As we get closer to the conclusion of the 2022 NFL campaign, we can start to look forward to the off-season and what teams will start to look like heading in to training camp at the end of the summer. Contract talks and cap space will be on the forefront of the discussions between team’s front offices, and there are some seriously expensive deals out there for 2023.
Most of the big money is doled out to the quarterbacks. In terms of total cap hit, 8 of the top 9 money-earners for next season are pass throwers. Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, and Patrick Mahomes will all cost their teams more than $45 million in 2023, with Josh Allen and Ryan Tannehill on the hook for $35 million-plus.
But what about the other positions? These numbers are certainly subject to change as teams will restructure contracts, and new ones will be signed around the league. But as it stands at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season, here are the non-quarterbacks who will carry the biggest cap hits for 2023:
NFL – Most Expensive Non-QBs for 2023:
Laremy Tunsil – $35.2 million
The Houston Texans are rebuilding, which is something you don’t usually do with the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league on your roster. Their front office will have a serious decision to make, as Tunsil is still one of the premier offensive linemen in the NFL, and can be a piece that you can build around.
But is $35 million-plus worth the cap space when there are holes to fill all over the field? The Texans will have an out this off-season when his dead cap number drops to $16 million, but keeping an established veteran around could be the logical choice.
Leonard Williams – $32.2 million
When Leonard Williams signed his current contract three years ago, the Giants backloaded it by paying him just $2.2 million of his $20.1 million base salary over the first two seasons. That number jumps to $18 million in 2023, and he represents a cap hit of over $32 million when all is said and done.
The Giants can save themselves a good chunk of change this off-season if they decide to part ways with Williams. Cutting or trading him after June 1st would result in a savings of $18 million.
Tyreek Hill – $31.4 million
Tyreek Hill was one of the most productive players in the league last season, though he came at a cheap price for the Dolphins, as they owed him less than $7 million. That will change in 2023 and beyond as Hill’s contract begins to balloon, as his cap hit is over $31 million for the coming year. Miami will almost certainly restructure his deal as they are in need of some cost-cutting, a move that would save them nearly $19 million.
Hill will still be expensive, but it may be worth it to the Dolphins, who have high aspirations for next year and beyond.
Joey Bosa – $31 million
Joey Bosa has been one of the most expensive non-quarterbacks for a couple of years now, and he is currently listed as easily the most expensive player on the Chargers’ roster. He was injured for a majority of the 2022 season, the third time in his 7-year career in which he has played 10 games or fewer. Bosa plays with Pro Bowl production when he is healthy, which makes him somewhat of a commodity, but not at his current price tag. He will have a lot to prove in 2023.
DeAndre Hopkins – $30.7 million
Another guy who missed significant time in 2022, De’Andre Hopkins, has a future that is very much up in the air. The Cardinals have fired their head coach and seem to have a rocky situation with their star quarterback, and they have a wide receiver that is set to cost them over $30 million.
And that is why Hopkins may not be in Arizona next year. The Cardinals will likely enter a rebuild and could use the money that they have wrapped up in Hopkins, which they could save nearly $20 million of if they cut ties with him post-June 1st.
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