The price you pay when you fall in the draft

[Risen Star]

Will Levis’ draft fall is currently projected to potentially cost him well over $20 million.

Levis is currently projected to sign a contract with the Titans valued around $9.5 million, with a signing bonus of just under $4 million.

Anthony Richardson, who was selected fourth overall by the Colts, is projected to sign a contract valued around $34 million with a signing bonus of nearly $22 million.

Levis said that his slide on draft night has “definitely” put a little bit of a chip on his shoulder.

 

[Stash]

The good news is that if he does prove himself, QB salaries will have risen to $60 million a year by the time he’s up for a new deal. If he doesn’t? He should never have been a first rounder in the first place.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Players get their big money on the 2nd deals. He will more than make up for any money he thinks he lost by becoming a franchise QB. In 4 years, it's hard telling how much he could get paid. It's going to crush the $20M now.

 

[visionary]

He’s a knucklehead
That ‘chip’ will become a forest
This won’t end well

 

[JD_KaPow]

Players get their big money on the 2nd deals. He will more than make up for any money he thinks he lost by becoming a franchise QB. In 4 years, it's hard telling how much he could get paid. It's going to crush the $20M now.

Or he could bust like most drafted QBs and end up a perennial backup or out of the league, with this the only big payday he gets.

 

[stilltheguru]

Is the chip as big as Josh Rosens?

 

[Risen Star]

Whether he gets paid on a 2nd contract or not he can't get back that lost 20 million.

 

[Pass2Run]

The only reason he fell is because the media hyped him. NFL teams, all of them, passed on him first round.

Not sure what that means, other than we tend to put too much stock into media rankings, which differ from team evaluations.

 

[IrishAnto]

I wouldn’t mind a $4 Mill bonus

 

[Zekeats]

He looks like the guy from draft day, just bad body language and all. Besides that I understand that 20 million is a lot but QBs don't make their money until their second contract, most players don't but especially the quarterback. If he's that good than after 4 years your talking about 150-300 million range and possibly more. We will see but I see more Bo Callahan than anything lol.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

I think he lost more money by going to Tennessee, where he will have to throw to nobody and have a head coach stuck in 2005.

 

[CATCH17]

If you’re good going in the 2nd round is not a bad thing.

 

[phildadon86]

The good news is that if he does prove himself, QB salaries will have risen to $60 million a year by the time he’s up for a new deal. If he doesn’t? He should never have been a first rounder in the first place.

I have a feeling something is going to be done about contracts soon. WRs are making more than QBs were 2 seasons ago.

 

[John813]

I have a feeling something is going to be done about contracts soon. WRs are making more than QBs were 2 seasons ago.

Recession is the only way salaries will get stagnant. NFL is like the federal reserve. Endless money for everyone.

 

[Stash]

I have a feeling something is going to be done about contracts soon. WRs are making more than QBs were 2 seasons ago.

There has to be a team willing to say ‘No’ and having the confidence in their own ability to draft or sign a quality replacement.

Last year, Green Bay and Kansas City chose to trade big name wide receivers rather than paying them.

It may have cost Green Bay, but Kansas City did just fine.

I thought perhaps Baltimore and Philadelphia might make the tough call with their quarterbacks, but both ended up paying them huge money.

The league still feels that there aren’t enough great quarterbacks to go around.

 

[beware_d-ware]

It's actually a silver lining if Levis is good.

If he went 1st round, teams would have a 5th year option on him. The price for that last year ($23M) was almost half of what the latest cycle of QB contracts have been worth. It's a great cap-control and leverage tool for clubs, but Levis will bypass that and potentially get to the really big money one year faster.

In a sport as violent as football, I will never argue with getting $20M top-five guaranteed money up front. But Levis will blow that away even if he's no better than Daniel Jones or Kyler Murray.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

I have a feeling something is going to be done about contracts soon. WRs are making more than QBs were 2 seasons ago.

% of cap is the only number that matters, and that hasn't really changed.

That's also...not true. Wentz made $32m AAV with his extension starting in 2019. T Hill is the only WR to get past the $30m threshhold for WRs, and it didn't kick in until this year.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Levis had the hottest GF at the Draft. I’m sure he can find ways to be distracted.

 

[TNCowboy]

Can you lose what you never really had?

Levis is a total meathead. I'd be shocked if he becomes a franchise QB. I'd put his odds only slightly better than Quincy Carter's were.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Levis had the hottest GF at the Draft. I’m sure he can find ways to be distracted.

That's a really good point.