A look at the highest-paid players of Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati … [+]
Heading into Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium in Southern California, a lot has been made about the “host” team’s finances.
Los Angeles general manager Les Snead has gone all in with blockbuster trades and huge contracts to help return an NFL title to the City of Angels for the first time since the then-Los Angeles Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII back in 1984.
On the other end of the spectrum is an up-and-coming Bengals team that has largely built from within. That includes young stars Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
The financial differences between these two teams are vast, as is evidenced in how players rank in terms of their salaries. Below, we look at the 10-highest paid players (in terms of average annual salary) of Super Bowl LVI with the Rams themselves pretty much dominating.
Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams. (Photo by Christian … [+]
Contract: Five years, $135 million ($27 million average annual salary)
Stafford, 34, signed this extension with his former Detroit Lions squad back in August of 2017. At that point, the former No. 1 pick was the highest-paid player in the NFL. In a sign of just how much the quarterback market has changed since, Stafford is now the 13th highest-paid signal caller in the NFL — behind the likes of Ryan Tannehill and Jimmy Garoppolo. Imagine that!
Regardless of what happens in Super Bowl LVI this coming Sunday, Stafford will likely demand a huge long-term extension during the offseason. He’s slated to become a free agent following the 2022 season.
In his first regular season as a member of the Rams after being acquired in a blockbuster trade with Detroit, Stafford dominated from a statistical perspective. He completed 67% of his passes for 4,886 yards with 41 touchdowns. Though, the Georgia product did lead the league with 17 interceptions.
Aaron Donald, Defensive Tackle, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Contract: Six years, $135 million ($22.5 million average annual salary)
More than three years after signing what was then a record-breaking extension with the Rams, Donald has lived up to his billing as one of the most-dominant defenders in the NFL. The former first-round pick out of Pittsburgh has earned eight Pro Bowl appearances in as many seasons and has won an absurd four NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
This past regular season saw Donald, 30, record 25 quarterback hits and 12.5 sacks while forcing four fumbles. In Los Angeles’ three playoff games leading up to Super Bowl LVI, he registered six quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. What’s crazy here is that despite his $22.5 million salary, Donald is still only the fifth highest-paid defender in the NFL.
Jalen Ramsey, Cornerback, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI highest paid players: Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty … [+]
Contract: Five years, $100 million ($20 million average annual salary)
One of the several players Les Snead has acquired during his time in Los Angeles, Ramsey cost the Rams two first-round picks and change when he was brought on from the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 season. A little more than a calendar year later, and he inked a five-year, $100 million extension with the Rams. Ramsey, 27, remains the highest-paid cornerback in the league.
It’s not that he hasn’t lived up to that hefty price tag, either. The boisterous former Florida State star yielded a 71.1 quarterback rating when targeted during the regular season. This came after signal callers boasted a 68.6 passer rating going after Ramsey back in 2020.
Robert Woods, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty … [+]
Contract: Four years, $65 million ($16.25 million average annual salary)
Unfortunately for this Southern California native and former USC star, Woods won’t be able to suit up in front of his home-town squad in Super Bowl LVI. The 29-year-old pass-catcher suffered a torn ACL during practice back in November and is out until he 2022 campaign.
Interestingly, Woods’ injury came the same day that the Rams signed Odell Beckham Jr. following his release from the Cleveland Browns. As for Woods, he proved to be extremely underrated prior to suffering said injury. Over the course of his first four seasons with Los Angeles (2017-20), Woods averaged north of 1,000 yards while catching 67% of his targets.
Leonard Floyd, EDGE, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Leonard Floyd, Los Angeles Rams. (AP Photo/Alex Menendez)
Contract: Four years, $64 million ($16 million average annual salary)
Los Angeles signed Floyd to a mere one-year, $10 million contract after his release from the Chicago Bears back in March of 2020. The former first-round pick was coming off a rough three-sack campaign and looked to be on a downward trajectory.
In two seasons with the Rams, Floyd has proven the skeptics wrong. He recorded 19 quarterback hits and 10.5 sacks in 2020, leading to the massive contract you see above. This past regular season saw the Georgia product register another 9.5 sacks. It was an expensive proposition — one that has paid off for Los Angeles in a big way.
Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Contract: Three years, $47.25 million ($15.75 million average annual salary)
Noticing a theme here? These Rams are dominating the finances heading into Super Bowl LVI. For good reason. General manager Les Snead and Co. are in full-scale win-now mode.
With that said, the extension Kupp signed in September of 2020 has proven to be an outrageous bargain. In terms of average annual salary, he’s the 15th highest-paid wide receiver in the league. Having just earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, Kupp is coming off a banner regular season. He led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). Look for Los Angeles to extend him this coming offseason — making the former third-round pick one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Contract: Four years, $60 million ($15 million average annual salary)
One of the newest members of the Bengals just so happens to be their highest-paid player. Going against the grain to an extent, Cincinnati hit free agency last offseason to help replace key departure Carl Lawson. While Lawson missed his entire initial season with the New York Jets to injury, Hendrickson was dominating.
A former third-round pick of the Saints, Hendrickson put up a career-best performance this past regular season. He recorded 27 quarterback hits, 14 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. In reality, he’s one of the primary reasons Cincinnati earned a shocking trip to Super Bowl LVI.
Trae Waynes, Cornerback, Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Trae Waynes, Cincinnati Bengals. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Contract: Three years, $42 million ($14 million average annual salary)
One of the few Bengals contracts that just have not worked out, Waynes played all but five games this past regular season due to continued injury issues. He missed the entire 2020 season to injury, too.
Since signing this contract back in March of 2020, Waynes has played all of five games. That came after a pretty solid five-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. The good news? Cincinnati will be able to get out of Waynes’ contract by saving $10.86 million against the cap if it designates him a post-June 1 cut. Expect that to happen.
D.J. Reader, Defensive Tackle, Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: D.J. Reader, Cincinnati Bengals. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Contract: Four years, $53 million ($13.25 million average annual salary)
One can easily conclude that Reader is among the most impactful Bengals free-agent signings of the modern era. A former fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans from Clemson, the 347-pound defensive tackle played only five games in his first season with Cincinnati back in 2020.
However, he’s been a major difference-maker leading up to Super Bowl LVI. According to Pro Football Focus, Reader ranked No. 3 behind only Aaron Donald and Cam Heyward in run defense during the regular season. It helped Cincinnati finish with the fifth-best run defense in the NFL.
Joe Mixon, Running Back, Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl LVI highest-paid players: Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Contract: Four years, $48 million ($12 million average annual salary)
Let’s take a second to appreciate what Mixon has brought to the table since the Bengals took a big PR hit by selecting him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In college with Oklahoma, he was charged with assault for hitting a woman — breaking bones in her face and resulting in hospitalization and surgery.
For many, this should have precluded him from being in the NFL. While I will reserve judgment on that, it must be noted he’s stayed on his best behavior in five seasons with the Bengals.
From an on-field perspective, we’re talking about one of the best all-around backs in the NFL. Mixon is coming off a 2021 regular season that saw him post 1,519 total yards and 16 touchdowns en route to earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Let’s just hope that his upward trajectory on the football field is met with the same off the field moving forward.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/vincentfrank/2022/02/11/super-bowl-lvi-10-highest-paid-players-for-the-rams-and-bengals/