It's no secret that Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was the most productive player for the franchise in 2024, smashing Puka Nacua's record for rookie receptions less than a year after Nacua broke it himself. His 112 catches also set a Raiders franchise record for most in a season and Bowers also owns the record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
If he keeps going at this pace over the next few years, Bowers will break Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride's record for the biggest contract given to a tight end coming off a rookie deal, but according to NFL.com's senior researcher, Anthony Holzman-Escareno, Bowers' deal projects to hit receiver-level numbers in the future.
"Bowers isn't eligible for an extension until after the 2026 season, but whenever he does put pen to paper, I expect the compensation to look far closer to that of an elite wide receiver," wrote Holzman-Escareno. "Bowers put together the best season by a rookie tight end in NFL history and has already made his case for the title of league's best TE."
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase signed an NFL record-breaking deal for a wide receiver, smashing fellow LSU Tiger Justin Jefferson's record by $21 million in total value, agreeing to a four-year, $161 million deal with $73.9 million guaranteed.
To put that into perspective, in the 2025 offseason, McBride signed a four-year, $76 million deal with $32 million guaranteed. 49ers George Kittle owns the current record for highest-paid tight end with a four-year, $76.4 million extension signed this offseason with $35 million guaranteed.
So right now, the gap between the highest-paid tight end and wide receiver is $85 million. However, that's the current market, not the market Bowers will enter in two years. Over the past year, the jump of $21 million between Jefferson and Chase has set a precident.
We already know Bowers will be the highest-paid tight end as long as he keeps his statistical pace, but while he likely won't make Ja'Marr Chase money, if the market continues to grow at its present rate, I expect Bowers to receive a deal that exceeds the $110 million threshold, especially if the NFL adopts an 18 game schedule.
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