It doesn’t always pay to be right

Zach Tom will almost certainly sign a contract extension this offseason; the only question is how lucrative the deal will be. The former fourth-round pick has developed into one of the league’s best right tackles, but he’s playing that position only because the coaches placed him there a couple of years ago. Tom is best suited for the left side, where he played at Wake Forest, and his quick feet would be a right-handed quarterback’s best friend.

What’s the difference where Tom lines up? Quite a few million dollars a year. Three of the 12 highest-paid right tackles earn over $20M a year. The average salary of those dozen players is $18.3M. Of the 12 highest-paid left tackles, nine earn over $20M annually. The average salary of those dozen players is $23.9M a year.

The Packers will probably want to use the right tackle numbers when negotiating with Tom since that’s where he’s played over 85% of his snaps since entering the league in 2022. Conversely, Tom’s agent will probably be looking at the left tackle numbers since that’s where Tom can play and probably would be playing if not for David Bakhtiari’s ill-fated return from multiple knee surgeries in the summer of 2023.

Tom played over 60% of his snaps at left tackle as a rookie in 2022, but he switched sides to accommodate Bakhtiari, who lasted one game before going on injured reserve on Sept. 28, 2023. Instead of moving Tom back to left tackle, the coaches decided to go with Rasheed Walker since that’s where he spent most of the offseason and training camp while Bakhtiari rested his knee.

So, what will the eventual extension look like? The Packers will probably start at around $18M a year, while Tom’s agent will begin closer to $25M a year. The guess here is the eventual compromise will favor the player more than the team. Let’s say $91M for four years with at least $35M guaranteed. That won’t put Tom quite in the same neighborhood as the top left tackles in the league, but it’ll be only a short walk away.