[mm-video type=video id=01f5f3kpcge36aqgfv8h playlist_id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f5f3kpcge36aqgfv8h/01f5f3kpcge36aqgfv8h-551e6d19773593109ce7642435a28868.jpg]
The NFL compiled a list of the 2021 highest-paid players in the league at every position. Unlike a collection of Pro Bowl players or an All-Pro team, this grouping is based on compensation not solely production.
A player’s average per year (APY) was used to compare contracts and measure standing on the salary list. Two former Sooners, Trent Williams and Lane Johnson made the list. The big guys up front in the trenches often become the unsung heroes of a squad, but their pocketbooks prove their critical roles in protecting the quarterback.
All of the contract information utilized for the list is from Over The Cap and Spotrac. The cap percentages are pulled from this year’s NFL-wide cap set at $182.5 million.
LT Trent Williams
Average Per Year: $23.1 million
Full contract: Six years, $138.1 million (Signed: 2021)
2021 cash: $32.3 million
“The 49ers traded for Williams during the 2020 NFL Draft after he missed the 2019 season with Washington (the only season where he’s missed the Pro Bowl after since 2011). Williams went on to be PFF’s highest-graded overall and run-blocking offensive tackle in 2020, and San Francisco rewarded his efforts this offseason with a contract that included the highest total value, average per year and signing bonus ($30.1 million) for an offensive lineman in NFL history. However, the actual total value of the contract is inflated, especially with a $32 million base salary for a 38-year-old Williams in 2026.”
RT Lane Johnson
Average Per Year: $18 million
Full contract: Four years, $72 million (Signed: 2019)
2021 cash: $13.7 million
“Despite the disparate views on right tackles, Johnson was elite enough to be the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman at one point in 2019 and now ranks fifth at the position. He missed nine games in 2020 and was not selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time since the 2016 season. Jalen Hurts will hope for Johnson’s healthy return, as the Eagles allowed 65 sacks in 2020, 15 more than the next closest teams.”
Both have been the standard of success in the league for offensive line play with their leverage at the line of scrimmage in one-on-one situations. Going up against elite edge rushers, these two hold their own with a rare combination of strength, technique, and athleticism. Williams and Johnson have the best hand placement and footwork in the business that led to a lofty payday.