NFL Skill Position Players With Most to Prove for a New Contract
These five may be the biggest ones to watch when it comes to extension talks.
NFL training camps are getting underway this week and among the topics likely to come up are which veterans could be in line for a contract extension.
We’ve already seen multiple players agree to new deals after the 2026 NFL Draft, but others are likely to agree to new deals during training camp or before the preseason begins. In other cases, veterans may have to show what they can do during the course of the season to earn that extension.
Over the coming weeks, I’m going to examine some of the players who, for one reason or another, have the most to prove to show they should get a significant extension. In some cases, these players might agree to deals before the season starts, but if that doesn’t happen, the 2026 season could tell us a lot as to what they will get in a new deal.
We’ll start with the skill position players other than quarterback. In the coming weeks, I’ll look at offensive linemen, then look at defensive players, with that possibly divided into two parts.
Jonathan Taylor, RB: He enters the final year of a three-year, $42M extension he signed back in 2023. Taylor is coming off a strong season, though the context is that he had a strong start but not a strong finish. Still, he’s put together back-to-back quality seasons.
The question with Taylor is whether he will be similar to Derrick Henry (who had multiple quality seasons as he approached 30 years old) or he will be more like most running backs who start to decline as they approach 30. And after having 300-plus touches the past two seasons, this season may tell the tale as to whether or not he’ll be in line for one more significant contract.
George Pickens, WR: The Dallas Cowboys put the franchise tag on Pickens after he put together a quality season in 2025. As seems to be the case whenever the Cowboys are negotiating with a player considered to be in line for a top-dollar contract, the team and Pickens aren’t close to a deal.
In this case, it may be a bit understandable, as the Cowboys would like to see if Pickens can repeat his performance, after he had a solid-but-not-great run with the Steelers and had the reputation for taking plays off if he wasn’t getting the pass. Thus, Pickens should have plenty of motivation to prove himself worthy of a long-term deal.
Chris Olave, WR: The 2022 first-round pick played well in his first two seasons with the Saints, but injuries cut his 2024 season short and there were questions as to whether or not he would remain with the team. But the Saints picked up his fifth-year option in 2025 and he had his best season as a pro.
Now that the Saints are in a better cap position, they should be able to keep Olave for the long term. It’s possible the Saints get an extension done before the season starts, but if not, Olave will be out to cement his case for one.
Puka Nacua, WR: The Rams’ 2023 fifth-round pick has become their No. 1 wide receiver. He probably would have been extended by now, but his off-field behavior (one instance that led to a lawsuit) has raised questions about his future with the team.
In this case, it’s not a question of talent but a question of how much the Rams view his off-field behavior as a distraction, to the point that it’s not worth keeping him. If Nacua does get things cleared to the team’s satisfaction, there shouldn’t be any issues with getting a deal done.
Sam LaPorta, TE: After scoring 10 touchdowns as a rookie, LaPorta scored seven in the past two seasons, with his 2025 season cut short because of injuries. Still, his targets and stats dropped off quite a bit following his rookie season that netted him a Pro Bowl nod.
LaPorta is expected to be back for the 2026 season and the Lions will have a new offensive coordinator. Time will tell how things go there, but for LaPorta, this season represents his chance to show that he should be among the higher-paid tight ends in the NFL.