Nothing keeps you off your seat than when the quarterback swing that quick forward pass to the wide receiver, and he then take that far run to the end zone to score a touchdown.
The NFL is no doubt one of the most competitive leagues in sport history and to become a top star in this league comes with a very heavy pay check
Is wide receiver a safe position in football?
The wide receiver is the second most important offense position after the quarterback, because of the role he plays in making sure that the ball hits touchdown.
Over the years, debates has been made on the safety associated with the position of the wide receiver
According to the UPMC health beat, most acknowledged common injuries among wide receiver tend to be career threatening and extremely painful
These injuries includes the Achilles tendon injuries, high ankle sprain, knee injuries,
They tend to occur as a result of the tedious job they do everyday on the field
Let’s take a quick look at what the a wide receiver do in a game
What do NFL wide receivers do?
In a NFL match, the pass receiver is tasked with the responsibility of having to receive the ball from any angle, so they are always on the run
Going all wide regardless of play and formations, they aim to outrun defensive opponents in order to get themselves in great position to get passes.
The wide outs tend to be always under a lot of stress whenever the opponent defence is high, this is because they have to keep putting themselves in positions to receive passes
Causing them to have to withstand hits and blocks from the opponent’s defenders.
To successfully be a great pass receiver, a wide out must be
- Agile
- Have great control over his body
- Strength
- Quick and reactive
- Must have soft hands
- Physical stamina is necessary as this will help you withstand blocks and hit from opponent defensive members
These daily exposure to injury and constant career threats makes NFL wide receivers one of the best paid sportsmen in the world
What do NFL wide receivers do?
According to bleacher report, An average wide receiver pulls in an estimate of $1.8 million, this amount is bound based on the skills of the player and sheer potentials of his rookie days.
Within the period of 2009 and 2010, a wide receiver by the name of Gary Jennings who played for the green bay Parker earned an estimate of $16,215,300 according to career trends
Crazy right
So With the heavy paycheck that comes with having a career in the NFL , here is a quick step by step guideline that you can follow to become a wide receiver
1. Learn about the position
You should learn about the different positions wide receivers takes
- The split end
- Flanker
- Slot back
2. Watch professional wide receivers
The best way to learn something is to see how others are doing it, by watching the pros, you can be able see how they move and interact.
3. Create a workout routine
As a wide out, being fast and quick is an essential requirement o be able to be regarded as a wide receiver .
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4. Work on speed and agility
Training your self for short outburst can help you to evade defensive tackle
5. Practice Run routes
- The slant
- Hitch
- Curl
- Hook
- Post
6. Practice catching on the routes
Being a pass receiver requires you to run around trying to catch balls, so its best you practice catch will can also help you develop a soft hand for balls.
Practice everyday as much as you can, as slacking off can cause you to loose your competitive edge
Trick plays are designed to deceive the opponent, learn these tricks
Understand that becoming a wide receiver isn’t just about you requiring solely on your skills and strengths, it requires will power
25 HIGHEST PAID WIDE RECEIVER IN THE NFL
As of recent, the top 25 most paid wide outs by Spotrac are;
- DeAndre Hopkins : $27,250,000
- Julio Jones : $22,000,000
- Keenan Allen : $20,025,000
- Amari Cooper : $20,000,000
- Micheal Thomas : $19,250,000
- Odell Becklam, Jr : $18,000,000
- Tyreek Hill : $18,000,000
- Kenny Golladay : $18,000,000
- Allen Robinson : $17,880,000
- Tyler lockett : $17,250,000
- Mike Evans : $16,500,000
- Robert Woods : $16,250,000
- Brandin Cooks : $16,200,000
- Adam Thielen : $16,050,000
- Chris Godwin : $15,983,000
- Cooper Kupp : $15,750,000
- Jarvis Landry : $15,100,000
- Davante Adams : $14,000,000
- Stefon Diggs : $14,400,000
- Corey Davis : $12,500,000
- Curtis Samuel : $11,500,000
- Nelaon Agholor : $11,000,000
- Tyler Boyd : $10,750,000
- Will Fuller : $10,625,000
- Sterling shepard : $10,250,000
TOP 25 HIGHEST PAID SAFETY WIDE RECEIVER IN THE 2022 NFL SEASON
1. Antoine Winfield Jr
Experience level: 2 years
AGE: 22 years
Height: 5 – 9
Weight: 203 lbs
College: Minnesota
Antonie Winfield, plays as a free safety for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to which he signed a 4 year contract at the sum of $7,307,184, including $2,874,316 signing bonus, with $3,816,461 guaranteed and an average annual salary of $1,826,796
He is the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
2. Tracy Walker
Experience level: 4 years
Age: 26 years
Height: 6 – 1
Weight: 206 lbs
College: Louisiana Lafayette
Tracy walker plays as a safety for the Detroit lions, he is signed under a 4 years contract at the sum of $3,511,988 which is set to expire next year, after signing the contract, he received a $881,988 signing bonus
3. Quandre Diggs
Experience level: 7 years
Age: 28 years
Height: 5 – 9
Weight: 198 lbs
College: Texas
Quandre Diggs plays as a safety for the Seattle Seahawks, he signed a three year contract extension at the sum of $18.6 million in September 3, 2018. when signing he received a $4.5 million signing bonus and $7.5 million fully guaranteed.
