Draft night update: The Titans made it official. At 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, they selected Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick.
How much will Cam Ward earn in his first NFL contract as the No. 1 overall pick?
The Tennessee Titans are expected to make Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. We break down what his rookie contract will look like, including signing bonus, salaries, and any other bonus money.
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The 2025 NFL Draft gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 24, but we already know the first player that will come off the board. Unexpected things do happen, but the Tennessee Titans are expected to pick Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick.
Thanks to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, we can figure out the general structure of Ward’s rookie contract. He won’t sign it immediately, but given that rookie contracts are effectively negotiated through the CBA, we should expect him to sign before training camp. Non-quarterbacks might sign earlier, but quarterbacks will often take a little longer into July ahead of training camp.
When Ward does sign his contract, it will likely be worth north of $40 million. Spotrac is projecting the contract to have a total value of $43,010,000. They project cap numbers of $7,820,000, $9,775,000, $11,730,000, and $13,685,000. On the other hand, Over The Cap is projecting a total value of $48,839,586. They project a signing bonus portion of $32,159,700, with annual salaries of $840,000, $3,059,981, $5,279,962, and $7,499,943.
Spotrac’s total number seems more in line with what Ward will end up getting. Last year’s No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, signed a deal worth $39,486,058. He received a signing bonus worth $25,537,132 for the first year, and $9,929,106 in roster bonus money across the second, third, and fourth seasons. This is similar to what Bryce Young signed on his rookie deal the year prior, albeit slightly higher due to annual inflation.
The biggest negotiating point is usually around offset language. This language covers when a player is released before the end of his contract and signs with another team. If there is offset language, the future team’s contract will offset whatever guaranteed money the first team still owed the player. Offset language is something teams always want in deals and players never want. If Ward is delayed signing his rookie contract, it will likely be due to offset language.
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