Geno Atkins’ deal could add another sticking point for Aaron Donald and the Rams

Aaron Donald’s hunt for a record-breaking deal wasn’t helped by Geno Atkins’ contract extension.

The Cincinnati Bengals locked up their defensive line for the next few seasons by dishing out contract extensions to Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s a three-year, $45-million deal for Dunlap and four years, $65.3 million for Atkins.

That’s good news for Cincinnati and ensures the defensive line will have two of its top contributors in place for years to come, but the loser of the day may be the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald.

Donald, 27, has sat out the entire offseason in his hunt for a new contract with the Rams. A recent report said that a deal between the Rams and Donald is close to done that would pay the defensive tackle $22 million per year and $80 million guaranteed. That may still end up happening, but the deal for Atkins could throw a last-second wrench in things.

Atkins and Donald are comparable players. Both are undersized defensive tackles who have made a name for themselves by creating chaos on the interior. Both are versatile linemen, although Donald has proven his ability to produce in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes.

While Donald has 30 sacks over the last three seasons with three First-Team All-Pro nods, Atkins has 29 sacks during that span with three trips to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors in 2015.

That’s not to say they should be paid the same. Donald is three years younger, a little more disruptive, was named Defensive Player of Year in 2017, and will deservedly get a contract that eclipses Atkins’ $16.3 million per year.

Donald is aiming to reset the market with a contract that soars past the $17.1 million per year deal that Fletcher Cox signed in 2016 — currently the top annual salary for a defensive tackle. Donald should get more than Atkins, but $22 million is about 35 percent more than the number Atkins just signed for.

The list of 16 players who make at least $20 million per year is exclusively made up of quarterbacks, and Donald may soon be the first defensive player to cross that plane. His dominant play warrants an elite contract. But a relatively similar player receiving a deal that’s in line with how other defensive tackles have been paid doesn’t help Donald’s case.