Not even a week ago, the Green Bay Packers rewarded former fourth-rounder Zach Tom for his efforts by inking the offensive tackle to a four-year deal worth $88 million. It was a well-earned deal considering Tom's production during his time with the Packers so far and now, six days after the Packers signed Tom to this deal, it already looks like a bargain.
That's because the Los Angeles Chargers just extended their own tackle, Rashawn Slater, to a massive deal. Slater also signed for a four-year deal but he's making significantly more money than Tom, earning $114 million on his new contract.
Zach Tom’s new deal with the Packers might be robbery
Don't get me wrong -- Slater deserved his deal just as much as Tom deserved his. The point here is that the Packers got their guy paid earlier and, as a result, didn't have to cough up as much money. It also helps that Tom plays right tackle whereas Slater plays left, meaning he was always going to earn more money due to left tackle being viewed as a more important position.
Slater also was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft while Tom was a fourth-rounder the following year. This type of production was definitely more expected from Slater but Packers fans have loved the value the team has gotten from Tom just three years into his pro career.
Teams need to value paying their offensive linemen because, as this year's Super Bowl showed us, a bad offensive line will eventually tank your season. The Packers have always made sure to take care of their o-line and not even letting things get close to that breaking point with Tom was absolutely the right move.
Tom has not only played well in his first three years in the league but he's done so at multiple positions on the o-line. He's found a home at right tackle, which is where he's spent the most time, but he's shown that he can play well at left tackle and left guard as well and it's not easy to find players who can do that.
This deal will likely continue to look more and more like a bargain as time goes on.