4. Jimmie Ward
Experience level: 8 years
Age: 30 years
Height: 5 – 11
Weight: 195 lbs
College: Northern Illinois
Jimmie Ward plays as a safety for the San Francisco under which he signed a three year contract at the sum of $28.5 million, for which he received a $8 million signing bonus and $13.5 million fully guaranteed at signing, with $17 million in guarantees
5. Jordan Poyer
Experience level: 9 years
Age: 30 years
Height: 6 – 0
Weight: 191 lbs
College: Oregon state
Jordan Poyer plays as a safety for the Buffalo Bills for which he signed a two year contract extension at the sum of 19.5 million on march17, 2020. he received a $3 million signing bonus and 8.525 million guaranteed at signing and $13.3 millions in guarantees
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
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6. Justin Reid
Experience level 4 years
Age 24 years
Height 6 – 1
Weight 203 lbs
College Stanford
Justin Reid plays as a safety for the Houston Texas, he signed this contract on May 11, 2018 to the sum of $4,063,423 with $1,039,656 as signing bonus
7. Darnell Savage
Experience level 3 years
Age 23 years
Height 5 – 11
Weight 198 lbs
College Maryland
Darnell Savage plays as a safety for the green bay packers, he signed this contract to a $7,123,772 signing fee, $12,517,688 minimum salary and a basic yearly salary of $3,129,422
8. Devin McCourty
Experience level 12 years
Age 33 years
Height 5 – 10
Weight 195 lbs
College Rutgers
Devin McCourty plays as a safety for the New England Patriots, to which he signed a two year contract worth $23 million, for which he received $17 million in guarantees, of which $13 million was guaranteed at signing.
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
9. Chauncey Gardner Johnson
Experience level 3 years
Age 23 years
Height 5 – 11
Weight 210 lbs
College Florida
Chauncey Gardner plays for New Orleans Saints as a safety, he earns a yearly wage of about $850,000
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10. Micah Hyde
Experience level 9 years
Age 30 years
Height 6 – 0
Weight 197 lbs
College lowa
Micah Hyde plays as a safety for Buffalo Bills, he signed a two year extended contract at $19.25 million, for which he received $13.3 million in guarantees and received a 7.5 million signing bonus as part of the new contract.
11. Jamal Adams
Experience level 4 years
Age 25 years
Height 6 – 1
Weight 213 lbs
College LSU
Jamal Adams plays for Seattle Seahawks, he is signed to a 4 years contract worth $22,258,808, it includes a signing bonus of $14,328,224
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
12. Anthony Harris
Experience level 7 years
Age 29 years
Height 6 – 1
Weight 202 lbs
College Virginia
Anthony Harris plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, to which he signed a one year contract worth $4 million on March 25, 2021. To which he received a 3.01 million signing bonus. His base salary is $990,000.
