Detroit Lions: Kenny Golladay’s contract extension will be massive

Detroit Lions top receiver Kenny Golladay is poised to have another stellar season, especially if Matthew Stafford can remain healthy in 2020.

After leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns (11) in 2019, Kenny Golladay is surely expecting to take yet another step forward in 2020, plus he has plenty of motivation entering a contract year.  The Detroit Lions better be prepared to dish out some big-time money to extend their top receiver.

The Detroit Lions still have roughly $20-million to spend if they so choose this offseason, or perhaps they decide just to give Golladay a lucrative contract extension a year before his deal expires.

The teams number two pass-catcher Marvin Jones along with the third option Danny Amendola are also both entering the final year of their current deals, leaving this receiving groups’ future beyond 2020 in question.

It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the Lions decided to move on from Marvin Jones so that they are not forced to anti-up two significant contracts to wide receivers in the same offseason.  Kenny Golladay is Detroit’s priority, and Jones may seek to be paid like a number one receiver, although he’s best suited as a two or three.

It’s unfortunate because, from a fan’s perspective, we’d definitely want Detroit to retain both and add another option next year, someone, who is an upgrade to Amendola just to bolster the talent around Matthew Stafford. Still, I’d expect under the management regime that remains in place, a lot of money will be allocated to fix the Detroit defense, leaving someone like Jones expendable.

There is always that chance that Jones tests the open market and doesn’t find a fit he’s looking for, or even decides he’d prefer to stay in Detroit taking a team-friendly deal.  That would be the best-case scenario for the Detroit Lions.  The problem is, I’d expect Jones to expect somewhere around $10-million per season, a bit of a raise from his $8-million average deal that’s finishing now.

I’d expect Golladay’s starting point in the way of negotiations will be to about $16-million per season on his contract extension.  When you figure, Sammy Watkins earns $16-million, Adam Thielen, Brandin Cooks, and DeAndre Hopkins all average $16.2 million, there is only one pass-catcher on this shortlist of wealthy earners I’d take over Golladay, and that’s Hopkins.  Julio Jones averages $22-million on his recent three-year extension.

Other notable receivers who’ve broken the bank of late with an impressive base salary figure one can only dream of are; Odell Beckham Jr ($18MM), Mike Evans ($16.5MM), Jarvis Landry ($15.1MM), A.J. Green ($15MM), and Davante Adams ($14.5MM).

Golladay is coming off of back to back 1,000-plus receiving seasons, plus leading the league last season in touchdowns with Stafford only playing in half of the Detroit Lions’ games.  He will enjoy a massive payday, whether it’s this summer or in the winter of 2021.