Sports | May 8, 2018 11:33 am

Matt Ryan’s Monster, $150 Million Deal Could Have Ripple Effect

Big payout could also benefit Aaron Rodgers, Carson Wentz and other top tier QBs.

Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts at the line of scrimmage during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 26, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

By Evan Bleier @itishowitis

By signing his five-year, $150 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons last week, Matt Ryan became the highest-paid player in the NFL—but he probably won’t be for long.

With other top-tier quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Carson Wentz and others due to sign new contracts in the near future, it’s likely that Ryan’s deal—which included an NFL-record $100 million in guaranteed money—will soon be eclipsed.

As an NFL executive predicted to Yahoo Sports, “Rodgers will get more.”

That could have a trickle-down effect for Wentz, who may pass Rodgers and Ryan if the Eagles choose to offer him an extension instead of executing his fifth-year option for 2020. It’s a strategy that, given how the market is headed, could end up saving Philadelphia money.

“Philly does everything early,” salary cap expert Joel Corry told Yahoo Sports. “If [Wentz] comes back, you will have to throw a huge number out there to get him to extend, but when it comes to quarterbacks, the longer you wait, the more you pay down the road.”