The NFL season kicks off on Thursday 7th September when current Super Bowl holders Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Detroit Lions to the Arrowfield Stadium. If the NFL odds are to be believed, Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs teammates will be in the reckoning for the Vince Lombardi trophy once again.

A lot can change between now and the season opener though with plenty of sports business still left to be done. In this article we take a look at five of the most potentially important contract extensions ahead of the 2023 season, read on to find out all about them.

Joe Burrow

The Cincinnati Bengals are once again in the running for football’s top prize. Key to their Super Bowl push will be quarterback Joe Burrow who threw for 4,475 yards last season. The Bengals don’t need to extend Burrow’s contract for fear of losing him, rather they need to extend his contract to save themselves some cash.

Jalen Hurts signed an extension at the beginning of the offseason which made him the highest-paid player in league history. Shortly after that, Lamar Jackson’s contract extension saw him take the crown of highest-paid player in the league with his million a year deal exceeding Hurts’ by million.

When it comes to renewing Burrow’s contract, the pressure will be on the Bengals to make him the highest-paid player. If they can get ahead of the curve and sign the extension now before anyone else takes the mantle from Jackson, they’ll save themselves some cash in the long run.

San Fracisco’s 25-year-old pass-rusher Nick Bosa has a season to remember last time out and is quite rightly the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He is however entering the final year of his rookie contract and the Niners will need to act fast to keep hold of the Fort Lauderdale born sensation.

The possibility of using the franchise tag on Bosa in 2024 has been mooted but that would most likely end in San Francisco having to pay more for his services when they do eventually extend his contract.

Reports suggest that the franchise have .4 million in cap space remaining, they’d be well placed using as much of that as necessary to tie down Bosa ahead of the start of the season.

A.J. Epenesa

The Buffalo Bills had high hopes for A.J. Epenesa but after his first season in the team many fans were wondering if the franchise had signed a dud. 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks during that first season weren’t much to write home about, but last year the 24-year-old had somewhat of a breakout season.

He still has plenty of room to improve though and should be extended soon to ensure that the Bills don’t lose him on a free in 2024, especially with Leonard Floyd and Shaw Lawson looking likely to hit the market next year.

With a fairly modest salary, an extension for Epenesa doesn’t just make footballing sense, it makes economic sense too.

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(There was a lot of hype around A.J. Epenesa before he joined the NFL, could this be the year he realises that potential?)

Jack Driscoll

Locking up a contract extension for Jalen Hurts was quite rightly the top priority for the Eagles this season. With that deal freshly signed, the next contract they should be looking to tie up a deal to keep Jack Driscoll in Philly.

Whilst he isn’t a standout player likely to win the franchise a Super Bowl on his own, Driscoll is still an excellent squad option. He can play well in multiple positions and has always been solid when called upon.

If the Eagles are to put the pain of last year behind them and go one further this season, they will need as strong and as deep a squad as possible. Extending Jack Driscoll’s contract will allow them to do just that.

Chris Jones

Patrick Mahomes rightly takes most of the plaudits when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, but last season more than perhaps any other, his sides’ success was built on a solid and resolute defense. According to Mahomes himself, Jones was the real leader of that defensive unit last season and once you take a look at the stats, it becomes clear just how important Jones is to the Chiefs.

Worryingly for Chiefs fans he is entering the final year of his contract and is rumoured to be unhappy about not earning as much as other less talented DL’s in the league. Even more worrying for Chiefs fans is the lack of wiggle room in the salary cap.

Maybe it’s time for the Chiefs hierarchy to get creative with their bonuses!

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