Cardinals LT Paris Johnson Jr. Addresses Extension Asking Price

It was recently learned Johnson is eyeing $40MM per year on his second NFL contract. That figure would easily reset the tackle market given where things currently stand. Laremy Tunsil‘s $30.1MM average annual value leads the way for blindside blockers. Johnson recently spoke about his financial approach during an appearance on the PHNX Cardinals podcast.

“When I started speaking on that, the question was more about how you would grade an elite tackle and how you start to measure yourself as an elite tackle,” the former No. 6 pick said. “My answer was exactly this: when I watch tape, when I go to practice and when I play in a game, my mindset is to be the $40 million man. When I watch my tape, I ask myself, ‘Would you pay this guy $40 million?’ That’s how I watch my tape.

“Because the guy I’m lining up against, if he’s worth something, he’s worth at least $35 million to $50 million. Now, the tackle market isn’t there. The tackle market usually goes up by about one million over the next guy, and that’s just what it is… But my mindset is that elite guys who are rushing the quarterback — that’s what the market is for them. And I believe it takes an equivalent-level player to shut that guy down. So I’m not going out there thinking, ‘Pay me $28 million or $28.5 million.'”

To Johnson’s point, the pass rush market has experienced recent surges. Will Anderson became the NFL’s first $50MM-per-year edge rusher earlier this offseason, and five of his peers are attached to an AAV of $40MM or more. That has helped create a financial landscape similar to the gap between the league’s highest-paid receivers and the top earners at the cornerback position.

At the age of 25, Johnson is a logical candidate to receive a major raise whenever his new Cardinals pact is in place. Given the team’s decision to pick up his fifth-year option, the Ohio State product is on track to receive $19.07MM in 2027. If an extension is to be finalized before then, it will check in at a much higher rate. Reaching the $40MM mark would be a surprise, but Johnson’s efforts to secure a figure similar to the league’s top EDGE earners will be interesting to monitor.