Jakobi Meyers And The Jacksonville Jaguars Agree To A $60 Million Contract

Back in 2022, Jakobi Meyers was a key part of one of the most bizarre endings an NFL football game had ever seen. The New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders were tied at 24 in the final seconds of a late season game during Bill Belichick's penultimate season as head coach. New England seemed content to run the clock out and play for overtime, handing the ball to Rhamondre Stevenson on a simple draw play.

Stevenson didn't get tackled for quite a while, however. By the time he did, he pitched the ball to Jakobi Meyers, a glimmer of hope that the Patriots might be able to turn a miracle.

Well, a miracle did happen. It just went in favor of the Raiders. After Meyers received the pitch from Stevenson, he turned and heaved the ball across the field—directly into the arms of Raiders' defensive end Chandler Jones. Jones only had to beat one Patriots player, and then he was off to the races, scoring one of the most improbable touchdowns you'll ever see.

The play was so wild that it received its own nickname: "The Lunatic Lateral." In case you need a refresher:

While Meyers received plenty of criticism and jokes around his decision, what got lost in the shuffle was that he finished as the Patriots top receiver that year. That led to a three-year, $33 million offseason deal with none other than the Raiders.

Meyers topped 800 yards in his first season in Las Vegas, then posted career highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,027) the following season. Midway through this year, the Raiders, going nowhere in the standings, traded Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2026 fourth and sixth-round picks.

The impact has been immediate. Before Meyers's arrival, the Jaguars were 5-3 and 23rd in the NFL in scoring, averaging 20.4 points per game. Since the trade, Jacksonville has won five out of six games and seen its scoring output jump to 31.8 points, second only to the Los Angeles Rams. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has also seen his production improve, posting 14 touchdowns across six games with Meyers to just nine touchdown passes in eight games without him.

As a result, Meyers has scored the largest contract of his career. The Jaguars extended him with a three-year, $60 million deal that runs through the 2028 season. The contract includes $40 million in guaranteed money.

Yes, Meyers may still hear the occasional joke about a play from years ago. But it's a lot easier to have a sense of humor when you've got millions of dollars coming your way.

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