The Philadelphia Eagles locked up their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz on Thursday night, signing him to a historic four-year extension. The deal is for $128 million and can be worth up to $144 million with an NFL-record $107 million in guaranteed money.
Wentz, of course, was the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft, one selection after the Rams took Jared Goff. They’re on a similar path statistically but their financial timelines differ. Goff has yet to sign his second contract and is still on his rookie deal.
Wentz signing an extension would seem to accelerate the Rams’ timetable to extend Goff, but that’s not the case. Chief operating officer Kevin Demoff spoke to reporters Friday and said Wentz’s deal will have no bearing on when the Rams sign Goff.
He made that point clear, saying the Eagles are on a “different timetable” than the Rams are.
Goff is under contract for two more seasons (through 2020), so the Rams can take their time with his next contract. That doesn’t mean they aren’t committed to him long-term, but financially, it makes sense for them to reap the benefits of his cap hit being a combined $31.5 million the next two seasons.
When Goff does get a new deal, it’ll likely be worth more than Wentz’s $32 million per year, which will show just how much the Rams value their young quarterback.
To further hammer home the point that the Rams are being patient with Goff, Mike Garafolo is reporting he could play out the next season on his rookie deal before signing an extension.
Garafolo says a new contract could come at around this point next year, or possibly earlier in the offseason.
There’s no reason to panic about the Rams’ patience. They’re simply not rushing to blow up the salary cap when they can keep Goff’s cap hits relatively low for the next two years.
