Top 5 wide receivers who bagged new deals at the age of 32 or older
Most players, especially athletic positions like wide receivers, try to lock in as much money in their contracts entering the years just prior to their 30s. Both the franchise and players expect their output to drop as they turn to the wrong side of the thirty-year-old marker.
For any wide receiver to get a new contract a couple of years into their 30s, then, is a big deal. Here are some wide receivers who pulled off a new contract because of their sustained elite performance.
5 wide receivers who received deals after turning 32
#1 - Jerry Rice
We begin with arguably the greatest wide receiver of all time. His entire career, if divided into multiple parts, would still, each in isolation, be a Hall of Fame career.
A record holder in pretty much everything, he moved to the Oakland Raiders when he was 39 on a new contract. Many people might have feared that the GOAT would be washed up at that age. Instead, Jerry Rice went on to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
#2 - Julio Jones
Coming to the most recent example, Julio Jones moved to the Tennessee Titans this 2021 offseason. The 32-year-old wide receiver will receive a guaranteed $15.3 million this season, after joining his new franchise from the Atlanta Falcons. If he can perform at the level that he always has, Ryan Tannehill will be licking his lips. No wonder he agreed to a contract restructure to bring Jones in.
#3 - Keyshawn Johnson
Johnson joined the Dallas Cowboys at the age of 32. The wide receiver fully repaid his new team on the deal he received. In his first season, he clocked just shy of 1,000 yards. In his second season, he was the reception leader at the Cowboys with 71 catches.
#4 - Joey Galloway
Joey Galloway moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the same deal that brought Keyshawn Johnson to Dallas. Suffice to say, it was a win-win for both teams.
At 33, the wide receiver did not have the best first season after suffering a groin injury. But the following year, he had 83 catches for 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns, his best year in the NFL.
#5 - Steve Smith Sr.
Steve Smith Sr. moved to the Baltimore Ravens at the age of 35. In seven of his 13 years in the NFL, he breached 1,000 yards and the Ravens signed him with that expectation. He did not disappoint, leading the team with 1,065 yards and 79 catches.