In Today’s N.F.L., Good Backups Pay Off (and Are Getting Paid)

As their value to their teams rises, so too do backups’ salaries. Huntley, who went undrafted out of Utah in 2020, is playing for the Ravens on a 1-year deal for $895,000. He earned it by replacing an injured Jackson for four games last season. (Jackson, who has a sprained posterior cruciate ligament, is expected to return this year, but Huntley will likely start Sunday against the Steelers.)

Purdy is in the first year of a four-year rookie contract worth $3.7 million, or about $934,000 annually.

Both are near the bottom of the pay scale for backups, a market that Chris Cabott, the agent for Rush and Heinicke, said is growing. “As more of these quarterbacks are getting opportunities, and the salary cap continues to grow, we are close, maybe months away from an eight-figure salary for some backups,” Cabott said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/10/sports/football/nfl-backup-qbs.html