes $1,142,857 for his 14 TDs. You’d surely rather be paying Brady that money. If you take a look at Stafford’s situation, he had 29 touchdowns in 2017, which would net him $913,793 per touchdown in 2018. Derek Carr scored 22 touchdowns last year, which would allow his $25 million cap hit see him taking home $1.1 million per touchdown this season.
It would appear Taylor is getting paid far more than he’s worth now that he’s with the Browns. Meanwhile, Dalton is making just about what a quarterback of his caliber is worth and Brady is getting paid too little.
So is $900,000 to $1.1 million the cost of a touchdown in today’s game? Would you rather be a fan of a team that pays a middle-of-the-road quarterback like Dalton or Taylor $600,00-700,000 per touchdown, or about $1 million per touchdown for a top QB?
The cost of winning in the NFL is clearly on the rise with no signs of slowing down. With that said, nobody is pitying the NFL’s billionaire owners for having to pay up. We just want to see our favorite team win games and ultimately win a championship. Brady has proven his ability in that regard, while many of the rest of the highest paid QBs are still looking to make it into the biggest game of the year.
What are your thoughts on what a quarterback in today’s NFL is worth? Share them in the comments below.
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