Soon-to-be free agents in Super Bowl LVIII who could be in line for big paydays

There will be plenty of star power on the field Sunday evening when the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs square off in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

And for some of those stars who are pending free agents, it could be the last time they suit up in the 49ers’ scarlet and gold or Chiefs’ red and yellow. Here are the top five soon-to-be free agents playing in the Super Bowl who could cash in on big-money deals this offseason:

1. Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs

Jones got the money he was looking ($19.5 million with incentives up to $25M) for but not the term as he signed a one-year deal before the season started. The 29-year-old defensive tackle led the Chiefs with 13 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with 10.5 sacks. Among all DTs, he led the NFL in QB hits (18) and ranked second in pressures (75) and sixth in both hurries (43) and pass-rush win rate (18.9%), per PFF.

Jones’ 2023 was right on par with the top players at his position including Aaron Donald, Quinnen Williams and Dexter Lawrence, and he will likely be paid as such. Spotrac projects Jones to sign a three-year, $85.45 million deal this summer, putting his market value right around $28.4M.

2. Chase Young, DE, San Francisco 49ers

After being hampered by injuries for two straight seasons, Young had the kind of bounce-back year that could lead to a healthy long-term deal in free agency. Splitting the season with the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers, Young totaled a career-high 66 pressures, 48 hurries and eight QB hits, per Pro Football Focus, along with 7.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.

If the 24-year-old former No. 2 overall pick can have a big game against Patrick Mahomes on Sunday, he could establish himself as the No. 2 defensive end in the 2024 free-agent class behind Carolina’s Brian Burns come March. Spotrac projects him to sign a one-year, $13M free-agent deal, but given his memorable rookie year plus what he accomplished in 2023, his next deal could look more like the four-year, $65.5M contract Cameron Heyward signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021.

3. L’Jarius Sneed, CB, Kansas City Chiefs

Sneed is one of the more underrated players at his potion. Of cornerbacks to play 500 or more coverage snaps this season, Sneed allowed the fourth-lowest passer rating against (55.9), the sixth-lowest completion percentage (51.9) and the seventh-lowest yards per reception (9.7) while totaling the third-most forced incompletions (17). He was also one of just four CBs to not allow a touchdown during the regular season (minimum 500 coverage snaps).

He may not be a household name like Jalen Ramsey, Trevon Diggs or Xavien Howard, but his play is right up there with the best of them. Sneed is certainly due a sizeable bump from the $982,330 he made this season, and Spotrac projects him to land a four-year, $65.32M contract in free agency ($16.3M annual salary).

4. Mike Danna, DE, Kansas City Chiefs

Although not quite at the level Sneed is, Danna is also an undervalued player at his position. The 26-year-old DE set new career highs this season with 41 pressures, 28 hurries, seven tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as part of the No. 2-ranked Chiefs defense that also had the second-most sacks during the regular season.

Burns, Young and Leonard Williams are likely the three best edge-rushers in the upcoming free-agent class, but Danna isn’t too far behind them. Spotrac projects him to sign a three-year, $25.99M deal ($8.6M annual salary), which would make him one of the top 12 highest-paid DEs in the league.

5. Tashaun Gipson, S, San Francisco 49ers

Gipson may be the least-known player on this list (and the oldest at 33), but that doesn’t take away from the impressive run he’s been on this season. He led the 49ers in coverage snaps (667) and allowed the lowest passer rating against (38.9) and lowest completion percentage (44) on the team. 

The 2024 free-agent class is top-heavy at safety — Budda Baker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Antoine Winfield Jr., Kyle Dugger, Geno Stone, Jeremy Chinn, etc. — but Gipson could still land a solid deal from a team needing an upgrade in the secondary. Spotrac doesn’t have a contract projection or a projected market value for him, but his next deal could look something like the three-year, $22.5M contract he signed with the Houston Texans in 2019.