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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Parker Washington is coming off a breakout 2025 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A sixth-round pick (No. 185 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State, the 5-foot-10 wideout spent his first two seasons developing behind players like Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Brian Thomas Jr. But with Ridley and Kirk both gone last season, and Thomas going through a sophomore slump, Washington took full advantage. He finished as the team's leading receiver with 847 yards and five touchdowns on 58 catches, averaging a career-high 14.6 yards per catch.
The timing couldn't be better, either, with Washington entering the final year of his rookie contract. Yet with the 2026 season just weeks away, he still hasn't landed a new deal. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Washington addressed where things stand.
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"It's there, and it's a conversation, but my focus is just coming out here, and I need to make plays for Trevor [Lawrence]," Washington said. "So that's my mindset, and that's how I'm going to attack it. I'm not going to step on my agent's toes. They can have those conversations. I'm going to come out here and do my job."
Washington was also asked about Zay Flowers' recent four-year, $140 million extension with the Baltimore Ravens, which made Flowers one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. "The receiver market is a little crazy, and you see guys getting their opportunities and getting paid. I mean, that's cool," Washington said. "But as I said, for me, I just want to go out here and be my best self and just attack it."
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The Jaguars aren't exactly hurting at receiver. Beyond Washington, they have former first-rounder Thomas, who's expected to bounce back this season, along with veteran Jakobi Meyers and last year's No. 2 overall pick, Travis Hunter. But of the group, there's an argument that Washington is actually the most reliable option. He's developed a clear rapport with Lawrence, and with both Thomas and Hunter having dealt with injuries and production dips, Washington is the one trending in the opposite direction.
His current market value sits around $15.2 million per year, according to Spotrac, and while he won't land the payday Flowers just got in Baltimore, a four-year deal worth roughly $60 million could be within reach. That would put his annual salary in line with players like Khalil Shakir, Jayden Reed, and Cooper Kupp — a tier of elite slot receivers Washington increasingly looks like he belongs in.
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