Read more: Found hereThe NFL MVP has never been awarded to a wide receiver, but team-builders around the league are showing the football world that the value of an elite pass-catcher is almost priceless in this era.
With Justin Jefferson inking a four-year, $140 million deal this week, the league's shift toward a pass-centric approach has made wide receivers the most valuable asset in the NFL after the quarterback. While traditionalists will scoff at building a team around a pass-catcher in a "line-of-scrimmage league," Jefferson's deal is part of a trend that has completely flipped the marketplace.
Five of the top eight highest-paid non-quarterbacks are now wide receivers, including A.J. Brown (three years, $96 million, $32 million average), Amon-Ra St. Brown (four years, $120 million, $30 million average), Tyreek Hill (four years, $120 million, $30 million average) and Jaylen Waddle (three years, $84.75 million, $28.25 million average).
With CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase poised to join the $30 Million Club" in the near future, league executives are treating wide receivers like face of the franchise-type players in the team-building process. The seismic shift in wide receiver perception and compensation has changed the blueprint that executives and coaches are utilizing to build contenders in a league built around the passing game.
"[But] If a guy can't get open, if a guy can't catch the ball and run, that's where we have a problem."
Foerster, a 30-year NFL coaching veteran, hit the nail on the head when discussing the importance of having a playmaker on the perimeter. The potential of a dynamic pass-catcher to light up the scoreboard is hard to resist in a league where scoring matters more than ever.
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