By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The contract numbers are in for Brandon Scherff. And the five-time Pro Bowler got paid. Big time. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars gave Scherff a three-year, $49.5 million contract to make him the highest-paid guard in the NFL. The deal contains additional incentives that boost the total value to $52 million. 

Even if he doesn’t earn those incentives, Scherff landed a big payday in leaving the Washington Commanders. Of that $49.5 million, $30 million is guaranteed with a $15 million signing bonus and his salaries in 2022 ($1.5 million) and 2023 locked in ($13.5 million). Scherff’s average annual salary equals $16.5 million per year —topping Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio ($16 million) and Kansas City’s Joe Thuney ($16 million). 

Because of the franchise tag, Scherff was already the NFL’s highest-paid guard with Washington last year. He made $18 million in 2021 after receiving the tag for a second straight year. But now, Scherff gets a long-term deal that still puts him at the top of the market — something that he was unable to achieve with the Commanders. Washington and Scherff failed to agree on a long-term deal over the past few years, setting up the 30-year-old’s departure. 

Scherff’s contract with the Jaguars contains per-game bonuses up to $1 million per year. He also receives a $500,000 workout bonus each year and can make an additional $1 million every year he makes the Pro Bowl. 

With the structuring of the deal, Scherff’s cap hit in 2022 is roughly $7.7 million. That figure, however, jumps to $20 million in 2023 and $21.5 million in 2024. 

The NFL Network was the first to report details of Scherff’s contract. 

Scherff’s contract was part of a big spending spree from the Jaguars. The team committed Monday to hand out $229 million in contracts to six players: 

• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.

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