13. Eddie Jackson
Experience level 5 years
Age 27 years
Height 6 – 0
Weight 204 lbs
College Alabama
Eddie Johnson plays for the Chicago bears, for which he signed a contract extension for 5 years, the contract is worth $58,400,00 and a $12 million signing bonus
14. Adrian Amos
Experience level 7 years
Age 28 years
Height 6 – 0
Weight 214 lbs
College Penn state
Adrian Amos plays for the Green bay Packers as a safety under a restructured $990,000 league minimum from the inital $4.9 million base salary.
15. Kevin Byard
Experience level 6 years
Age 27 years
Height 5 – 11
Weight 212 lbs
College Middle Tennessee state
Kevin Byard plays for Tennessee Titans as a safety, under a 5 years contract worth $70,500,000, with a signing bonus of $9,000,000 and an average salary of $14,100,000.
16. Derwin James
Experience level 4 years
Age 24 years
Height 6 – 2
Weight 215 lbs
College Florida state
Derwin James plays for Los Angeles chargers, for which he is signed under a 4 years contract worth $12,388,952, he received a signing bonus of $7,090,148. his base salary is $3,097,239
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
17. Harrison Smith
Experience level 10 years
Age 32 years
Height 6 – 2
Weight 214 lbs
College Notre Dame
Harrison Smith plays for the Minnesota Vikings under a fiver year contract worth $51.25 million, he received a $10 million signing bonus with an average salary of $10,250,000
18. Budda Baker
Experience level 5 years
Age 25 years
Height 5 – 10
Weight 195 lbs
College Washington
Budda Baker plays for the Arizona Cardinals under a 4 years contract worth $59,000,000, including a signing bonus of $10 million and an average salary of $14,750,000.
19. Marcus Williams
Experience level 5 years
Age 24 years
Height 6–1
Weight 195 lbs
College Utah
Marcus Williams plays for the New Orleans Saints under a one year contract worth $10,612,000
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
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17. John Johnson III
Experience level 5 years
Age 25 years
Height 6 – 1
Weight 208 lbs
College Boston college
John Johnson III plays for the Cleveland Browns, under a 3 years contract worth $33,750,000 with $13,250,000 and an average salary of $11,250,000
18. Justin Simmons
Experience level 6 years
Age 27 years
Height 6 – 2
Weight 202 lbs
College Boston college
Justin Simmons plays for the Denver Broncos under a 4 years contract worth $61 million and a signing bonus of $15 million with a $15.25 million salary
19. Minkah Fitzpatrick
Experience level 4 years
Age 24 years
Height 6 – 1
Weight 207 lbs
College Alabama
Minkah Fitzpatrick plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers under a 4 year’s contract worth $16,447,768 with a signing bonus of $10,042,012 and an average salary of 2.723 million
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
20. Tyrann Mathieu
Experience level 9 years
Age 29 years
Height 5 – 9
Weight 190 lbs
College ` LSU
Tyrann Mathieu plays for Kansas city chiefs under a base salary of $14.5 million and workout bonus of $250,000
21. Jessie Bates
Experience level 4 years
Age 24 years
Height 6 – 1
Weight 200 lbs
College Wake Forest
Jessie Bates plays for the Cincinnati Bengals as a safety under a 4 years contract worth $4,947,814 with $2,383,311 guaranteed at signing and an average salary of $1,236.954.
He is one of the highest paid wide receiver in NFL.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on highest paid wide receiver in NFL
Antonio Brown is arguably the best receiver in NFL history with a one man’s record of five straight years of 100 plus reception according to pro football reference
Study beforehand your opponent’s coverage and play style
Keep an upright stance
Keep your feet spaced
Master how to make a good release at a snap
Learn the style of getting on top of a defender
Master the fundamental
Know how to perform a cut
Trust your quarterback
Learn to change direction at full speed
Always be ready to hit the brakes at any moment
In a basic offensive position, there can be two pass receivers but depending on the formation we can have up to five pass receivers
The tight end Possession receivers
Jump ball receivers
Slot receivers
XYZ receivers
Perform proper warm up and cool down routine
Implement strength and stretching training
Always stay hydrated
Try to stay active during the summer break
References
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