6 NFL RBs who proved second contracts can be worthwhile investments.
https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2019/0 ... ones-drew/
LeSean McCoy
McCoy was signed to a five-year, $45 million extension that season. In 2019 cap dollars, the deal equates to over $14 million a year. Over the first three years of that extension, McCoy played in 44 of 48 possible contests, and averaged over 1,600 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns a season. His peak season was the second year of the deal, 2013, when he led the NFL in rushing attempts, rushing yards, yards from scrimmage and total touches.
Frank Gore
Most didn’t think Gore would see a second contract, much less the sixth he’s on currently. After blowing up his ACLs in college, during a time where recovery was anything but a sure thing, Gore defied the odds and is now the fourth leading rusher in NFL history with 14,748 yards and needs just over 500 more to surpass Barry Sanders.
In 2007 Gore signed a four-year, $28.012 million extension ($12 million annually in 2019 cap dollars) and then signed a third deal in 2011, three years, $19.2 million ($9.4 million today).
Matt Forte
After his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2011, Forte signed for four years, $30.4 million. That average salary would equate to an $11.9 million average in today’s game.
He went on to make another Pro Bowl, in 2013, played in 47 of the next 48 games and rushed 1,157 yards over the next three seasons. Oh, he also contributed over 220 receptions in that span and totaled 28 touchdowns from 2012 through 2014.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson is probably the poster boy for this exercise. After inking an incredible six-year, $84 million second contract in 2011, an average value of $14 million back then, he renegotiated the heftier back end of that deal to still come out at $14 million on average in 2015.
Following the first extension, all he did was rush for an average of 1,444 yards over the next three seasons, including the second-best total in NFL history, 2,097 yards in 2012. His ACL injury wiped out the 2014 season and led to the restructure, which might serve as a warning, right?
March on Lynch
Seattle acquired Lynch on his rookie deal from Buffalo and he made his second Pro Bowl in his first full season with the Seahawks in 2011. They rewarded him with a new deal of four years for $30 million. That $7.5 million average in 2012 equates to $11.7 million a season in today’s dollars.
Lynch promptly led the league in rushing in 2012 with 1,590 yards, and then led the league in rushing touchdowns with 12 in 2013, and 13 in 2014. Along the way, Seattle won a Super Bowl and would’ve won a second if they had just given him one more carry.
M. Jones Drew
Jones-Drew was a touchdown-scoring machine on his rookie deal in Florida, with 34 in his first three seasons. That earned him a four-year, $35.5 million deal in 2009, worth $13.6 million in 2019 dollars.
Jones proceeded to make the Pro Bowl each of the next three years, including being an All-Pro in 2011 when he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,606.
all huge on 2nd contract deals, all earned every cent they where given.