fully-guaranteed rookie – The fully-guaranteed share of rookie contracts has continued to push deeper into the draft. After the 2011 rookie wage scale began, about the first 20 first-round picks typically received full guarantees. Now, based on contracts negotiated to date after the 20
The moment the first rookie wage scale arrived in 2011. the negotiations started almost immediately—teams and agents haggled over how many four-year. first-round deals would be fully guaranteed. Back then. the fully-guaranteed cash tended to stop early: roughly the first 20 players picked in round one got every penny guaranteed.
Fifteen years later, that line has moved.
Based on the contracts negotiated to date following the 2026 draft, at least the first 48 players are set to receive fully-guaranteed deals. The cutoff reached right through the second round. The 48th overall pick, Falcons cornerback Aveion Terrell, received a fully-guaranteed deal.
Last year, the fully-guaranteed contracts ended with Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, taken with the 40th overall selection. The contrast is stark: the 48th pick in 2025 had only 80 percent of his contract fully guaranteed.
The next selection showed how uneven it still can be, even as the trend pushes outward. The 49th pick in 2026. Panthers defensive tackle Lee Hunter. is the highest-drafted player this year to not have a fully-guaranteed deal. His total payout is $10.072 million, with $9.507 million fully guaranteed—94.3 percent of the contract. That figure marks a significant bump from the 78.94 percent full guarantee for the player taken in that same slot in 2025.
There’s a clear through-line in the way these deals are coming together. As the fully-guaranteed portion stretches beyond the old expectations—past the early first round and into the second—more players are landing with guarantees closer to 100 percent than they did even a year earlier.
Look for the same direction to carry into 2027, with more of the players in round two getting fully-guaranteed deals. Even now, the needle has already moved: half of the second round is now in fully-guaranteed territory.
NFL rookie wage scale rookie contracts fully guaranteed deals 2026 draft Aveion Terrell Tyler Shough Lee Hunter Falcons Saints Panthers NFL draft news guaranteed money
So basically teams have to pay more now? Kinda sucks for the salary cap or whatever.
I don’t even get it, like is this good for the players or just setting them up? Falcons cornerback getting fully guaranteed at 48 sounds wild, I thought it ended way earlier.
Wait Tyler Shough was guaranteed and then it wasn’t? Sounds like the article is saying “fully guaranteed” but then giving percentages like that means kinda guaranteed?? Like 94% isn’t fully. Maybe I’m missing something.
They’re pushing the guarantees deeper and deeper… next thing you know the whole draft is fully guaranteed and nobody takes risks. I saw 2025 had like 80% and 2026 is 94% so I guess everyone just gets paid no matter what, which is great unless it makes trades harder? Also why is the Falcons dude mentioned like that’s the only relevant player lol.