The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings have reportedly agreed to contract extensions with running backs Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook, respectively, and those deals push Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry down the list of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cook is getting a five-year extension worth $63 million, which works out to $12.6 million annually. Meanwhile, Kamara’s extension is for five years and $75 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
These deals immediately push Henry out of the top five of the highest-paid running backs in the league based on annual average.
Henry’s deal, which was for four years and $50 million, has him earning $12.5 million per season. Kamara’s and Cook’s extensions surpass that, with the Saints back set to make $15 million annually on his new deal, and the Vikings rusher making $12.6 million per year on his.
Here’s how things look now as far as the list of the highest-paid running backs based on annual average is concerned:
1. Christian McCaffrey: $16 million
T-2. Ezekiel Elliot: $15 million
T-2. Alvin Kamara: $15 million
4. Le’Veon Bell: $13.1 million
5. David Johnson: $13 million
6. Dalvin Cook: $12.6 million
7. Derrick Henry: $12.5 million
After we heard all about how much of a mistake it is to sign running backs to lucrative, long-term deals, we’ve seen a slew of them get paid this offseason, which flies in the face of that notion.
And, with the Kamara and Cook extensions, Henry’s deal looks even better than it initially did, especially because it’s only for four years, as opposed to the five-year pacts they signed.
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