The Arizona Cardinals have several players seeking contract extensions this offseason along their offense. That, notably, includes quarterback Jacoby Brissett and wide receiver Michael Wilson, as well as left tackle Paris Johnson.
Johnson has proven to be a vital part of the Cardinals‘ offensive line in recent seasons. Now, he wants to be paid like it, too, with ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reporting that Johnson is seeking a contract that would pay him $40 million annually.
“Arizona’s foundational left tackle was up for an extension after last season but instead of locking the former sixth-overall pick in 2023 down long term, Arizona picked up his fifth-year option,” Weinfuss wrote.
“Johnson, who has told ESPN in the past that he wants to be a $40 million-per-year left tackle, believes his contract situation will work itself out eventually.”
To put that kind of ask into context for the Cardinals and Johnson, $40 million would be more than double what Josh Sweat and Trey McBride make, as the two highest-paid players on the team in terms of average annual salary, at $19.1 and $19.0 million. On top of that, only one left tackle, Laremy Tunsil, is making more than $30 million a year.
It would also be a massive pay raise for Johnson. As it stands now, he’s making a little over $7 million in average annual salary.
The good news is that the Cardinals do have the money to pay a player like Johnson. With $34.8 million in cap space, they have the sixth-most available in the NFL. That’s according to Spotrac.
Paris Johnson Believes Things Will Work Out With the Arizona Cardinals
GettyArizona Cardinals offensive lineman Paris Johnson wants to be paid $40 million a year as a tackle in his contract extension.
It can be easy to allow contract negotiations to dominate your concerns. However, Paris Johnson isn’t taking that approach with the Arizona Cardinals. Instead, he believes things will work out on their own.
“It always does, especially in the tackle market,” Johnson said. “It happens when it happens and it’s usually right, but I’m not really worried about that right now because it’s not going to help me block anybody in front of me right now, you know what I mean? So, right now, I’m just thinking about how I can be the best version of myself for the guys on the team right now.”
The Cardinals recently picked up Johnson’s fifth-year option. That’s going to keep him under team control through 2027. It’s also the moment Johnson says he began thinking about that extension.
“No, because it wasn’t going to help me prepare in the offseason whatsoever. I was training up in Cleveland, Ohio, in the cold every day. The only thing on my mind was making my time up there be worthwhile and that’s trying to take advantage of the days and training and so that way I can come to OTAs and be sharp,” Johnson said.
“It’s kind of like when I was in college, like my last year in college, I heard rumblings about league and all that. Kind of pushed all that to the side because that wasn’t going to help me block anybody and I just put the blinders on kind of mindset and effect. That’s the same kind of approach this year. I’m putting the blinders on. Things are going to happen when it’s going to happen.”
Where Analytics Rank Paris Johnson
GettyArizona Cardinals offensive lineman Paris Johnson
It can sometimes be hard to judge offensive linemen statistically. After all, they don’t touch the ball and accumulate stats the same way that other positions do. So, advanced analytics can help break down where Paris Johnson ranks among left tackles.
Earlier in the offseason, Mike Clay of ESPN shared his advanced metric rankings for offensive lines around the NFL. Johnson was given a 6.3 ranking there, which was 15th among projected starting left tackles.
According to PFF, Johnson was the 19th-ranked tackle, regardless of what side of the ball they lined up on, in the NFL. He had a 72.9 PFF pass- and run-blocking grade for the second straight season.
Now, Johnson wants to be paid as one of the elite tackles in the entire sport. Whether or not he gets that from the Cardinals, however, remains to be seen.
Cardinals OL Paris Johnson Massive Contract Demands Revealed