With training camp just beginning, it’s been extension season for teams around the NFL, and the Green Bay Packers partook in the fun, handing out a four-year, $88 million deal to star offensive lineman Zach Tom.
Tom, who has been a versatile lineman for the Packers before settling in at right tackle last year, has risen quickly since being taken in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, he’s one of the best right tackles in the business, making it a priority for Green Bay to extend him this
offseason.
The four-year deal made Tom the sixth-highest paid tackle in the NFL when he signed (although multiple deals have surpassed the $22 million-per-year mark since). With the deal, Tom earned $30.2 million guaranteed at signing in the form of a signing bonus.
With the details starting to unfold, let’s evaluate the deal and compare it to the other recent contracts for tackles in the NFL.
Details of the Zach Tom contract
OverTheCap.com recently revealed what Tom’s contract structure looks like, as the tackle has cap hits under $20 million over the first three years before they rise in Years 4 and 5.
Tom is set to make a base salary of $1.2 million in 2025, leading to a $7.4 million cap hit for the 2025 season.
That cap hit increases to $12.09 million in Year 2, with Tom taking home a $1.85 million salary and a $3 million roster bonus. Then, he has a $17.99 million cap hit in Year 3, as he has a $1.75 million salary and a $9 million roster bonus.
In addition to the roster bonuses, there are weekly game bonuses and workout bonuses for Tom in the contract over the last four years.
Tom’s cap hits in Years 4 and 5 are $24.04 million and $30.04 million, respectively. With the Packers adding an additional four years and $88 million to the final year of Tom’s rookie contract, the full deal essentially becomes for five years and $91 million, which is very feasible when considering the tackle’s value.
Add in a favorable guarantee structure, where the signing bonus is the only guarantee at signing, and there is ample flexibility on this deal for both sides. But, for now, Tom is signed in Green Bay through his age-30 season.
Comparing Zach Tom’s Packers contract with other tackle deals
With the number of tackles looking to get extended this offseason, there was a bit of a race to get deals done.
There was a lot of movement earlier in the offseason, as Dan Moore signed a four-year, $82 million deal in free agency, while Ronnie Stanley and Alaric Jackson both received three-year extensions worth close to or at $60 million.
But, of the major rookie extensions, the Packers were able to get a deal done with Tom first, which benefited them dearly.
By signing him on July 21st, they beat out the Indianapolis Colts for Bernhard Raimann’s deal and the Los Angeles Chargers for Rashawn Slater’s deal.
Raimann ended up signing a four-year, $100 million deal with $60 million in total guarantees one week later, while Slater signed a monster four-year, $114 million deal that topped the tackle market on Sunday.
When looking at the total compensation for Tom, as well as a favorable guarantee structure, this seems like a no-brainer for the Packers. They’re not on the hook for major cap hits over the first three years of the deal, and a re-working of the contract seems likely down the road, assuming Tom keeps up his level of play.
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