Randall Cobb – Photo: UPI/Bill Greenblatt
The Green Bay Packers didn’t allow WR Randall Cobb reach the open free agent market, agreeing to a four-year, $40 million contract.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the deal on Saturday evening.
Cobb and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, were reportedly looking for a deal that would pay him close to $12 million a year. But in the end, he took a deal from the Packers for the discounted price of $10 million a season. That’s slightly more than the $9.75 million average paid to the Packers top wideout, Jordy Nelson.
Cobb and Nelson became the first pair of receivers in franchise history to catch 10-plus touchdown passes in the same season. Cobb also set a career high with 1,287 yards receiving, the first time in his career that Cobb went over 1,000 yards. Cobb had a career-best 91 receptions this past season.
Cobb probably could have received a better deal elsewhere, but what he wouldn’t have with another team is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Cobb’s numbers were made possible because of his role in the Packers offense, led by Rodgers. The chance that Cobb would reach those numbers with a handful of other teams would have been a real stretch.