5 quarterbacks next in line to cash in like Drew Brees

Quarterbacks today are getting paid a lot of money. Here are five who could cash in shortly just like Drew Brees has.

The New Orleans Saints recently signed Drew Brees to a surprisingly reasonable one-year extension, which will pay the star quarterback north of $20 million in 2017. I

In a league long on offensive schemes and short on quarterbacks to execute them, teams can’t afford to spare any expense. They will pay whatever it takes to assure they’re pat at the game’s most important position. If you’re a good quarterback, chances are a team will give you at least eight digits a year to keep you.

Here are five quarterbacks who are set to cash in just like Brees.

5. Matthew Stafford

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford used to have a reputation for being fragile. That’s no longer the case, mostly because he hasn’t missed a game since 2010. Stafford’s progression has not been quick, but it has been steady. 2015 was Stafford’s most efficient season as Stafford set a career high with a 62.63 QBR. He threw 32 touchdown passes with only 12 interceptions, good for a respectable 2.2 percent interception percentage.

Stafford will be a free agent after the 2017 season. In order to cash in like Brees, he will need to prove that he can be productive without Calvin Johnson. Stafford will have to properly utilize weapons like Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and Anquan Boldin in order to maximize his next contract.

What’s concerning is that the Lions have a subpar running game. All the pressure is on Stafford to complete passes and lead their offense. He would benefit from having a more balanced offense. Teams know that he’s throwing and that shows with Stafford being dragged down on 6.9 percent of his passing plays.

However, that could be a good thing for Stafford as far as money. Stafford and the Lions both realize that the quarterback is the most important player on the Lions. Expect him to get about $20 million a year.

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4. A.J. McCarron

They say a backup quarterback is just one injury away from being a starter. Before Drew Bledsoe got injured, Tom Brady was the backup. Brady’s career since becoming the starter has been stellar, to say the least. A.J. McCarron of the Cincinnati Bengals could be following a similar career path.

It’s worth noting that McCarron is coming off a terrific college career. He has a reputation of being a winner after helping Alabama win three national championships as a starter. McCarron could follow the path of Brady and Brock Osweiler should Andy Dalton get injured. He will be a free agent after the 2017 season.

McCarron has a small sample size thus far, but it is impressive. In four regular season starts in 2015, McCarron threw for 832 passing yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. Not too shabby. Game managers like McCarron still have some value in today’s NFL. Perhaps the Minnesota Vikings would be willing to turn to McCarron as their Plan B if Teddy Bridgewater never returns to the field.

Will he be worth a $50 million contract? Probably not, but don’t be surprised if someone gives him that. After all, he could be just one injury away from getting a chance to prove himself.

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3. Kirk Cousins

If Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins likes “that,” he will love the money he will earn in his next contract. Cousins will have to repeat his 2015 season and that’s certainly not a given. But with one more good season, Cousins could be a $100 million man assuming he doesn’t get the franchise tag.

Despite an extremely impressive 2015 season, the Redskins did not give Cousins the lucrative long-term deal that he wanted. This sounds similar to the gamble that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco took by not signing an extension before the 2012 season. It is one that Flacco won, as he went on an epic playoff run to help the Ravens win the Super Bowl. Cousins is in a good position to win his gamble as well.

After being the “second” quarterback that the Redskins picked in the 2012 draft, Cousins beat out RG3. In his first season as a starter, Cousins threw for over 4,000 yards with 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He had an impressive QBR of 70.05, a passer rating of 101.6 (fifth in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks), and his 69.8 completion percentage was the highest mark in the NFL.

Cousins has the tendency to fumble the ball, but that’s the only part of his game that he really needs work at this point. He’s in a nice position to cash in just like Brees.

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2. Blake Bortles

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles was a relative unknown coming out of college. Even though Bortles was the third round pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, people didn’t really know who he was. He has been impressive in his first two NFL seasons, throwing for 7,336 passing yards. In 2015, Bortles threw for 4,428 passing yards in 2015 with 35 touchdowns.

The Jaguars have been searching for a franchise quarterback for what seems like forever. Expect them to jump all over extending him as soon as they can. He has a fifth-year option for 2018 as a first round pick, but he likely won’t see it since the Jaguars will extend him.

Bortles has to keep taking steps forward in order to cement his status as a $100 million man. He took one in 2015, but he’s got to chill with the interceptions. In 606 pass attempts, Bortles threw a league high 18 interceptions. That can’t happen again. It is, however, encouraging that Bortles went from a 3.6 interception percentage in 2014 to a 3.0 percentage in 2015.

Ironically, Bortles reminds a lot of people of a taller version of Brees with his arm and mobility. The Jaguars have surrounded him with a quietly efficient receiving core. Thanks to an improved defense, Bortles likely won’t have to throw the ball over 35 times a game to give the Jaguars a chance to win. That should help him become a better, more efficient quarterback.

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1. Derek Carr

The Oakland Raiders caught a bit of flack after drafting David Carr’s brother Derek in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. David might have been a terrible NFL quarterback, but fear not. Derek has redeemed the family name with two impressive seasons so far. He has thrown for 7,257 passing yards with 53 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in his first two seasons.

Carr had a breakout season in 2015. He threw for 32 touchdowns with just 13 interceptions. Carr’s interception percentage was a very respectable 2.3 percent while his touchdown percentage was 5.3 percent. The Raiders are building their offense around Carr and have gotten him what appears to be a strong line, so that should help him moving forward.

He could be the next quarterback to get a huge contract. Why? Because as a second round pick, Carr doesn’t have the fifth-year option like Bortles has. He will be a free agent following the 2017 season, but don’t expect him to hit the open market.

Carr would be quite deserving of a Drew Brees-esque deal as well. He has done well despite not having much talent around him. Thanks to some shrewd spending and smart drafting, that’s quickly changing. It will be the Raiders’ number one priority to keep Carr upright. His next deal could resemble Drew Brees’ previous deal that was supposed to pay him $100 million over five seasons before his recent extension.