Getty Free agent safety Quandre Diggs jokes that Amazon should contact him for a television deal.
Much to the chagrin of Seattle Seahawks fans, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay will not be pursuing any television opportunities this offseason, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter on Friday, February 25.
Andrew Marchand of The New York Post reported that if McVay was interested, Amazon was perhaps willing to offer as much as $100 million for a five-year contract.
McVay might not be interested, but for $100 million to be on a television streaming service, other coaches and players will be. Or at least they might joke about being interested like Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs did.
“Amazon hit my line i’m a free agent and looking for a nice spot!” Diggs tweeted on February 25.
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NFL TV Coverage Is Booming With Big Contracts
From a financial standpoint, there has never been a better time to be an NFL analyst on television. To keep Tony Romo from bolting for another network in February 2020, Marchand reported CBS agreed to pay Romo around $17 million per season.
With that contract, Romo became the highest-paid NFL analyst in history. The previous high was John Madden, who received less than half ($8 million per season) of what Romo recently earned with CBS.
Adam Schefter reported that assuming the NFL remains on CBS, Romo’s deal will grow to as long as 10 years and be worth in excess of $170 million.
CBS is giving Tony Romo a firm three-year deal to remain at the network, but it could grow to a 10-year deal, per sources. If the NFL extends its rights deal with CBS, Romo’s deal extends by seven additional years, even if the new rights deal is for a term shorter than seven.
With CBS rewriting what an NFL television analyst is worth, and Amazon entering the NFL broadcasting ring next season, contracts are continuing to skyrocket this offseason.
FOX analyst Troy Aikman told CowboysSI.com that he has considered moving to Amazon to work Thursday Night Football, but Marchand reported on February 23 that Aikman is close to a deal with ESPN to become the network’s Monday Night Football analyst.
That reported deal is expected to be around $17.5 million per season for five years.
Quandre Diggs Set to Become a Free Agent
While Diggs likely won’t receive a call from Amazon to be one of its NFL analysts, the safety should see plenty of attention on the free agent market. Diggs is set to hit the open market when the legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on Monday, March 14 at 12 p.m. ET.
The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia ranked Diggs as the 31st-best player that is on the verge of becoming an NFL free agent.
“If he were healthy, he’d be even higher. Diggs is one of the NFL’s most underrated ball-hawking safeties. But he got injured at the worst possible time,” Kapadia wrote. “Diggs had surgery in January to repair a broken right fibula and dislocated ankle he suffered in Week 18.
“His 10 interceptions over the past two seasons are tied for first among safeties, and his 17 passes defended are tied for sixth. Diggs lined up at free safety on roughly 88% of his snaps last season. He didn’t miss a start in 2020 or 2021. Diggs’ market will be about when he expects to once again be fully healthy.”
Pro Football Focus projected that Diggs will receive a contract similar to the one’s safeties Jimmie Ward, Lamarcus Joyner, and Tashaun Gipson have signed in recent years. The most lucrative deal those players earned was Joyner’s four-year, $42 million deal with the then Oakland Raiders in 2019.
PFF ranked Diggs as the No. 52 player in the upcoming NFL free agency class.
Diggs posted five interceptions and seven pass defenses with the Seattle Seahawks last season. He also had 94 combined tackles, including a tackle for loss in 17 starts.
The safety underwent surgery to repair his broken fibula and dislocated ankle on Jan. 11. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Diggs will recover in 4-5 months if no complications arise.
#Seahawks Pro Bowl S Quandre Diggs underwent successful surgery yesterday from noted expert Dr. Robert Anderson to repair his broken fibula and dislocated ankle, source said. The surgery went well with no complications and he has a 4-5 month recovery.